Last Call

The life sentence in Egypt of former strongman Hosni Mubarak may be a moot point if the ex-dictator has the temerity to up and die on everyone this week.

Egypt's jailed ex-strongman Hosni Mubarak clung to life Tuesday despite slipping in and out of consciousness, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman, Gen. Marwan Mustapha, said Mubarak's condition had stabilized "and a number of doctors from the prison authority are monitoring him," along with physicians from the armed forces.

"He does go in and out of this state of unconsciousness, but new equipment has been installed in the ICU room of the hospital on Saturday to accommodate his fragile situation," Mustapha said. "His two sons are beside him, and his wife visited him today."

Mubarak, 84, was sentenced to life in prison on June 2 for the killing of pro-democracy demonstrators during the 2011 revolt that toppled him. He was already suffering from health problems and attended court on a gurney -- but Mustapha said rumors that Mubarak had died were false.

It's funny.  If his regime had lasted another year, Mubarak would be too sick to carry on anyway.  Looks like this may be one of the shorter life sentences in history.

Don't cry for me, Egypt, the truth is I never left you.  Upside:  the people demanding Mubarak being put to death may get their wish, thus satisfying pretty much 100% of the population in the "life sentence vs. death" argument.  He gets both.  Everyone wins.