David Mamet -- blogger

The prolific writer of plays, movies and other stuff is writing a blog in the guise of his new leading character on Broadway -- an American president who's on the verge of losing re-election -- who is played by Nathan Lane in the play November.

The blog will last as long as the play runs, allowing the blogger to supplement his play with daily musings on whatever issues may strike him or us.

Like, for instance, illegal immigration. on which he declares:

WE might note that Illegal immigrants, are, as the term implies, first and foremost, immigrants, which is to say, that they forfeited any claim on our compassion even before they broke the law.

Or stem cell research:

The best that this research could accomplish would be to prolong the lives of people who were going to die anyway. Is it worth the aggravation?

Mamet claims he considers himself essentially a "gag writer," which for a fellow who's written such works as Glengarry Glen Ross, State and Main, The Spanish Prisoner, The Verdict, Wag the Dog and many, many other fine yarn, seems overly self-deprecating, though self deprecation is always refreshing.

But like a lot of us, he gets more interested in politics every 4 years, and though he might be considered a cynic, given the tone of his new presidential play, he take a long view of our republic, which we all should keep in mind during these troubled times ...

The good news is it’s a spectacular country. We’ve been around for 230 years in spite of human nature, because that’s what the Constitution is all about. It’s saying, of course everyone’s gonna try and take control. Of course they’re gonna subvert every law that’s supposed to keep them in line. Of course the president is gonna want to be imperial, of course Congress is gonna want to become obstructionist, of course the judges are gonna be activist. Duh. They figured this out in 1787 and drew up a few sheets of paper that have kept the country in line. It’s a great place to live.