Let's see. Obama is not a radical, nor the Anti-Christ, nor is he Mussolini or Josef Stalin. A radical is telling us this. This can only mean one thing: either a radical is somehow coming back to reality, or his words are untrustworthy precisely because he's a radical. And while making a pretense of sane, rational thought he takes swipes at those of us on the so-called "left" who correctly discern that while the new president is far from perfect (note his Justice Dept's attempt at "nuance" with regard to the nakedly illegal activities of the prior administration), he is in many ways a refreshing change from what we've had foisted upon us the last eight years. How many times have I said this (along with others)? The conservative ideology has been tried and it has FAILED COMPLETELY, thus our current catalogue of crises, which Team Obama has been undauntingly trying to steer us through. Eight years ago this time, the nation was teetering on the brink of recession and the boy genius in Chief LET US FALL into it. We never completely recovered, a point among many lost on the radical whose words are here reprinted.

We got the broad outlines of Obama's budget only a few weeks ago. Now the details are needed. Then we can have a constructive debate about all this. I think the president needs to fill us in on how this is all going to work and why we need to spend $3 trillion. If I had a concern about the budget, it would be the size, not the scope or the priorities. Having said that, I find the early noises from the Senate Democrats who are saying that things like reforming health care and tackling climate change are not going to be part of the budget really disturbing. If we wanted watered-down incremental change, we'd have voted for somebody more conservative...like John McCain! We have lost critical time in the last 8 years while we decided to see just what conservative ideology would get us. The jury is in on that, folks. So just so you know, Mr. Reid, we're going to keep the pressure on you and your purple Democratic cohorts to not leave these things unaddressed. Quite simply, we don't have time for this crap anymore. Especially since absolutely NO ONE from the GOP side or the conservative Democratic "caucus" has come up with a plausible alternative.

Absolutely and wholeheartedly agreed!

I would also add that after years of this utterly narcississtic economy that benefits only the extremely well-off, the skewed lense perspective that we have is the sort of hangover from the bender this country has been on. We have long needed a calm, steady voice talking us back to sanity. Thank God we elected a grown-up to do just that! President Obama is taking the long view, playing the long game, but acknowledging the encouraging signs however "modest" along the way. I think he's striking the right balance, but since we don't have a sense for that right now, any movement makes you want to run to the bathroom. We need more solid evidence, true, but at this point any good news is, well, good news, and we'll take it.

Conservative "commentary" has really hit a new bottom in this country if the so-called "Right" are in awe of Rush Limbaugh (which is like being in awe of a Pillsbury Dough Boy made of heroin), and in mortal fear of Michelle Obama's arms. With all the things we have to take care of, the Right's only response is "let it all go to hell, and get those women back in the kitchen where they belong." This is proof of the depths of our national right-wing hangover. They just can't take the ass-whoopin' they got in November seriously, so they hang out in the doorways of conservative watering holes spouting nonsense like paranoid drunks. Someone needs to sweep the area and get these cranks off the streets. They're stinking up the neighborhood.