A Major Glitch

I have again lost a long major post primarily on the economy and the very real prospects of a V-shaped recovery with a far more rapid growth rate in jobs than anticipated. But alas, it was eaten despite my saving the text frequently.

So a brief Cliff Notes version:
I complain about everything being called a "test" of President Obama. But we never heard about a 'test" when Manhattan stood in ruins, New Orleans disappeared,and Harriet Meirs was to be on the Supreme Court. The only test was the Surge in Iraq.

Reagan was lucky and so is Obama. go with luck. The Bank bailout turned a profit. Clash for Clunkers may have saved the auto industry. The auto bailouts will be returned with interest by June. The sitmulus passed and is working. Healthcare was dead on arrival but passed. Russia had to get rid of nukes anyway because economics so we get a new Nuclear Reduction Treaty. Obama has nailed more Al Qaeda people than the previous administration. All of this could have failed, even with the best policy makers around.

The DOJ completed its review of 700 cases of Guantanamo detainees and found they only have sufficient evidence to prosecute 34 of them. Way to go Rummy!

A group of the superich in the Pacific Northwest have gathered the loot they saved from Bush's taxcuts for the rich and will be funding groups that will lobby Congress to oppose further tax cuts for the rich.

Newsweek has an article by Dan Gross called The Comeback Nation about America has turned its economy around--growing the equivalent of Indonesia in 12 months--because American policy makers took dramatic steps and didn't wait like Japan before their "lost decade". because America adapts new technology quicker than other countries and the consumers takes the risk to use it, it is likely that America will remain strong for decades to come. Based on history, Gross says that the recovery will last between 8 and 12 years.

Larry Kudlow tells the Conservatives to pipe down about the economy. He cites a laundry list of indicators showing small business is generating jobs again. He tells conservatives now to argue that the recovery is jeopardized in the out years by Obama's taxes on healthcare. But he says knock off the doomsday stuff.

The Tod Browning Show is over in New Orleans but Democrats have only four months to talk themselves out of massive losses. I urged Democrats to not fall for all the rightwing B.S. and teabaggers because it puts them off message and they have a great story to tell. I also urge Democrats to force Republicans to tell the American people their real agenda, especially privitizing social security and ending Medicare. Also, Democrats should force Republicans to come out in the open about their desire to have the Supreme Court repeal all social programs dating back to FDR and ending separation of church and state.

Gays want a Gay Supreme Court Justice and I found one eminently qualified. Kathleen Sullivan, 55, graduate of Cornell, Oxford and Harvard Law. Former Dean of Stanford Law and has successfully argued several cases before the Supreme Court. My problem is that she's probably a lapsed Catholic. I have another lesbian who is a protestant in case I write more on the subject.

Harry Reid suprised me that he will start in on immigration reform when the Senate returns to session.
Little Joey Lieberman said that the nuke treaty can't be ratified without major changes. Stick it, Joe.
Mitt Romney rigged another Straw poll--it's a habit of his--but he only won by one vote over Ron Paul--Palin and Gingrich were three and four. Makes you want to take a shower. I don't believe Gingrich will run because he's a cowardly.

I urged readers to consult Thomas Frank's Wrecking Crew about how and why the right adopted the bullying techniques they have honed so well. I also say that the way you deal with this is to take the bully down. The Democrats need to directly confront the remnants of a discredited ideology and crush it before it rises from the dead.

President Obama gave his Saturday address about tax relief and how $160 billion is going to small businesses and families. On Wednesday, Teabaggers are going to hold an anti-tax rally. Their demographics show they very few paid any federal taxes this year. So it's unique--a protest against "no taxes with representation".

77% of the teabaggers in the Washington State survey I quoted in another post claim that "being White was Critical to their idenity." The Southern Poverty Law Center said that one of the reasons extreme right groups and the militia grew in the last two years was that the Census Bureau announced that non-whites would be the majority in the country by 2050. Doug Brooks obvuously didn't get the memo , he wrote a column extolling America's future greatness because "we are a country of immigrants." I would have liked to hear the teabaggers respond to the question: "Which is more important--being American or being white?"

I talked about David Frum's analysis of the insane primary challenges to Senator Bennett in Utah. The Club of Growth and the Teabaggers have picked two different candidates to go after a very boring, solid conservative--too right for my taste. Currently in a safe Republican state,Bennett only has 20% of the vote.

Anyway, you should have read it.