Tomorrow is the going out of business sale for the drugstore that used to be next door . . . just another trip to take in the car.

Just how much of a crutch the teleprompter has become for Obama was on sharp display during his latest commerce secretary announcement. The president spoke from a teleprompter in the ornate Indian Treaty Room for a few minutes. Then Gov. Gary Locke stepped to the podium and pulled out a piece of paper for reference.

The president's teleprompter also elicited some uncomfortable laughter after he announced Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as his choice for Health and Human Services secretary. "Kathy," Obama said, turning the podium over to Sebelius, who waited at the microphone for an awkward few seconds while the teleprompters were lowered to the floor and the television cameras rolled.

Obama has relied on a teleprompter through even the shortest announcements and when repeating the same lines on his economic stimulus plan that he's been saying for months -- whereas past presidents have mostly worked off of notes on the podium except during major speeches, such as the State of the Union.

[snip]

"He uses them to death," a television crewmember who also covered the White House under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush said of the teleprompter. "The problem is, he never looks at you. He's looking left, right, left, right -- not at the camera. It's almost like he's not making eye contact with the American people."

Wednesday's event posed another scenario photographers and television crews have to work around. Obama had five others join him at the announcement, including Sen. John McCain. The takeaway shot was of Obama and McCain. But the teleprompter on Obama's left was almost directly in front of McCain.

"You couldn't get a good angle on him with McCain," said a White House photographer who also covered Bush. "So if there's someone else important in the frame, it's hard to get a shot without the teleprompter."

Guess we're not the only ones who've noticed that Obama and the TelePrompter are joined at the hip.

One top of that, we have 4 or 5 friends who are economists (all but one a democrat) and every single one of them thinks we are heading into a depression. Two months ago, none of them thought that.  They believe that the market will be under 3,000 within two weeks.  They are very serious.  

Are you intending to work forever?  Is your job a secure, government, job?  Has the market crash wiped out all your retirement funds?  

Biggest question, will the President ever deal with the problem of most Americans having lost their savings and retirements?  Why isn't he saying anything about the financial crisis?  What's he going to do about it?  

Thanks all.  We're all feeling pretty depressed right now.  My husband has worked hard and saved for 50 years, invested very conservatively in solid retirement funds, and now it's all gone.  His goal of retiring, and a little travel, is gone.  Can anyone give us some hope that our government/President will do something for the market?  Something to stem the losses?  More government spending, more handouts to everyone but us,  everyday, doesn't seem to be helping.  

Thank Goodness Tatiana didn't make the final 13 on American Idol. I wouldn't have watched the rest of the season. Listening to her shrieking is like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. For once, the outcome was suspenseful.

She shouldn't have made the top 36. She has a voice but apparently can only sing one song, and I swear must suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or Histrionic Personality Disorder  - and they should have seen that. It was bad TV, exploitative and very, very irritating. Did you notice that she adopted her Puerto Rican accent after Jorge got a good response for his nature accent? There's not a shred of genuineness to Tatiana.

that's a lot scarier than who wins american idol, trust me. it's even scarier than the economy. his position goes far beyond prop. 8, and only he would, with straight face, argue it.

When I hear about newspapers going under, I keep thinking about all the press crew, drivers, mechanics, and staff that it takes to keep an oeration like that going.  A lot of union jobs might be just vanishing, but are the jobs that will be created in the future be union jobs at the same sort of percentage?