LAT: We're headed for a steep recession

The LAT is predicting a steep recession. Nothing new there. They've been predicting a recession or saying we're in one for 15 months. Someday they'll be right.

Lexington holds Bush responsible -- for everything

Lexington of The Economist writes this week that President Bush is responsible for nearly everything Lexington hasn't liked in the last 8 years. Bush's approval rating is in the mid to high 20s but the Democrat Congress's is lower, near 10 percent.

Bush is partisan, Lexington says. Implicitly, Lexington argues that Reid and Pelosi and their spear carriers are bi-partisan. The invasion of of Iraq destroyed the bi-partisan unity of September 11th, says Lexington. But Congress authorized the Iraq adventure.

Bush was damned when 133 Republicans voted against the bailout plan, Lexington says. But 95 Democrats voted against it too. That's probably Bush's fault.

Bush couldn't get a Social Security fix through Congress. Lexington argues it's Bush's fault that Democrats opposed him. Same with immigration. Clinton would have done better, Lexington argues. 

Democrats have opposed Bush on nearly everything for his entire presidency. The reason: They've always thought he stole the 2000 election from Al Gore. They see that as rational, though it really is irrational. Bush won that election fair and square but Democrats will never accept it. They believe that Bush is an illegitimate president and for that reason refuse to cooperate with him.

LAT: Bad debate, mostly political theater

The LAT editorial page today blasted both of last night's debaters and moderator Gwen Ifill. In a sour editorial, the LAT said the only good thing to come out of the debate was that "Biden left voters with a more constructive vision of the government and a more compelling case for how it has failed the nation under President Bush." If bigger government in control of health care, air lines and railroads, banks, energy of every sort such as oil and gas, nuclear power, wind and solar, auto manufacturing, mortgage loans, the housing industry and most other parts of your life is constructive then the LAT is right. The swipe at President Bush is merely an habitual knee-jerk reaction.

Is LAT columnist James Rainey a "real journalist?"

LAT columnist James Rainey is making a habit of rants, this time concerning PBS's Gwen Ifill who hosted last night's vice presidential debate. Ifill "reached a high standard for reason, fairness and class," according to Rainey. "What the critics who set out to pillory Ifill failed to acknowledge -- because it did not suite their political aims -- was that real journalists, who doubtless have biases, can and will put them aside to do their jobs."

Well, yes, Ifill did just fine, as she usually does on television. She is less likely to reveal her bias than most liberal media personalities -- like Chris Matthews for example. Still, she is what she is and it is proper to ask why someone else could not have been chosen to moderate the debate. Ifill is, after all, writing a book the title of which includes the phrase "the Age of Obama." She says she hasn't written the "Obama section" yet but she surely has thought about it. There are other moderators, even some conservative ones. As for Ifill being pilloried, she was not being ridiculed or abused except perhaps by her most radical critics. Nearly everyone has those.

Is Rainey a "real journalist?" According to Rainey's own definition the answer must be no because Rainey apparently cannot put aside his biases and do his job. The aim of Rainey's column isn't clear from reading it but surely it's supposed to serve some other purpose than provide space for Rainey's rants.

The vice-presidential debate

Both did well. Palin surprised. Biden was likable, which was a surprise. Biden would make a good Senate majority leader to replace the dour and whiney Reid.

Governator looks for fed bailout

According to the LAT this morning, California's governator has notified Treasury Secretary Paulson that California may need an emergency loan of $7 billion in order to pay its bills. California's government doesn't deserve it. The legislature irresponsibly ignored the mandatory constitutional deadline for this year's budget and came together to produce a budget only in September, nearly three months late. Californians need to realize how irresponsible their government has been. They will if the government can't pay the bills. Maybe then the people will throw the bums out. 

Pelosi should resign

The LAT this morning tries, in an article by reporter Janet Hook, to rehabilitate Nancy Pelosi a little. Hook writes: "In truth, there was little in the San Francisco Democrat's speech that she had not said before." Although what she said was stupid and wrong, her timing was outrageous. What was the purpose of her speech if not to sound off, to offer her opinion, to stick it to Republicans? The House was considering major legislation that her party favored passing. Instead of sticking to business and getting it passed she went off on a tirade, a tangent. It was inappropriate and it demonstrated judgment of the poorest kind. She is not qualified to lead the House or even to be in the House leadership. It's time she resigned.