Why oh why does this man irritate me so?  Now don't get me wrong, John Stossel is probably a nice man.  But for a man who can garner audiences, he is "dangerous" (well not really, but the guy's on TV and he is on the ra-ra free market Right's side promulgating this crap) with his half ass grasp on our economy.   Recently, on Daily Kos's evil twin, he wrote up a piece on how the economy really isn't doing bad.  That it was all media hype.

Right after the Ohio Democratic Primaries ended, I remember watching the talking heads on both CNN and MSNBC (I refuse to watch Faux News for electoral coverage).  As everyone knows, Hillary Clinton won that state with 54% of the vote.  The talking heads went on to say how if Hillary didn't get the nomination, that the blue-collar hard hats (sometimes known as "Reagan Democrats") would go for John McCain.  And of course, Pat Buchanan, politics' Archie Bunker, said it was inconceivable that blue-collar workers would vote for Obama in November. On CNN, you had one of Hillary's supporters, Lanny Davis saying Ohio was much in doubt should Barack take the nomination.

Some interesting stuff happening in the manufacturing sector.  The US Dollar, despite the President's claim today that he wants a strong currency, continues to drop.  Rising material costs, be it ore or petroleum, has had some unintended consequences.  We noted here last week, that many businesses are starting to take a second look at the US given the rise in transportation costs.

A fresh face in politics they said.  Young and smart, they tried to make him out to be a great reformer.  Hell, at one point, the gang at Swindlers' Inc tried to paint him as a GOP Barack Obama (which we pointed out here on Daily Kos.)!  

There is nothing wrong with being a skeptic.  When it comes to investing or trading, it sometimes pays to be a contrarian.  Religion and God?  I'm an agnostic.  Believing what the government tells me?  Pfft...not with the GOP in charge! But sometimes, skepticism can turn into stupidity, and when it comes to not believing in climate change, that is such a case.  Today the Associated Press had a story that should open the eyes to many conservative skeptics of climate change!

You just knew this was going to happen eventually.  The skyrocketing price of petroleum soon reaching the $200 level as our astute Jerome a Paris noted, has not only caused pain at the pump.  It has also started to hit the foundations of the whole way manufacturing done.  The whole mad free trade system is starting to buckle.

Today I thought I was actually going to have a day where something wouldn't piss me off. Well the FISA thing ended that notion, but also something else I read in the news.

Oh this can't be good.  The Financial Times is reporting this morning that the Pentagon is claiming it can't seem to locate "sensitive" parts for building nuclear weapons.

If there ever was a single piece of evidence that would lead one to believe a McCain presidency would be a third term (or fourth if we include Papa Bush) for the Bush clan, then its having or wanting Jeb Bush be the Republican Vice Presidential nominee.

Some big happenings today, my fellow Kossacks!

I'm not sure if anyone noticed this yesterday, what with all the political news and now today with the story from Guantanamo.  But the price of Corn broke a new high.

A Reuters news report today indicated that, despite what the neo-cons pollyanna at on Larry Kudlow & Company would have you believe, is showing the economy getting more dour .

The markets are in a free fall today as the federalis are reporting that unemployment passed the 5.5% mark.  

Sad news on the economic front, folks.  CNN is reportingon a release by the Mortgage Bankers' Association on how foreclosures have passed the 1 million mark.

Seriously, I ask this because I wonder if the Democratic leadership has gone insane sometimes.  

I am so pumped right now!  Ok ok...I've been excited for a while now.  Barack Obama will be the Democratic Party's nominee!  History, my fellow Kossacks, is being made! Forgive me if I sound presumptuous for I feel in my heart that we finally can start our move forward.  I have respect for Hillary, she gave a good fight and at the end of the day hold our respect, she is still one of ours.  But the primaries are over, and this evening history is being made. Tonight we start our revolution to take it back!

(Editor's Note: I see the the CRB chart I posted is huge and has overlapped an ad or two.  My apologies on this, I'm not sure how to shrink it without losing the data.  Once again, sorry for the overlap.)

Folks, in the Age of Bush, these ISM numbers are considered "growth."