The reason why the Republicans voted against the bailout more than Democrats is because they have more incumbents in close reelection races, not because of the yarn by Republican leaders that they voted against Bush’s wishes upon being offended by Pelosi’s criticisms of Bush. This isn’t a case of one side demagoging the matter at the House level though Mr. Country First is up to his usual garbage.

Kucinich notes a letter from an law professor saying that because the government is buying minority shares of mortgages, they wouldn’t actually have the legal authority to renegotiate the mortgage with the homeowner.

I hold to my conviction that things need to get better to get better, on account of my sentimentality for surprising people with depression-era theoretical approaches during an economic boom. Poetry, however, needs to get worse to get better, lest anyone think I have abandoned commentary on the art form here.