Obama knows the economy is likely not turning around anytime soon. So he wanted an apparent "bipartisan" stimulus, to cut his and the Democrats' risk of being blamed, and of taking a beating in 2010 when nothing much changed. The Republicans would only give him that cover if they could author a substantial amount of the bill, which Nancy Pelosi and her people prevented. Just sitting with Obama in the White House and partying during the Super Bowl wasn't enough to cut it for the Republicans.

So Obama and the Democrats now own this bill, and likely the others in the economic rescue package coming later. If they're successful with the economy by the next set of elections, Obama and Democrats win big. If not, hello Republican rule once again.

So if you're convinced that Obama and Pelosi and the present congress is in the process of doing what's needed to fix the economy, be happy. Their Republican rivals can't stop them, and things will be rosy. If not, you better start worrying.

One question - If government spending is the key to stimulating the economy, how come all that money spent by Bush in Iraq and Afghanistan (and their record deficits) didn't keep us out of this mess to begin with?

The GOP position is not "do nothing" and you know it. So does President Obama, even though he kept repeating that during his press conference. Just quoting one or two Republicans out of context doesn't make it the "GOP position."

So cut out the phony "straw man" political attacks and argue your positions against what the GOP is really saying (tax cuts versus spending in the stimulus bill, etc.). Stooping to phony attacks like this just indicates either you're so closed minded you're not really interested in a debate, or that you're not really confident you can take on the opposition's real positions.

I voted for Obama too. But these economic issues are extremely serious and require honest and accurate discussion right now, maybe to save our country as we know it. I for one don't think all great knowledge and wisdom in this crisis resides in the Democrats.

Because they're afraid the stimulus bill won't really do anything to help the economy, and they want to share the blame. That's all there is to it.

So a Democratic president pushed through a Democratic congress (with almost no GOP support) a stimulus bill that only liberal Democrats seem to love, and which you admit in your article may or may not work. How confidence inspiring! I'm sure that will turn the economy around pronto.

You mean right wing and left wing newspapers (and internet sites) sometimes get facts wrong, especially on their editorial page? What a revelation! On the whole Obama seems to be getting a (more than) fair shake by much of the media, if not outright worship by some. So why are you complaining?

Oh, and by the way, why is it Obama feels it necessary to pre-select reporters at his press conferences, just like Bush did? I understand Bush was probably afraid of looking like a buffoon, but why exactly is it that Obama is doing this?

Don't kid yourself - The top congresional Democrats signed off on all of this stuff, too. That's why there will never be any real investigation and prosecutions of Bush officials. Why did these abuses happen? Because after 9/11, the nation was in shock. The citizens demanded to be kept safe from another attack, above all else, at almost any cost. So that's what the government set out to do. The voters themselves (if they are united) are the biggest and richest "special interest group" by far. And they got what they were demanding of their government. We haven't been attacked again.

So quit looking to blame Bush and the Republicans. They're really just convenient scapegoats, who of course just happen to be your political opposition. Educate the populace on the abuses that took place and the dangers of unreasonable fear, so that this type of mob mentality doesn't happen in the US again. But quit trying to play political games with these abuses, which is all this "truth commission" would really be.

And it's not clear yet who's winning. It won't be until we see what happens to the economy the next year or so. The Dems spending bills are HUGE, are a lot more than just a "stimulus," and they're just getting started. The Republicans simply decided they wanted no part of it. If the economy recovers, Obama wins. If not, hello President Palin. A very dangerous game for our country is being played by both sides. Be very worried.

The GOP leadership is not so foolish and stupid as this SNL send-up. You might want to think so, Joan, but they're not.

Compare them with the Democratic leadership, who in the face of 9/11 caved in completely to Bush and the nation's "terrorism panic" on torture, the Iraq war, etc., etc. The Democrats were totally afraid of Bush's then overwhelming popularity, and went right along with the then current groupthink.

The GOP leaderhip, in contrast, is standing up pretty strongly against Obama's agenda against overwhelming odds, and for political or principaled reasons not quite joining in the nation's current "economics panic" (which Obama and many of his allies seem to be inflaming when it suits them).

The GOP may or may not have made a good move here, strategically or politically. Only time will tell; the verdict is still out. But they are certainly not acting like the SNL caricature as much as you might wish it so.