Politics and other nightmares

Here we are, in the vanguard:

Hey, it may be grim out there, gas and food prices might be sky high, the housing collapse is bringing down Wall Street, but better not mess with Santa:

But despite -- and many argue because of -- the depressing litany of news on everything from foreclosures to wrangling over a whopping $700 billion bailout for Wall Street, there is one item retailers dare not cut from their holiday lineup even if they're looking to trim costs: Santa Claus.

Hey, it may be grim out there, gas and food prices might be sky high, the housing collapse is bringing down Wall Street, but better not mess with Santa:

But despite -- and many argue because of -- the depressing litany of news on everything from foreclosures to wrangling over a whopping $700 billion bailout for Wall Street, there is one item retailers dare not cut from their holiday lineup even if they're looking to trim costs: Santa Claus.

The Louisville Courier-Journal's Lesley Stedman Weidenbener has some useful advice for political-debate watchers: Don't believe everything you hear:

It was near the beginning of last Tuesday's gubernatorial debate when Gov. Mitch Daniels started defending the cigarette tax increase he pushed through the General Assembly.

"Every penny went straight to insure uninsured Hoosiers in desperate need of health care and protection," he said.

The Hoosier congressional delegation voted 6-3 against the number-picked-out-of-a-hat bailout:

Buckle up, boys, it's gonna be a bumpy ride:

Stocks on Wall Street took a blood bath Monday afternoon after the Treasury Department's proposed aid package for the financial sector failed to pass the House of Representatives.

Whe we can't get along without Snopes.com:

Studies have shown that people will believe anything that's repeated multiple times, which, in these days of mass e-mails, constitutes just about everything. It makes getting to the bottom of something a battle between our real desire for truth and the limits of our neurological makeup.

Why we can't get along without Snopes.com:

Studies have shown that people will believe anything that's repeated multiple times, which, in these days of mass e-mails, constitutes just about everything. It makes getting to the bottom of something a battle between our real desire for truth and the limits of our neurological makeup.

I don't believe this for a single instant:

As Congress prepares to vote on a proposed economic rescue plan, opposition to the measure has declined significantly. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey conducted Sunday found that 33% of Likely Voters now favor the plan while 32% are opposed and 35% are not sure.

I know I rail against federal government programs, but one I have a soft spot for is Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, perhaps because I heard my dad tell so many stories about being a member. It did good work by getting things done that needed doing, and it put some money in the pockets of people who didn't have any and showed them how to use it.