George Will, Uber-Conservative, on Afghanistan

From ABC's "This Week" this morning: "It's time we get out." --George Will, Conservative, Writer, Author, Columnist

John Boehner & the Republican leadership, once again the tail wags the dog

Once more, John Boehner, his office and the Republican leadership make a deal with the Democrats in Congress, take it back to his people--the rest of the political party--and the extreme right wingers kill it: Boehner Says Two-Month Tax Cut Bill 'Just Kicking Can Down the Road' A day after the Senatevoted 89-10 to extend the payroll tax cut by two months, Republicans in the House are signaling their displeasure with the short-term fix, saying action should have been taken to resolve the issue for the whole year. It's difficult, at least, if not impossible, to work with these people. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/boehner-says-two-month-tax-cut-bill-just-202122428.html

Liz Cheney needs to go away

I never understood why anyone thought we need to know what Liz Cheney's opinion is on anything but, ever since Dad left the White House, she's seems to be ubizuitous.

She shows up again and again on news shows and all because of her last name.

Today, she outdid herself.

Ms. Cheney was on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" on ABC and she not only put out here obnoxious opinions, which would be bad enough, but now she's introduced right-wing, shout-down-the-opposition, Bill O'Reilly-type tactics to this show which, up to now, was always calm, lucid and intelligent.

If you saw it, you saw Mr. Stephanopoulos totally lose control of his show, thanks to Ms. Cheney, and not just once but a few times.

It got so bad that, at the end of the show, Liz was still droning on with her views, talking over everyone si Gwen Ifill even tried to help give back the show and control to its host.

Liz Cheney should be asked to never return to this show unless or until she can discuss issues the old way--calmly, respectfully and like an adult.

If she's capapble of that.

At least the corporations are getting their money's worth.

What needs to happen instead

Yesterday, I wrote that the US won't have a new, inclusive, workable health care system by the end of the year because we haven't got the will for it and we don't understand and/or accept that we have to take profit out of that same system.

I stand by that.

But more than all that, what really needs to happen is that, as David Brooks said Sunday morning on "This Week with George Stephanopoulis" on ABC, "The house is burning down around us."

It's all great that President Obama is tackling our other big problems, sure. Tackle health care. Tackle relations with the Soviet Union, the Taliban, Iran and the rest of the world.

But not right now.

Above all, get a handle on our economy. It is THE big problem, above all others, that needs to be addressed.

Fortunately, everyone agrees on this.

But that's not, it seems, what is coming out of the White House, to date.

I think this is going to change. The President and his staff and administration are all bright people.

I'm not just being trusting here. I'm not simply being naive.

The people running the country are opportunists and the kind of people that jumps on the biggest problems that would run them down otherwise.

But this needs to happen sooner--like this week--rather than later. The need to get on top of and pay attention to the economy, right now, above all other and as soon as possible.