I was just wasting time watching retread talking heads internet political video, and I had an epiphany. The times they are a changing - whites will no longer be a majority, women and minorities are increasingly empowered, the influence of religion and religious bigots is waning, our international connections are ever more important. In other words, the Republican base, as they currently define it, is shrinking. Sarah Palin is a desperate last chance bid to stay connected.

Think about it. What transformation can the Republican party go through in order to maintain their connection to a majority of Americans? There is an answer, but so far, I have seen no one in that party with the chutzpa to go there. The Republicans need to get back to their roots. Small government - which means an end to international hijinks and overt militarism. A willingness to regulate the economy, which is a necessary precondition for the proper operation of a free market; rapacious avarice destroys competition and choice. And last but not least, Republicans need to acquire the backbone to reject the entreaties of the religious right. It is preposterous that the far right nominate themselves "the base". Such ostentation is, in fact, baseless and quite ridiculous. The Republicans need James Dobson like they need the smell of dog poo on their suits. The Republicans will continue to alienate vast swaths of voters for as long as they continue to pander to this screeching bunch of airheads.

Quite frankly, the main reason I'd like the Democrats to kick the Republican's' ass a few times is because in the long run, I have more hope for the Republican party than I do for the Democrats. The Democrats are so hopelessly undefined (the "ubrella party" - they stand for everything!) that they'll never really accomplish anything of substance. The Republicans need a new center, and when they finally find it, maybe then it will be the Democrat's turn to figure themselves out.

These are interesting and trying times, but even so, there's something profoundly and extremely odd about suspending a campaign for President so close to an election. There is nothing that either McCain or Obama have to contribute at this point in the process that should profoundly influence the outcome of Capital Hill negotiations.

I have a feeling something more is going on here. McCain's health perhaps. There has to be some better explanation for this behavior than "I'm a maverick". This would be a truly historic event, should McCain feel he can no longer pursue the Presidency. I hope that no matter what, he soldiers on with his campaign, so that we have a bona-fide election. If he does not, then we will have a President by fiat, which is no good for anybody.

I'd like to know what happens after we spend a trillion dollars buying complex derivatives that nobody understands and the economy still tanks? What then? What will it take before the Federal government stops throwing good money after bad? How bad is this mess going to get?

I only want to know one thing about this bailout plan. Would it be worse if the economy tanked and we kept the trillion dollars, or would it be worse if the economy tanks and we're even further in hock than we are now?

They say this is about building confidence. Well I, for one, have absolutely zero confidence that anything they come up with in Washington will help anyone except the white collar assholes who got us into this mess. Everyone else is still fucked.

Dead on. I second the motion.

When homeowners can't pay the mortgage, they take the house. So when the bank can't make ends meet, take the bank.

Those people are crooks. 25% interest on a credit card?!! And who gets stuck with these crazy bills? The poor, the disadvantaged, who knowingly let themselves be taken advantage of because sometimes that's the only way to get by at all. And they stillexpect the poor to provide their salvation! They don't want judges rewriting the terms of their usurious adjustable rate mortgages? Fuck 'em. These people are nothing but nasty predators who's predations are so over the top that they are literally bankrupting America. And now they're asking us for help?! Hell no. They should be in prison.

America is not in trouble because banks are in trouble, banks are in trouble because working Americans are in trouble. And the banks are themselves responsible.

You want to fix America? Stop the crooks. Set a cap on credit card rates and adjustable mortgage rates. Some banks will fail. You know which ones? The ones that deserve to fail. The ones that have been robbing Americans blind. Good fucking riddance.