They've Lost Control

All President's men (and women).

Obama's Pay Czar will cut the salaries of top executives of the firms that have received the government bailout fund by whopping 90%. Can someone tell me why anyone should listen to him? He is not an elected official, only appointed by the President. What if you don't obey his orders? Is it a crime not to obey an appointed official? What would be the penalty?

• Pay Czar to Slash Compensation at Seven Firms (10/21/09 Wall Street Journal)

And the stock market tanked on the news, led by (hold your breath) financials.

U.S. dollar continued the descent, hit the 52-week low against Euro before it reversed hard upward as the stock market tanked. Not a peep from Geithner or Bernanke or their boss.

• Euro breaches $1.50 for first time in 14 months (10/21/09 AP)

Not surprisingly, crude oil and gold went higher.

• Oil hits $82 per barrel as dollar plunges (10/21/09 AP)


• Gold ends higher as dollar falls to new low versus euro (10/21/09 Market Watch)

House Democrats are calling "public option" "Medicare for Everyone" and hope everyone agrees that it's a good thing.

• House Dems want Medicare for everyone (10/21/09 The Hill)

And in Nancy Pelosi's mind, $900 billion is a chump change, and that is somehow supposed to reduce the deficit. (Hello, anybody up there?)

• House healthcare bill under $900 billion: Pelosi (10/20/09 Reuters)

In Iraq, U.S. soldiers are getting so bored they've started a book club. (Why can't they come back home?)

• U.S. troops in Iraq have time on hands (10/21/09 USA Today)

But over Afghanistan, even the Defense Secretary is getting impatient for Obama's slow decision. (No, Mr. Gates, President can't be bothered now. He's busy having a grand time partying at the White House.)

• Gates: U.S. Can't Wait on Afghan Election (10/20/09 CBS News)

Senator Lamar Alexander is fed up with the White House's "street-brawling" tactics against critics and opponents. (What else do you expect from Chicagoland?)

• Lamar Alexander to Barack Obama: No 'enemies list' (10/21/09 Politico)

Rasmussen's Daily Presidential Tracking Poll: Obama's ratings sink again, approval index nearing all-time low.

• Daily Presidential Tracking Poll (10/21/09 Rasmussen Report)

Republicans in House Committee of Ways and Means have this to say about Obama's $787 billion stimulus package (remember that one?). Let's just blame it on George Bush, shall we? To be fair, the administration has said the bulk of money will go out next year (just in time for the mid-term election, what a coincidence). Then I'm sure 6 million new jobs will be created to make up for the 7-month loss of 2.7 million jobs. (Not.)

• 7 Months After Stimulus 49 of 50 States Have Lost Jobs

Well, we just have to have another bigger and better stimulus. How about $1 trillion every quarter?

Or is it time to "wag the dog"?

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