Did this person even read the essay? I would not summarize his response as "Could Be A Lot Worse!" so much as "Look On The Bright Side, Brad! The Slide Into Barbarism Seems To Be Going Pretty Well For Us!" You should be more openly contemptuous of this cretin.

I see no evidence that the President and his *political* advisers have gone "off message" here at all. The message they intend to send is precisely the one they're clearly sending: they're sad that the economy isn't recovering absent any serious policy program to promote recovery, but they have every intention of continuing their current policy of hoping as hard as they possibly can.

"But what happened to my posse?" Have you considered the obvious explanation? That your posse has figured out that an ideological insistence on remaining neutral in a rapidly spiraling escalation between two bitterly opposed parties, both of whom together comprise very nearly all of the players on the field, is a doomed strategy. Both opposing parties have an enormous interest in forcing everyone on neutral ground to choose one side or another, and your "posse" has evaporated mainly in response to those pressures. Sooner or later, you'll be either with the terrorists or against them. The longer you take to decide, the more likely you'll become a target of both sides, neither of whom will recognize your professed neutrality. In fact, I'd say this has already happened to you.

Madam Speaker promised to Release The Waxman. There will be a real congressional investigation. Bank on it.

Madam Speaker promised to Release The Waxman. There will be a real congressional investigation. Bank on it.