Why progress is not seen as progress

They passed healthcare. They brought the economy back from the brink of a depression. They stopped the deceptive practices of credit card companies. They got us the closest we've been to improving relations with the Muslim world in the past decade. And now they just passed the most sweeping financial regulatory bill since the 1930s.

But even after all of this, liberals are not happy with the Obama Administration, and here's why: While all of the above accomplishments are a step towards progress, the bills are nowhere near as strong as they could have been had the Administration pushed for more aggressive policies, like Obama had promised (I for one am still bitter about the public option). As these battles die down, the fight to correct these remaining problems will likely not be taken on for a long time. It's not a matter of failure so much as lost opportunities.

John Aravosis at AmericaBlog puts it into clear perspective here:

Obama isn't the kid who promised to get an A and only got a B-. He's the kid who was fully capable of getting an A, but settled for a B-, because he was afraid to try for more. That's not behavior you praise. Especially when the kid is actually an adult, and running the most powerful country in the world.

Those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it

The Dow Jones is repeating the same pattern it did before the Great Depression. This is scary.

Me and Landon Donovan

I met the USA's World Cup hero as he came back from South Africa to ring the bell at the NYSE. What a petite man. He's almost as short as me. :D