"The Freak Show Comes to Life."

Don't you love when a headline becomes the URL and remains the URL even if you change the headline? Some funny stuff can happen that way. It can be real "Mush From the Wimp," if you know what I mean. (If you don't know, read this.)

So here's the blog post, sedately headed: "Hillary's New Pitch: 'No Surprises.'" The title says one thing, but oh, that URL:

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2007/12/14/the-freakshow-comes-to-life.aspx

It's from Michael Crowley at TNR's blog The Stump.

Let's read and see what's up with the unsurprising freak show:

Hillary just held an extraordinary press conference here after taping an interview with Iowa public television in which she introduced a provocative new theme to her candidacy...

"I’ve been tested, I’ve been vetted," she said. "There are no surprises. There’s not going to be anybody saying, 'I didn’t think of that, my goodness, what’s that going to mean?'"

So she's saying "no surprises." Not Crowley. Crowley may look on and think the freak show comes to life. But will he tell us?

Hillary smiled with the patience of a grandmother stuck babysitting bratty kids as reporters barraged her with breathless questions about whether Obama's drug history is the sort of surprise she's talking about and whether she thinks general-election voters might punish him for it.

But Hillary wasn't biting. "I am only talking about myself," she insisted, looking unusually resplendent in a dark suit with a red blouse and multicolored necklace....

Hillary's cool mien only really wavered once, when she was asked about her own experiences with drugs and--given that we already know she avoided them--the basis for her decision-making about them. A peevish look crossed Hillary's face as her press secretary, Jay Carson, audibly chortled with disdain. Hillary said she had already answered those questions: "I refer you to everything I've said in the past."

Ugh. I can't wait for the next 4 years of press conferences. I refer you to everything I've said in the past. Great phrase. I can picture myself using it with students. Got any questions? I refer you to everything I've said in the past. Try it in your next fight with your spouse or partner. I refer you to everything I've said in the past. It's quite the catchphrase. It could be the "Let me make one thing perfectly clear" of the next administration.

After forcing Billy Shaheen out of her campaign, Hillary has now pivoted to a "no surprises" argument which at least seems to spring directly from the Obama-cocaine talk--and is certain to keep that talk alive...

Hmmm.... keep that talk alive... freak show comes to life.... no, I really can't figure out what Crowley may have had that justified the headline memorialized in the URL.

Readers, help me out in the comments. Take Crowley's post and rewrite it so that it would fit the headline: "The Freak Show Comes to Life."