A picture emerges, but...

... it may not be the one the administration wants to hear.

Bernanke:  "But given the significant costs and risks associated with a rapidly rising federal debt, our nation should soon put in place a credible plan for reducing deficits to sustainable levels over time," using cuts and tax simplification.  The Fed chief said the economy is stronger when taxes aren't too high and are collected in an efficient, equitable and transparent way.  "At present, a broad consensus exists that the U.S. tax code does not satisfy these criteria and is in need of reform."

Jeepers!

UPDATE 4/28:  Another version of the story:  "Bernanke said the U.S. economy could not grow its way out of the problem."

"Report says health care will cover more, cost more"

From this AP summary of the actuarial report:  "It's a worrisome assessment for Democrats.  In particular, concerns about Medicare could become a major political liability in the midterm elections. The report projected that Medicare cuts could drive about 15 percent of hospitals and other institutional providers into the red, "possibly jeopardizing access" to care for seniors."

I'll guess that we have not heard the end of the reality checking on this plan.

And here's the video report from Fox News.

An essential document

A Long Post: The Complete List of Obama Statement Expiration Dates - The Campaign Spot - National Review Online

Democracy and learning

Submitted without further comment, from the Preface to "The Great Conversation"--

We believe that the reduction of the citizen to an object of
propaganda, private and public, is one of the greatest dangers
to democracy. A prevalent notion is that the great mass of
the people cannot understand and cannot form an indepen-
dent judgment upon any matter; they cannot be educated, in
the sense of developing their intellectual powers, but they
can be bamboozled. The reiteration of slogans, the distortion
of the news, the great storm of propaganda that beats upon
the citizen twenty-four hours a day all his life long mean
either that democracy must fall a prey to the loudest and
most persistent propagandists or that the people must save
themselves by strengthening their minds so that they can ap-
praise the issues for themselves.

Saving this video to show later

May he have a long retirement

Stupacked himself, apparently.

Krauthammer’s Take on the Mid-terms

Krauthammer’s Take

More good advice for the loyal opposition.  Find a program, express it clearly, don't let up.

A unifying program for Republicans, and citizens of good will.

Dick Morris has proposed a pretty detailed set of priorities that if followed could provide a unifying focus for the Obamacare resistance.  It's worth noting in full:

1. Restore the Medicare cuts mandated in this bill. Block the reduction of physicians' fees by 21 percent scheduled to take effect this fall. Override the cuts in Medicare that require annual approval by Congress. Challenge the Democrats over each and every cut. Try to peel away enough votes to stop the cuts from driving doctors and hospitals to adopt the course already taken by the Mayo Clinic in refusing to take Medicare patients.

2. Defeat the Democrats in the 2010 election! Start with the traitors who voted no in November and then switched to a shameful yes when it counted in March: Baird (Washington), Kosmas, and Boyd (Florida). Then go on to win the open seats in the House and Senate. And then fight to replace as many Democrats as possible. Remember:   Any Democrat who voted no would have voted yes if they had needed his or her vote. The only way to repeal Obamacare is to vote Republican.

3. Defund:  once we get the majority in both chambers, defund appropriations for the Obamacare program. The bill Congress passed and the president signed is simply an authorization measure. Congress must appropriate funds for it each year. Through zero funding these changes, we can cripple them before they take full effect.

4. Repeal, once we defeat Barack Obama, this disastrous plan before it can ruin our healthcare system. Then, we must replace it with a Republican alternative which relies on the marketplace, tax incentives, and individual responsibility to provide healthcare to all Americans

New vocabulary word

I'd say the health care debate has given us a new word for our daily vocabulary--"stupack."  It may be used in contexts such as

"I got stupacked--I was expecting scallops in white wine, but they served fish sticks."

"The crowd was angry with the show's producer who promised The Rolling Stones, but could only deliver the Herman's Hermits tribute band.  Accusations of stupacking abounded."

"My bout with intestinal flu threatened to stupack our planned cruise; fortunately, I recovered in time."

A blend of dashed expectations and unanticipated venality....if that makes sense.

Whipping It: Obamacare Is No Done Deal

Whipping It: Obamacare Is No Done Deal

See especially the point about Justice Ginsburg--abortion rights and eugenics.  She's not the only one.