In Praise of MPs

It's even trickier to keep track of British politics than British football (see below for some stats from the weekend and Monday). Still, in this political season here in the US, I have to envy the UK and other countries that have parliamentary systems.

I know the Knesset, for example, make Israelis bonkers, as it always seems hopelessly intractable. But this vestige of the British mandate does have one advantage: You don't have to pretend you're something you're not. You may have to form a coalition with some pack of nutters, but you don't have to actually claim that you have the extreme views yourself. In other words, if Barack Obama was running for PM instead of president, he wouldn't have to claim to be in favor drilling for oil. He would just have to join forces with another party that does.

Sometimes it seems like England (and now Scotland and Wales with their own parliaments) has fallen into a two-party system with Labour and Conservative in a deadlock for decades. But I was shocked to learn than the Liberal Democrats routinely get a quarter of the votes. The halls in Westminster are lousy with Lib Dems and they're a great party -- proud to be left of centre. Sure, they'd form a coalition with Labour if push came to shove, but because it's a parliamentary system, they don't have to say they're something they're not.

I heard a great interview with their former leader, Sir Menzies Campbell and he's brilliant. Their current leader is another unabashed liberal, Nick Clegg ... I hear he has a bright future.

They too have a shadow government, just like the Torries. Don't you have to love a system that includes something as cool sounding "shadow government"?

QUICK FOOTBALL RESULTS
Man U won this time, but so did Chelsea and Liverpool again, so they're still on top. Could we be looking at the end of an era with Manchester?

Condolences to my friend, Edward. His lads of Tottenham lost again. They're now ranked 17 out of 20. Then again, there are a lot of weekends between now and championship time.