It's facilities -- not facitities. I'm not a spelling fascist but that just stands out given you're a prof.

Any way, all those extra administrators...a lot are there to manage endowments and raise money, money that use to come from government support or research funds. You want to raise $2mil, well be prepared to pay someone a decent salary or they'll take their skill elsewhere. Then there needs to be someone on staff to watch the money. Get corp/private research money -- again someone gets hired to watch it.

Certainly there's inefficiencies but there's few large institutions (academic, non-profit or for-profit) that disproves this.

And for all you boot-straper out there, if wages for average grubby student jobs kept pace with the cost of living AND the cost of education, yes more kids would work their way through college.

That's what I saw from the video and news reports of Michelle Obama and the Queen...keeping it real.

You really can't do much better then that. The Brits saw it, the Americans saw it. The only people who didn't see it are the obstructionist, anti-patriotic, right wing babies.

The Obamas really do represent the best America can offer -- self made individuals, humble, gracious, smart and real...and normal people respond to this. The Queen sure did. Ring one up to humanity.

"Why would a kid, mercifully released from the media glare, submit to this kind of cringe-inducing scrutiny?"

I have no idea how much but my guess is Mr. Johnston got paid reasonably okay for one day and trip out of AK. Probably made enough to buy more trucker hats and chewing tobacco...maybe a snow machine. Beats a month on a fishing boat.

Whatever it is...it's hilarious.

When I read that letter, my brain presented the evil yet droll spawn of Mitt Romney and Nelson Rockefeller -- reading that response with a straight face as serious as chronic heart burn.

Cheers to Wingnut -- a real modern day J Swift.

Pitbull Spitzer up against W, Cheney and company, that would be gold. If there's anyone that could make the GOP crap their pants, it's Spitzer.

Otherwise, some kind of fed regulatory role for Spitzer would be great.

Or maybe one will get cast in a reality show on the Country Music Channel. Regardless, does it matter? Sinners to go hell, unless you don't believe in that.

Really nice reporting. Enough play-by-play and analysis to keep people informed.

More interesting is Barack Obama taking responsibility. Nice to see our POTUS is a grown up but also a very smart man.

By taking responsibility he ends the divisive back-and-forth and takes ownership. Ownership is essential if you play to win, rather then play to avoid losing. Ownership gives you control.

One example of ownership is leverage over the bankers and AIGs.

This round wasn't the end-game but rather gaining traction to get to the next move.

Sure there was an photo op element to this but Obama also had something to say -- that the next 18 months will be critical. He also came to talk with the Iraqi officials.

Did the troops love him? My guess is in the same way and along the same lines as the general public. The majority of the public welcomes change, leadership, honesty, a new direction. Military professionals might have a different livelihood but they want the same thing as everyone -- a chance.

Compare that to W declaring false victory in a flight suit on an aircraft carrier and there's really no contest.

Don't know if it is, but nicely done President Obama. I'm not Jewish or religious but I can appreciate this.

Com'n, who uses that wording even in an academic-y defense letter?

Really thanks for the laugh. Here's a letter in return. You know a written response must be worth 1,000 clicks.

Haha, Roger Ebert skewers Bill-o with a hot poker and vasoline, brilliant!

"That reminds me of the famous story about Squeaky the Chicago Mouse. It seems that Squeaky was floating on his back along the Chicago River one day. Approaching the Michigan Avenue lift bridge, he called out: Raise the bridge! I have an erection!"

Is this a serious questions?

So far Biden has let the occasional foot-in-mouth event happen but so far he hasn't done anything jerky and has shown great self-control.

Cheney on the other has has plundered the constitution and Geneva Convention and help create a buttload of terrorist in the process. Jerk would be way too nice for Cheney.

The problem with the Wingnut explanation was it didn't get into tone, spirit and the core vibe of Bachmann.

Bachmann is full of venom, spite, hate and plain old fear mongering. It's plain as day and needs no un-coding.

Wingnut's analysis is like the GOP party itself - empty, meaningless and now trying to cover its tracks after years of utter destruction and plundering.

Apologist scum. History will correct this baloney.

Juan Cole is on the money: "The weeping and trembling of Sean Hannity, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh and William Kristol underlined once again that the rightwingers are playground crybabies who kick and scream and faint whenever they do not get their way."

The right wingers are calling wolf and people aren't buying it. Eight years to say and "do" everything they wanted and -- nada, nothing, zero good and a whole hell of a lot of bad. Kick these plundering bastards to the curb and run them over.

That is all.

Yeah baby, the GOP are going to engage in some vigorous tea-bagging tomorrow! Woo-hoo!!! It's a tea-bagger's ball!