I'll Take the Bait--Predictions for 2010

Health Care Passes and Is Signed into Law.
Cap and Trade dead as a doornail because no one understands it.
Labor Rights bill also dead on arrival.
Immigration reform passes and GOP goes nuts.
Energy Bill does pass and is so-so.
Financial Reform does pass.
Consumer Protection Agency passes.

Possibly Two Supreme Court Justices this year. GOP goes ape.

Obama's approval ratings will rise by the end of 2010 to about 60%.

Democrats retain control of both houses of congress as extreme right candidates doom GOP's chances.

GOP gains historically appropriate seats but nothing like 100 seats predicted by RedState. GOP triumphalism will lead to the continuation of the Party of No throughout the first part of the year and actually lead to a downturn in their enthusiasm by the time election day comes around. Senate elections will be tricky--the GOP will lose some unexpected seats and Democrats will lose some--it will be a race for who can get the lead. Governorships will be the most important elections, determining redistricting with the new census. GOP takes Michigan and Pennsylvania. Dems take Conn and Texas. It will be a horserace in Florida.

Obama will unveil deficit reductions measures, surprising Republicans who will denounce them. The Fed will raise interest rates. Corporations will not be able to hold onto their $7 trillion cash reserves and start investing; the same applies with banks who also will start lending again to small businesses. Hovering over the banks, however, will be the commercial real estate crash. The simulus program and a new jobs program will kick into action by summer. Unemployment will probably drop to about 8%.

Something totally unexpected will happen in Foreign Affairs that will take eyes off the Middle East. Afghanistan will get rough, provoking more domestic debate on whether it's worth it. The U.S. will continue its operations in Yemen but will avoid outright military invasion as advocated by Joe Lieberman. Covert actions will be taken to support Georgia but not enough to satisfy the Republicans. The Administration will sign a nuclear reduction treaty with Russia and it will be opposed by the Republicans in the Senate who will be egged on by the neoconservatives. Unrest will intensify in Iran throughout the first four months of the year,possibly culminating in the collapse of the Islamic Republic as a political entity. Fidel Castro will die at the end of the year leading to a normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba. As we withdraw from Iraq, there will be more unrest but the Americans will be so fed up we don't care. Al Qaeda will be drifting down to Somalia. The Obama Administration will have success in eliminating high value targets of Al Qaeda over the next year.