Rumor has it that Clint had a speech to give - and he backed out, ran it without script, talked to an empty chair instead.

Clint's new movie debuts this month - is a senile guy able to put together a major picture?

Or is he a savvy pro playing a senile guy on TV?

(latest film due in 3 weeks - ailing baseball scout going on one last scouting trip, with everyone questioning his judgement - familiar territory? though seems he's now given up directing - back to being just an actor. Cue cameras?)

The thing I can't figure out, as Colombo would say, is "why would a guy who's a libertarian - who means it when it comes to abortion rights, gay marriage, war in Afghanistan, euthanasia, who revered Charlie "Bird" Parker, who gave Hillary Swank one of the rawest girl-power roles ever - pal up with this group of yahoos?"*

And perhaps that's the key - it was one of the greatest performances of his career, an invitation to finish up to a huge national audience with lines that should have gotten him banned at both conventions, a sucker punch, a Trojan Horse, a hint at the 99% up against the 1%.

If you read the transcript it's all pretty coherent, and he did it without teleprompter or too much fumbling. He talked about joblessness, endless war in Afghanistan, closing Gitmo, citizens owning the country, launching into a final diatribe against politicians of whatever party.

Or maybe not a knockout punch, more like poison in the well, a curse on both of these houses. A hidden message to the one he really loves, his Cordelia. The finest of hours. Like that last letter to Frankie's daughter telling what happened to her dad.

I recall my amazement with Clint's "Unforgiven" how he was able to draw in Spike Lee as one of his biggest fans and advocates.

And while Clint said a few things at the convention that don't seem to jibe with what I know of his political life, I somehow figure they were as much about staying in role until the final moments.

Because he thinks a lot about forgiveness. And the final act that takes you over the line.

In his talks with his Priest you can see it:

Father Horvak: Frankie, I've seen you at Mass almost every day for 23 years. The only person comes to church that much is the kind who can't forgive himself for something. Whatever sins you're carrying, they're nothing compared to this. Forget about God or heaven and hell. If you do this thing, you'll be lost. Somewhere so deep you'll never find yourself again. 

Frankie Dunn: I think I did it already. 

Yes he did. And this is what he told those people, at least the ones who were listening all the way through, the point of the matter, the ode to the 99%:

But I'd just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen. Something that I think is very important. It is that, you, we, we own this country.

Thank you. Thank you.

Yes, we own it. And it's not you owning it and not politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours.

And, so, they're just going to come around and beg for votes every few years. It's the same old deal. But I just think that it's important that you realize and that you're the best in the world.

And whether you're Democrat or whether you're a Republican or whether you're Libertarian or whatever, you're the best. And we should not ever forget that. And when somebody does not do the job, we got to let 'em go.

Let 'em go.

OK, just remember that. And I'm speaking out for everybody out there. It doesn't hurt, we don't have to be ...

I do not say that word anymore.

Well, maybe one last time.

We don't have to be — what I'm saying, we don't have to be metal masochists and vote for somebody that we don't really even want in office just because they seem to be nice guys or maybe not so nice guys if you look at some of the recent ads going out there. I don't know.