Short takes

1. Maybe it's the issue (they really can't convince middle America of the virtues of an unregulated Wall Street), but I like to think that Obama has accepted as fact that it is useless to try to get bipartisan cooperation from this bunch. After he strongly criticized Repub senators for obstructing the bill, after Harry Reid said he would keep the Senate in session all night with repeated cloture votes, and after Repubs saw they had lost public support, they gave up on the filibuster. That's the way to do it, Dems.

2. An anti-Obama Facebook site, which has attracted over 1 million members, has been accused of "praying" for Obama's death. To me, it doesn't sound so much like any serious intent but more like wishful thinking. The "threat" is really a cleverly written prayer:

"DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN."

But, even if the Facebook group doesn't seriously intend an assassination attempt, some crazy person might be persuaded to become their "hero." So it has to be take seriously. It is, after all, against the law to threaten the president.

Ralph