Well, thank you all.  Evidently, the site is having problems because I kept checking for Alerts at the top of the page and, seeing none, hadn't checked back on this conversation. 

Midget Faded Rattlesnake, you're absolutely right we don't want our Presidents managing too much.  That was more a comment to those who say Ike was a decent President during a decade wherein nothing really consequential happened.  Perhaps it was rather stable because Ike did a good job of foreseeing and managing what did happen.  That's what I want to find out in the biographies.  

George Will also spoke well of the Smith book, so I'll likely start there (since it's available on Audible.com, my preferred way to consume many books).  May move on to the Ambrose bio and the ones on Ike's Bluff and Ike & Truman later. 

Again, thank you all.  Your inisghts are much appreciated. 

If this is their North Star, methinks their compass may be experiencing massive magnetic interference. This points West (Left).

goldilocks news flow... classic. 

At least I know one person reads these. 

Cheers! 

Must agree with the author of a book I recently read:

“Even if I am not a fan of change for change’s sake, nor indeed of most change if it comes to that, I am fairly sure that in the end we will all be better off for living in a world where any kind of sexuality is compatible with the twin notions of decency and commitment. But I suppose I just wish the whole subject could drop into the background again where it used to be, and not be compulsorily worn around society’s neck day in, day out.” 

-Julian Fellowes

Classic! 

John H.... you're right, and it is speculation.  I'll beg your pardon and simply state that I'm an economist, not an investment advisor or a trader... and you'll notice most of my attempts to characterize anything in the report come with qualifiers such as "if, then," "seem to be," "may be," etc.  In relation to your post, oddly enough, I hold an undergraduate degree in chemistry.  As far as investing, I think the economy will underperform for most of the rest of this decade, so am investing in companies I think are working on game-changing technologies.  Check out Cytori Therapeutics (CYTX).  But again, I'm no investment advisor, so take it for what it's worth. 

BrentB67... you're absolutely right and I think it will ultimately depend on household formation and long term economic growth (Milton Friedman: "there are no conservative or liberal economists, there are only good ones and bad ones; the good ones think about the long term and the bad ones don't").  But those are functions of culture and policy.  Unfortunately, the trends in both are not working to the advantage of the U.S. and, more broadly, Western Civilization. 

Well said!   Miller's Crossing is one of those movies that you run across on TV and just have to stop and watch.  Saw interviews with some of the cast & crew and they talked about trying to soften the brutality of the movie with the music they chose. 

Just an excellent choice! 

Tom Reagan: "You're a fickle boy, Mink."

Bernie Bernbaum: "Don't smart me.  When you smart me it ruins it." 

Verna Bernbaum: "I guess you think you raised hell?" 
Tom Reagan: "When I've raised hell, sister, you'll know it."   

"They run screaming.  We've armadillos in our trousers." 

"Dobly." 

"There actually is a Saint Hubbins.  He's the patron saint of quality footwear." 

"He died in a bizarre gardening accident." 

"He choked on vomit.  It wasn't actually his vomit, but you can't really dust for vomit." 

Christmas Vacation

"There is a nipple in the air.  What'd I say, nipple?" 

"Can I take something out for you?" 

"I was just blousing.. browsing." 

"I'm gonna go park the cars and bring in the luggage; I'll be outside for the... season." 

"Clark, that's the gift that keeps givin' the whole year." 

"That it is Edward, that it is!" 

"Father, forgive my husband, for he knows not what he does." 

"AMEN!" 

"Clark, Audrey's frozen from the waist down." 

"It's all part of the experience." 

"Hey Griswold, where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?" 

"Bend over and I'll show you." 

"Little full... lot o' sap." 

"My tree.  Louis, look what you did to my tree!" 

"It was an ugly tree, anyway." 

"Grace, she died 30 years ago." 

"Sh!##$&'s full." 

"You serious, Clark?" 

"He's got a little Mississippi leg-hound in him.  You don't want him around if you're wearing short pants.  Word to the wise, if does lay into ya', it's best to just let him finish." 

"Whatever, Russ." 

"Fixed the newell post!" 

"And I wanna look him straight in the eye, and..." 

"The idea of trashing our civilization in the interest of a multicultural nullity has been a disaster; and, I think, it's left a great big hole where our identity ought to be." 

- Mark Steyn: Uncommon Knowledge Interview

Well put, Neolibertarian (love the moniker, by the way). So should the headlines last November 7th have read "Obama Unexpectedly Wins Second Term"?

Me vs. Keith Olbermann and Bill Maher in an MMA tag match.  I think I can take 'em (out of spite alone)! 

Seriously though, Bill Whittle for the right and Kirsten Powers for the left, perhaps? 

Alternately, George Will and Cokie Roberts from This Week, without the petulance and interruption of the other guests (Krugman.. oy!). 

Being that CNN will probably want to showcase the right in less than flattering light, their likely candidate would be someone like Pat Buchanan or Sarah Palin.  Buchanan, of the "get off my lawn" school of political discourse, and Palin (whose views I respect) of the "not quite articulate enough to win anyone over" school. 

Interesting question. 

My Facebook status today:

"Margaret Thatcher is gone; Ronald Reagan is gone; Pope John Paul II is gone; Milton Friedman is gone; and the Western World is in apologetic retreat while the sophistry of collectivism and technocratic government is ascendant.  That is not a coincidence." 

RIP Mrs. Thatcher. 

Interesting post from the NYT.  This quote was of particular interest:

That fuels the narrative that the unemployment rate is coming down not because the economy is getting better, but because people are giving up looking for jobs. It raises the specter that the Washington follies are having a more serious impact than we had thought. Raising taxes on the least well-off working people – through the payroll tax increase that took effect at the beginning of the year – might have been a poor idea.

Two things are amiss here... he suggests data "fuels the narrative," not that it shows reality, which over time, it has.  Also, the bit about how increasing payroll tax was a bad idea because it raised taxes on the least well-off working people... this would be because those are the primary job creators in the economy?  Likely, it's the mistaken belief that demand drives the economy and hiring, but he doesn't state it outright. 

Silly NYT. 

Thanks for the link, Jager. 

Her opinion just doesn't seem to comport with the man who had such a clear moral compass.  I doubt he'd have supported it outright,  but he would have advocated leaving it to the states and not letting it divide the party.  He did, after all, once say this:

“We should emphasize the things that unite us and make these the only ‘litmus test’ of what constitutes a Republican: our belief in restraining government spending, pro-growth policies, tax reduction, sound national defense, and maximum individual liberty.  As to the other issues that draw on the deep springs of morality and emotion, let us decide that we can disagree among ourselves as Republicans and tolerate the disagreement.” 

Any Republican running at the national level would do well to heed this sage advice. 

Just so... mentioned in the report above, though I think history shows it's the lowest since September, 1980.. also mentioned above. 

-496K was the change in the civilian labor force.  Oy!