Things are tough all over:
The recession has directly hit more than half of the nation's working adults, pushing them into unemployment, pay cuts, reduced hours at work or part-time jobs, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
The economic shock has jolted many Americans into a new, more austere reality, which is likely to have lasting consequences for an economy fueled mostly by consumer spending. More than six in 10 Americans say they have cut down on borrowing and spending, the survey found.
Well, not all over. That belt-tightening -- cutting down on borrowing and spending -- doesn't seem to have caught on in Washington. The top finishers in the MathCounts National Competition, led by bright 13-year-old Hoosier Mark Selke, got to meet with the president Monday. Maybe Mark could back and explain some of the principles of simple arithmetic. The concept of "addidion" would be a nice start.
