My first and most fundamental point is that when it comes to the economy, we are very far from normal. The unemployment rate is currently 9.7 percent. I find it depressing that some observers talk about unemployment remaining high for an extended period with resignation, rather than with a sense of urgency to find news ways to address the problem. Behind this fatalism, there seems to be a view that perhaps the high unemployment reflects structural changes or other factors not easily amenable to correction. High unemployment in this view is simply "the new normal." I disagree.

The safe bet is that the Democratic Party will conclude that it's wisest to keep governing to please trans-national corporations on the economic front and pursue social and foreign policies that would thrill the backwoods cast of Deliverance.

Pittsburgh is seriously lacking in late night transportation options.

You should never change a school's colors.  There's history there!

Ghosts are scary, but comforting too.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Sleep is underrated.

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- The two most senior leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq have been killed in a joint Iraqi-U.S. operation, officials announced Monday.
The deaths of Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi deal "a potentially devastating blow" to the terrorist group, the U.S. military said...

There have been previous reports of al-Baghdadi being killed, which turned out to be false. While other people have operated under the same name, authorities are confident the man killed Sunday is Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, al-Maliki said Monday. Al-Masri was once reported captured, which turned out to be inaccurate.

The 'energized base' has been machiavellied, treated exactly the same as the 'auxiliaries' that Ol' Nic talked about so long ago. The Establishment DLC wonks moved in after the 'auxiliaries' did the heavy lifting. As in "Meet the new boss; he's the same as the old boss."

I have every confidence a well run government agency can deliver.  I do not lack confidence in government's ability.  I lack confidence in the ability or willingness of today's Democratic politicians to use government to solve problems.

It can't do or be both.  

That's the problem.  Republicans and Democrats routinely promise both and we all act surprised when they don't deliver.  

To argue that government is working not a real question.  In some areas it works great, in others it's terrible and in most its simply average.  L

Look at our current deficit and even if you think it's effectively working on the whole it's not efficient and there in lies the rub.

Republicans then democrats it doesn't matter which party is in power or if they're sharing power, government keeps growing and making more promises then it can keep.   The rest of the political arguments are window dressing.   If you're anti military you want more social programs, if you're anti social programs you want a bigger military but everyone is wrong.   We need less of everything or we're going to go broke.

The question is not can the government do something well.  The answer is yes it can.  

The question is can it do all the things it's promised well and within it's budget?  

DALLAS -- A Texas state appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday in the case of a gay couple in Dallas that was granted a divorce even though the state doesn't recognize same-sex marriage.