The Reaction in Review (Jan. 30, 2009)

A week's Reactions that deserve a second look:

Featuring Creature's Excellent Economic Editorials: "Jobs," "Enough," "Stimulate & invest," "Just the facts," "Shoveling crap to the American taxpayer," "Going directly to the people," and "Quote of the Day," sprinkled liberally throughout the week.


Friday

By Capt. Fogg: "GOP heeds the call" -- Fogg examines the election of Michael Steele to be the new head of the Republican party, framing it with a Bob Dylan song.

By Carol Gee: "What did we learn this week?" -- A round-up of a number of significant actions on a number of fronts by our new President, Barack Obama.

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "So what about health care reform?" -- Michael predicts, "So, yes, while there are certainly legitimate concerns that health care reform will go nowhere this year, there is reason to be optimistic that Obama's "silence" will end and that, once the economic stimulus package is finally passed, it will be at or near the top of the White House's agenda."

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Bush Legacy Watch: Military suicides on the rise" -- Michael initiates the first in another Reaction series, BLW; asking the questions that just will not go away.


Thursday

By Capt. Fogg: "He's OUT! -- Blagojevich convicted by Illinois Senate, removed from office" -- Fogg's post reports on the governor's ousting just after commuting the sentences of a couple of felons, most ironic.

By Carl: "The sound of one hand clapping" -- Carl's very well written post explores the U.S. House vote on the economic stimulus package and "how bipartisanship died pretty quickly on the Hill."


Wednesday

By Libby Spencer: "The oldest con game in DC" -- Libby urges President Obama to see through the Republican ruse of real bipartisanship on the economic stimulus package.

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "House passes stimulus package, Republicans vote against the American people" -- This post is a fine analysis of what was really happening as House Republicans trotted out discredited tax cuts and ignored their President's attempts at bipartisanship.

By Carol Gee: "Congress' Sticky Wickets" -- A post about the difficult or embarrassing problems or situations that Congress is currently facing.

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Restoration and Renewal: The self-restraint of the Obama presidency" -- This short post points to an Andrew Sullivan piece that is just wonderful.


Tuesday

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Great Depression II; or, why do the Republicans hate America" -- Michael's conclusion, on which many of us could agree, "The Republicans are showing once again who and what they really are: a mean, nasty mob of self-interested, partisan zealots."

By Carl: "Lay me off in fields of clover" -- This magnificently written post should be required reading for people who assume they understand how capitalism works; it includes a good comment thread.


Monday

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Krazy Bill Kristol heads to WaPo" -- Michael takes off from where Bobby's post began, with a very incisive analysis of the Rightward tilt that is the true reality of the WaPo.

By Mustang Bobby: "Kristol: Exit Stage Right" -- Bobby's brilliant post on William Kristol's short and undistinguished career as a New York Times columnist extolling the virtues of conservatism.