1) Starbucks as a metaphor comes from the wonderful Lewis Black rift on them, their overheated rapid expansion, their conspicuous overpricing, and now their rapid shuttering of stores. But, it was the Lewis Black routine that makes them a metaphor.

2) It will not be Obama the man that makes any mistake and "allows" the public to blame the Democratic Party for the coming troubles. Sometimes these things just happen to whomever is at the helm when the ship runs into trouble. It has been a long standing tradition to blame the fellow in the White House for economic woes no matter the real cause. I offer Jimmy Carter as an example. The economic problems of his time was caused by using inflation and borrowing to pay for Vietnam; but he did not do these things, it was just that the bill came due during his presidency. You still here people say that old Carter was a fine guy but ruined the economy! Not true.

"b" at Moon of Alabama:

There have been three attacks in the area of Damadola, a town in the Pakistani district of Bajaur next to Afghanistan's Kunar province. (Robert Lindsay provides a map and pictures of the area. Google has high res(!) satellite pictures of the Damadola area.)

So far all three had been described as missile attacks by U.S. predator drones. As it turns out now, one of these attacks was actually a U.S. special forces ground operations within Pakistan. Seal Team 6 killed 82 people, many of them pupils at a local school. The U.S. forces also abducted some of the people. What happened to them is unknown. [...]

http://www.moonofalabama.org/
2008/07/us-ground-opera.html#more

Looks like Bush intends to leave his successor with a middle east aflame.

"b" at Moon of Alabama:

There have been three attacks in the area of Damadola, a town in the Pakistani district of Bajaur next to Afghanistan's Kunar province. (Robert Lindsay provides a map and pictures of the area. Google has high res(!) satellite pictures of the Damadola area.)

So far all three had been described as missile attacks by U.S. predator drones. As it turns out now, one of these attacks was actually a U.S. special forces ground operations within Pakistan. Seal Team 6 killed 82 people, many of them pupils at a local school. The U.S. forces also abducted some of the people. What happened to them is unknown. [...]

http://www.moonofalabama.org/
2008/07/us-ground-opera.html#more

Looks like Bush intends to leave his successor with a middle east aflame.

Carter being blamed decades later for what he inherited is a classic example of the "liberal medias" (snark) ability to paint a picture with lies and repeated lies and on into infinity. I don't see that happening with Obama but that's only my opinion based on this and that.

I sure hope you are right, and I hope his team knows the dangers ahead. He may well win all 50 states, and the other side will be looking to blame his administration for anything they can.

I was a newlywed just out of college during the recession that happened on Carter's watch. Many people, including we Democrats, blamed Carter. In fact, some have opined that Carter's biggest troubles came from beltway insider types in the Party. He was always an "outsider". (my kind of guy)

And with that, I'll bid you a good day as we prepare for Monday and all that brings.

... Still, there appears to be a difference in kind. Despite his Constitutional offenses, there seems to be no evidence that Clinton pursued a totalitarian state, whereas Bush is clearly doing so. -- walter_map

Yes, the power grabs under Bush the Younger are clearly more totalitarian than under Clinton, or Bush the Elder, or Reagan, or ...

But, they all moved us on down that horrible road. Even my man Carter is not pure in this matter. That is the problem; we allowed the power to accumulate until the neo-cons got there with a pliable fool as a front man that they could control, and they made every use of the power they found to take it several steps further.

Even if Obama seems to be obeying the constitution in every way over the next 4 years (come on, he has already won in a landslide), the power will still be laying there just like the one ring to rule them all in the famous Tolkien story. And there will be great temptation for Obama because he will face challenges not seen in this country since the 30s. Remember, just because he does something with good intentions does not mean that it will be the right thing to do.

FDR thought (or was convinced by others) that rounding up all Japanese-Americans was the thing to do. Obama will face great trials. I suggested to Kitt the other thread that the coming economic meltdown will be pinned on Obama if the Republicans can get away with it, and then I read in the news that McCain is claiming that Obama as president would bring on a depression. (it is coming, no matter who wins)

Under extreme pressure, even I might take unconstitutional measures if I thought it needed and if I could see that other presidents had done likewise. Even me.

Golly, tell us what you really think. Stop holding it in! :-)

Good post, as good a post as I have seen here in the comments section in months. I do wish I could holler at you that you were just plain wrong; but I am sorry to say I think you nailed it on the head.

(please, no more "head" jokes just because big dog got a little)