CEO's who drive corporations into bankruptcy walk away with tens of millions, hundreds of millions in some cases. Pundits whom we honor like Delphi Oracles guess wrong, keep their jobs and sell millions of books. Life should be more like Texas Holdem. You go "all in", lose to trips while holding two pair, and you walk away from the table, penniless. That is how it goes for the great majority of Americans every single day. At least there is some justice in poker that you will never see in Corporate America or in our Media.

"Americans are basically center-right." That talking point has come out of every right wing pundit's mouth over the last week. It is still like Rove is faxing and e-mailing every Republican who speaks on Cable News or right wing radio. Joan is correct. The left must keep to their talking points and vociferously back our new President. But the New Administration already has the brains and brawn to proceed with a New Left Agenda. And it will proceed in that direction with thoughtfulness and tact.

Grampa died last week

And now he's buried in the rocks

Everybody still talks about

How badly they were shocked

But me, I expected it to happen

I knew he lost control

When he built a fire on mainstreet

And shot it full of holes

Bob Dylan

"The Average American", "America is a center-right country", "Moderate Americans." Greenwald, as usual, has got it right. If you took away these phrases from the English Language, cable news would go out of business. There is no basis, no substantiation, no factual sources to even test these contentions. Remember when one of Nixon's nominations to the Supreme Court went down because of the nominee's lack of intellectual credentials? Nixon spokesmen defended the nomination on the basis that the American People somehow deserved an average Joe on the court to represent "their" legal perspective. There are over 300,000,000 people in this country and to attempt to categorize them in this manner is simplistic, to say the least. Demagogues use phrases like this and like "Silent Majority" to create some sort of team affect. I do not think the people with extremist, unpopular views actually believe in the Average American, anymore than they really believe that God is somehow on their side. They are simply attempting to gain or keep political power.

The Reps are claiming that the Democratic Secretary of State--an office that Statutorily handles the recount--will somehow pull a "Katherine Harris." The fact is that the Minnesota Secretary of State is a fine gentleman who might enjoy being represented in a skit on SNL but who has little power over the actual recount. Instead, a panel of five or so members-appointed under statute-- is actually the final arbiter and four of the five members--if I recall correctly--are Republicans. Two members, for instance, are Justices on the Minnesota Supreme Court who were appointed by the present Governor. The real issue to me, a life-time Minnesota resident, is why the Reps think the Media can somehow help them during the recount. I have read several articles on this subject including some from the Minneapolis Star/Trib and I cannot figure out what they are trying to prove. Both sides need to employ attorneys to oversee the recount, but I fail to see how whining to the media can help the Rep's cause. Individual precinct "counters" are not going to be swayed.

I wanted Hillary and Obama so my feelings are not much different from Joan's. The problem is that all the pundits want to predict the future--place their bets and show how bright and right they were after the transition is complete. I am just sitting back and enjoying the show. No one is more prepared to be Secretary of State than Senator Clinton. If she does not have the answer to some diplomatic problem, she would know exactly who might have that answer. She has contacts throughout the world that are astounding. She would have a more than able and competent staff to help her. But it is quite a show with the Chicago gang, the Clinton gang, the Democratic Hill gang, the media gang, etc. This is real democracy in action.

One of the problems with the New Majority is its age. I was rooting for the guy in his 60s over the octogenarian, although I have revered both Waxman and Dingell for decades. This is THE congressional story except for the run-off and recount in the Senate. The New Majority has to make choices and it appears it will not sweep real conflict under the rug. This is proof to me that innovation is going to come from Congress and not just from the Executive Branch. This is the kind of change that Obama has been talking about. As one reader put it: Hurray for Waxman. Hurray for the Dems. Hurray for the country. Forget red/blue, forget blue dogs. We need to try something new. This vote has really surprised me. This is not just YES WE CAN. This is YES WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP.