Joe Btfsplk, the hapless character in Li'l Abner, created by the late political cartoonist, Al Capp, was the world's biggest jinx. He was always pictured walking around with a perpetually dark rain cloud a foot over his head. Anytime he appeared on any scene, dreadfully bad luck immediately befell his unsuspecting victim.
Ironically, Joe has now reappeared with a last name slightly easier to pronounce, but with the same black cloud over his head. Now, with Congressman Joe Sestak declaring he was offered a job with the Administration in exchange for dropping out of the Pennslyvania Senate Primary race against incumbent, Arlen Specter, the White House is stumbling all over itself in its attempt to soft-soap the story.
As with Joe Btfsplk, Joe Sestak is a well-meaning and gentle person with a reputation that precedes him. A retired Vice-Admiral, he is not unlike the cartoon character; very lonely, and a little man feared for the bad luck that befalls anyone near to him.
Could his bad luck bring down the President? Depends on how close his black cloud gets to Barack Obama, who could be the first president to be chased out of office by a cartoon character.
