Overshadowed

A brief post today, given that the normal business of politics has been overwhelmed both by President Obama's inaugurations and the effects of Albia's kredditkrunsch. Not that there has been a total absence of politics as usual, of course. For instance, the Government has now been forced to abandon its plans (outlined here) to prevent the disclosure of politicians' expenses claims to the public. My readers may wonder why. Well, it would appear that Albia's politicians (porkitellaz in the Albian) have had a sudden attack of principle, the principle in question being the one about not doing anything that could lead to bloodcurdling headlines in every newspaper from Da Heyt to Da Garindua, via a small mention under a picture of a bare-breasted 19-year-old in Da Tytz.

The only other item worthy of note here is that apologies are owed to America's Ambassador to Albia, who not only had to suffer the indignity of two intimate searches(1) whilst coming through customs but has also been incorrectly identified by your humble correspondent. It turns out that he is of Albian extraction himself and would therefore wish to adopt his "old country" name of Janush Pazman, something which I am sure will help endear him to all Albians ... although not as much as the fact that just one of his dollars will now purchase enough food to feed the whole populace of Albia's second city, Orfulbad, for a week.

(1) Apparently they lost the glove the first time.