The "Center Ring"

An end of the week update on the less important, more entertaining stories of the week.

Anyone who saw the Congressional grill of Bank leaders yesterday must have been quite...gratified. But I think the best part was Mass. Congressman Mike Capuano's angry rant. Who did he compare the bank executives to? The people who rob those executives banks. He said that he would not listen to a bank executive say "I learned my lesson" any quicker than he'd listen to a bank executive say so. Oh and of course, his neighboring district's rep, Barney Frank, was entertaining as usual asking the CEOs why they had to be "bribed with bonuses" to do their jobs.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's press secretary apologized yesterday for a staff member's response to a request by Politico for the Congressman's response to anti-Republican leadership ads. He sent Politico a link to a spoof on an old ASFCME that when aired on TV required 14 bleeps saying that they should post the video as the Congressman's response. Politico obeyed posting the video with the headline, "Cantor's Effing Response". With millions out of work, it did not get a warm reception with the public. WARNING: Explicit video, not bleeped.


After weeks of it appearing that Republicans were actually winning the fight on the stimulus bill, Gallup put forth a poll that surprised most. It has Obama with a 67% approval rating on the poll. Congressional Democrats are quite a bit lower, but have a higher approval than disapproval rating (48-42). Only Republicans have a higher disapproval rating with an approval rating of just 31%...58% disapproval. That's Pres. Bush territory, a sign that Republican hopes that Pres. Bush's (a man Mitch McConnell called a political burden) absence will solve all of their problems is wishful thinking on their part.

And what did Pres. Obama say?? Hold me responsible? If my plans don't work, blame me and we'll have a new President? I've never heard such a blunt statement from a President. He seems to know that he only has four years or less to turn this thing around...two if he's worried (and he is) about the midterms in 2010. But I think that he'll be a term-term President...his economic ideas are right for this country.