At Open Left, Chris Bowers and David Sirota argue that (1) there has been an ideological shift in the nation; and (2)GOP mythmaking must be demolished. Fine. But how to do it? What is missing from most analysis on the Dem side (and part of this is due to the inability to understand the important shift Bill Clinton achieved - to wit, proving that Democrats can govern) is the importance of results when governing. Take this TPM e-mailer:

. . . Unfortunately for Jindal (and the country), Republicans used that same argument for decades . . . Simply put, his party has been the one controlling our government for a long, long time. The problem isn't government, it's Republican government - and everyone knows it.

Marshall's e-mailer completely writes Bill Clinton out of the history books. More . . .

You may recall the shameful work of Judge Sharon Keller, the appellate judge in Texas who (without consulting her colleagues) refused to keep the courthouse doors open for 20 minutes past closing time to accept a petition for a stay of execution. The stay request was based on the Supreme Court's decision to consider the constitutionality of executions carried out by lethal injection. The Supreme Court granted a stay request to a different Texas inmate two days later, but Michael Richards wasn't so lucky. Thanks to Judge Keller, he was killed without having a chance to have his stay request heard.

In addition to being condemned by lawyers and her judicial colleagues, Judge Keller's outrageous behavior caught the attention of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which brought five charges against her. [more ...]

Theda Skopcol:

In such marked contrast to the timid triangulation of Clinton, Obama offers a strong, positive statement of the role of U.S. government in national development, past and for the future. Government does not "substitute" for business or individual action, but it is an essential "catalyst."

CDS is a strange thing. From Obama's speech:

As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by Presidents Day that would put people back to work and put money in their pockets, not because I believe in bigger government -- I don't -- not because I'm not mindful of the massive debt we've inherited -- I am. . . .

More . . .

What do Maryland, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and New Hampshire have in common these days? All are considering bills to abolish the death penalty. Why? It's too expensive.

In five other states, Virginia, Arizona, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey and Vermont lawmakers are considering releasing non-violent inmates early or cutting their sentences to cut expenses.

The cost of taking a death penalty case to trial is enormous. [More...]

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

-H.L. Mencken

Via Digby, Mencken is proven right again:

A majority of Americans (54%) favor a temporary government "takeover" of major U.S. banks, but a much lower minority (37%) favor a temporary "nationalization" of the banks.

Um, ok. A "temporary takeover" it is. Sheesh.

Speaking for me only

It's common for states to rely on theories of vicarious liability (conspiracy and aider-or-abettor laws, for instance) to treat everyone who played a role in a crime as if they are equally as guilty as the individual who directly committed the crime. The getaway car driver and the lookout and the person who planned the heist are deemed just as guilty of bank robbery as the guy who instructs the teller to hand over the cash.

Vicarious liability becomes controversial when the death penalty is imposed on individuals who played some role in causing a death but didn't take direct action to end a life. A legislator in Texas has introduced a bill to eliminate the death penalty as a possible penalty under the state's Law of Parties.

[Rep. Harold] Dutton said there have been at least 12 people executed under the Law of Parties and possibly as many as 20.

The Virginia General Assembly voted yesterday to do just the opposite by eliminating the state's "triggerman rule," which restricts imposition of the death penalty to the person who actually did the killing. Gov. Kaine is expected to veto the bill.

I did not watch much of Governor Bobby Jindal's response last night and frankly, have not paid much attention to what Republicans have been saying about much of anything lately. There is a reason for this - Democrats hold the Presidency and the Congress. Unless the Roberts Court decides to become the Lochner Court, the policies and solutions to our current crisis is in the hands of the Democratic President and Congress. There will be no sharing of the credit or the blame now.

All of the critiques of the Republicans, such as this one from David Brooks, are irrelevant in my view:

Writing about President Obama's speech last night, The NYTimes says:

The economic crisis requires immediate, bold and comprehensive action. And on Tuesday night, Mr. Obama displayed the ambition and the sweeping vision that won him the White House — and that this crisis demands.

Perhaps. But "vision" in a speech must translate, contra Lakoff, into policies that work to realize that vision. Tellingly, the Times adds:

It was a refreshing change after his less-than-forceful handling of the stimulus bill. . . . We can now only hope that Mr. Obama will use his 2010 budget proposal, which he unveils this week, to forcefully press his broader economic agenda.

President Obama's speech lacked specificity, particularly on the financial crisis. As The Times writes:

I thought it was ok, but short on specifics. I give it a B-. Not his best, not his worst.

What did you think?

Also give us your thoughts on Jindal's response. I'm sweating my Gators right now. Gators done.

I'll do my best to live blog it below the fold. Not promising much. Add your thoughts in comments.

Update (TL): Excerpts of speech are here.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with the Foreign Minister of Spain and asked him to help the U.S. by accepting some released Guantanamo detainees:

Mr Moratinos said Mrs Clinton had asked him for "help in solving this drama, this unacceptable tragedy of the prisoners at Guantanamo".

His response:

"We are prepared to cooperate. Our teams will make contact to legally study each case on a case by case basis," he told Spanish media.

In addition:

Mr Moratinos said the meeting with Mrs Clinton heralded "a new stage in relations between the United States and Spain is opening that is more intense, more productive".

Well done. It's been too long since we had an effective Secretary of State.

I'm just getting back from work. I'm sure I've missed a lot the past two days. Can anyone fill me in?

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.