We have the right criticizing Obama because he's Obama, and we have the left criticizing him because he's being too much like GW. Lovely.

Folks, he's been in office for about two months, i.e. a fairly short time. Most of us who voted for him knew he was an enormous improvement over the intellect of the previous guy in office, not to mention the alternative (McCain). Can we now at least have a tiny bit of faith that Obama is not completely clueless and may in fact know what he's doing, or is at least making the best decisions possible under the circumstances?

That's not to say we must stifle dissent or blindly follow our leader, not at all. When Obama screws up or does something I disagree with, I'll be there to criticize. However, with regards to much of what he's rightly spending his time on, that being the economy and the financial crisis, the proof in the pudding will not be known for many months from now, so I'll refrain from harsh words until some real evidence becomes known as to whether it's working or not. Until then, I'll just exercise some faith.

Very true words from Ruth:

If it weren’t so appalling, it would be fascinating to compare the behavior of Republican and Democratic congressional legislators when confronted by an Administration of the opposite party. I watched in dismay as Republican leaders arrogantly obstructed efforts to address the growing economic crisis as millions of families contemplate poverty. Their vindictive, mean-spirited posturing adds nothing to clarify and improve the legislation; all effort goes to ridicule and defamation. On the other hand, the Democrats during the Bush years paid obsequious deference to the President and supported a litany of Administrative debacles. The Iraq war, the Patriot Act, and a no-strings bailout are just three that continue to haunt us. Neither party has served us well.

You have the a-hole Republicans who would continue to play partisan politics even if they knew a gigantic asteroid was about to hit the planet. And yet you also have the spineless Democrats, who enabled an a-hole president to get just about anything and everything he wanted -- compare to the opposition party today and the current president.

Yes, at times, one indeed wonders which party is worse....

I agree with Kevin, they've gone too far.

Steve Benen has it right regarding Cheney's recent burst of absurdities. Quayle? Gore? Did they trot out harsh (and misleading, fact-challenged) criticism weeks after leaving office? Don't think so. Where's the criticism against such unprecedented behavior and motives? This from a VP of an administration that disdained criticism from without as well as within. Just more proof that these walking embarrassments continue to be in hyper-revise-past-and-repair-legacy mode.

Here's an idea: whenever Obama gets back to health care, he should consult with Hillary. Although numbing in detail many years ago, her work on this issue was far (too far?) ahead of its time when it came to recognizing the need for change. Obama would do well to include her in discussions. Yes, she's now foreign policy, but still she's a multi-talented resource.

I never would've thought it was possible but the far-right talking heads have become even more insane, with Man-on-Dog Rick Santorum claiming that "the fundamentals of American economy is still strong" and Michael Savage believes that "the environment...is being used by the Obama administration in an attempt to gain control of the US population." You have to listen to believe it. And of course it includes comparisons to Hitler. (Is Obama a fascist or a socialist? Make up your minds fellas.).

This is what they did to Bill Clinton for eight years and they haven't missed a beat in starting it up again versus Obama. The worst part is their doddering minions just lap it all up, without questioning a thing....

Incredible.

The American International Group, which has received more than $170 billion in taxpayer bailout money from the Treasury and Federal Reserve, plans to pay about $165 million in bonuses by Sunday to executives in the same business unit that brought the company to the brink of collapse last year.

When can we finally go ahead and nationalize these sinkhole institutions? When is enough enough?

UPDATE: Even more priceless: "An even bigger problem...was that financial products employees who are denied payments could quit and that AIG's losses...could spiral enormously if the only people who understand the company's convoluted dealings are not around to 'unwind' the damage they have caused." Don't you love it?! AIG has to pay the screw ups millions of dollars so they won't leave because supposedly they're the only ones who can undo the damage they've wrought... AGHHHH!!!!!

Leader of the supposed "Country First" party:

So what is it now, we're up to three Republican politicians who have criticized Rush Limbaugh only to recant and grovel for forgiveness from the almighty blowhard....? Gingrey, Sanford, and now Steele.

Dare I say the first Republican to criticize Rush and actually stand by it and not blink later will receive surprising popularity from their own side. I know, it's a stretch, but I'd like to believe that the entire GOP hasn't sunk to the level where they've simply degenerated into a clamoring horde of mindless, doddering Dittoheads -- but I could be wrong.

The downward slide of the GOP continues, with Jindal's excruciatingly bad performance following Obama's speech now coming with an admission that he told a story that was false. I still can't figure out what was worse, Jindal's "Mr. Rogers" delivery or the sophomoric content of his speech...

But even more so, I don't know the particulars but I would have to guess that before Jindal trotted out in front of a primetime national TV audience and gave the Republican response to Obama, that his comments would have been fully vetted by top people in the GOP. Assuming that's true, it's even more alarming to realize that not just Jindal had the poor judgment to go ahead with that inept performance and speech but that it was apparently given the green light by his party.

If there was any doubt up to that point that the GOP has seriously gone astray, that debacle drove home the sad reality.

Obama is already talking about cutting the budget deficit (he inherited), by half no less...? Is this another bone thrown to the GOP?

Enough already. Yes, it's good to know that Obama is cognizant of our huge deficit, but there is a time and a place for stressing a balanced budget -- and now is not that time. We're facing an economic calamity requiring fiscal spending to first and foremost reverse the tailspin. After evidence surfaces that this objective has been achieved, then and only then should Obama turn his attention, albeit quickly, to resolving the deficit problem. It's just a matter of prioritizing.