Wow, while the Democrats blinked the extreme right wing conservatives have had great success in re-shaping the country and with the approval of huge numbers of the American public.

By using the patriotism of Americans to put blinders on the public the Bush administration has cleverly achieved a most improbable agenda.

Cleverly they have trivialized the UN and prettly laid the groundwork for the dismantling of that body.

On the home front, the once mighty dollar has dropped 20% since Bush took office.

The USA has its largest trade imbalance in US economic history---it is presently over 5% of GDP and growing.

Foreign investment in the US has dropped over 80% since 2000.

The federal deficit is over 1 billion per day.

This has all been good for oil and gold. Oil has gone from $20. per barrel to a present $37.75. Gas is as high as $3.00 per gal. in places. Gold has gone from $270. per oz to $354. today.

To keep going, the US is borrowing 1.3 billion per DAY.

Look how clever this is from the postion of ideology:

If the American people get fed up with the massive unemployment and terrible economy Bush has created (or at least Captained on his watch) and vote in a Democratic congress and president next election changes won't be possible.

The Democrats won't be able to bring in any welfare programs and give aid to either the States or the under-privilidged because no money will be available to do so without massive tax increases.

This in turn would give creditability to the Republican charge of tax and spend. Slogans win out. Reason is gone.

Congratulations to the Republican victory stategy.

Publius