Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest.

I'm John Dickerson here with Emily Bazelon, who we're calling Lauren Bacall for today.

I wish.

Yeah, she smoked a pack of camel unfiltered right before coming on to the show.

And our friend David Plotz, who's up in New York, doing something important up there and joins us remotely.

Our first topic of the three topics, by the way, we're going to first talk about Obama and Reverend Wright in the Democratic race.

The second topic will be the gas tax holiday, which is a piece of bad policy being embraced by both parties.

And then the third topic will be Miley Cyrus.

Is that how you pronounce her name?

I believe so.

And that, of course, is another policy discussion.

And then we'll have cocktail chatter.

So the first question to ask of you, Emily, is Barack Obama dealt with his former pastor who was on a four or five or so day speaking tour so problematic for Obama that he had to come out and essentially denounce his former pastor six different ways.

Where does this put us in the Democratic race?

Is it a problem for Obama?

What's your reaction to this whole?

Yeah, it's a problem.

And I've just been watching an open mouth.

I can't believe that...

Is that what you're in force?

You've lost your voice?

I'm just sick.

...