RAF if your waiting for Darwin to answer your question forget it. I am still waiting for him to answer mine. All he can do is rant when someone pins him in a corner. Oh Darwin in case you forgot the question here it is again and I will type real slow for you this time. Where are the jobs that the socialist liberals promised with the first $750 billion and why do they think they have to have another $500 billion to try again?

And who here wants to live under the Bush Family plan of a "New World Order" That sounds real promising(for dictators)

Darwin you failed to answer the questions I asked...please try again, with facts. Feel free to ramble and blather all you want in addition to answering the question and providing the examples of hypocrisy you stated.

As long as Obama and the far left Dems are in power , all I can see is a future where others tell me what I can and cannot do. They extract my pay, if they give me any at all, and tell me when I must die. These people are trying to convert the US into a marxist society. They are destroying the free market system and ignoring the US constitution. I believe that we are getting closer to problems at home than abroad as people begin to realize what is really happening.

RAF you are clearly devoid of any ability to reason or think for yourself. I may be a professed socialist, however, you are a practicing socialist who hates himself for being so but is too ignorant to realize it. You are clearly a drain on the hard working, tax paying, real Americans.

Darwin, please show where I said someone can not earn the riches you think I have?

Still waiting for your example of my hypocrisy...

RAF is an example of conservative hypocrisy: his former government job, his government run health care, his government pension. But not for anyone else.

And the self-professed socialist still is unaware how government works.

I agree dub, we should get rid of the military, social security, medicare, medicaid, the highway system, TVA, sanitation, and the Postal System. Funny you mention Netflix but not the poorly run Blockbuster video. Your contention that private business isn't corrupt and wasteful is devoid of reality since management often use poison pills to stop shareholders from selling companies. Remember Yahoo? It could've been sold to Microsoft for a nice profit to investors, but the unaccountable company president said it was worth more - now it is worth less. Talk about arrogant. Politicians have to be re-elected every so many years. Maybe you should try to come up with more than one example before blathering.

Exactly how does one go about eliminating any trace of one's account? I searched the Gazette website and found no mention of how to do it. This morning user called "sprout" had several hundred postings on this site. Now, they are all magically gone!

Funny, looks the user named sprout deleted his account since posting his bogus poll. LMAO!

I am confused I did not know this was a question about politics, I took it as are you hopeful for the New Year period. For me yes I have my health and a good life so I hope it stay’s that way.

AT&T and Verizon probably won't be too happy to find out their copyrighted images are being used in this way. I emailed the links to them so they can investigate further.

I am not a big fan of polls since we elect our officials by voting. In November a majority was elected that WANTs health care reform because the current system is more expensive and less efficient then what we will get. Will it be more expensive? Yes because, according the the CBO, people will live longer. So, if you want a cheap health care system, die young.

Anyone who lobbies the government is a lobbyist. So, if you wrote your Congress person about a policy you were lobbying them. Too often people oversimplify issues to support what they already believe to be true. For example, the whole "socialist" mantra. I know five conservatives who work for the government and constantly complain about socialism and government spending. They all believe that their situation is different.

facts - Gold is a commodity like any other. It has NO control over the inflation rate. You may want to check the consumer price index at statistics.gov. Inflation is almost always triggered by tight labor markets. We are currently in a deflationary recession. All your cliches are typical RW delusions.

call1...These polls aren't sponsored by the company that has its image on the page. These are posted by anyone with an web hosting service,and just made to look like they are an actual poll. Maybe you should direct your comment to Sprout since he's the one that posted the bogus poll to begin with.

fwdjvl: Wow.. Maybe I haven't been looking very close but those two health care polls are blatant crap! I knew something was funny when i first looked at the page before voting, but when I clicked the radio button for "no" it added my vote to the yeses, & not one "No to be seen. This really ticks me off & I'm dumping Verizon today for being so d@mn arrogant to slap us in the face in such an obvious manner.

Nothing fishy about those polls. Over 9 million votes and the second link I posted and everyone of them in favor of the Presidents health care plan. LOL!

Both political parties have betrayed us, and will continue to do so until we get rid of the lobbyists (a.k.a. the bribers). As long as the lobbyists (a.k.a. the bribers) keep lobbying (bribing) our politicians for whats best for them and not the "people" then this country's issues will not get better. Its not about listening to your constituents anymore in this "what have you done for me lately" Washington.

And yet another...

http://js.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quizifram...

Another interesting poll.

http://js.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quizifram...

The answers are very simple to fixing the problems we face. The complex part is PEOPLE make up the govt. and the communities in which we live! Because people are such complex creatures, there's no unity because everyone wants whats best for themselves individually as opposed to what we need to do for the overall good of the country. It's called "agenda driven propaganda" and we're forcefed what to think is right as opposed to what really is. It's a sad scenario and WE THE PEOPLE are the only one's that can even begin to make this thing right, but, we can't get together on common ground, thus, we're in freefall as a nation. We are a mirror reflection of our country's leadership! Both sides preach unity and coming together as a nation when neither side is capable of exemplifying it in their own political parties!!!

Having Mr Obama is such a breathe of fresh air after 8 years of being Bush whacked. How can we forget the intellectual stupidity of the Birthers? The Republican sideshow combined the Birthers betise with the Tea Baggers lack of civility, boorish repetition of lies, half truths and right wing opinions put forth as truth. The result was a mind numbing Tsunami of Republican BS & Bullet Points. The Lemming like Republicans ran to the Right seeking cover and comfort from the RNC's new head, the drug addled what a Rush Limbaugh. Glen Beck & Ann Coulter started a new media circus with their new unreality show "What Are Facts But Building Blocks To Better Lies". The Republicans re-branded themselves as the NoPublicans. Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter, and Michael Steele proved that they were brain dead zombies who tried to use their own alternative history on a nation still hungover from drinking to much Bush-Cheney. The Neocon's & the Richard Bruce Cheney Old Guard Conservatives battled over whether a dose of the No Factual Basis In Reality Social Experiment mind game might shake the the nuts off the NoPublican Family Tree. But Tax Cut Trickle Downers & the Newly Found Fiscal Conservative NoPublican Geneology Glee Club were to busy trying protect the Insurance Cartels immoral profits & campaign donations from a much need Public Option For All to do a Vulcan Mind Meld with the other lobs of the Republican Mind Control Machine. But whatever their Republican Ilk, all were told to "Just Say No". Just ask Joe. And so 2009 ended with a Healthcare whimper, one less Kennedy, but one to many J. Isadore Liebermans.

Once again credibility goes out the window because of simple failure to proofread.

Sadly Darwin your trying to protect the socialist and your grasping at straws. And the dollar is not that strong otherwise Gold would not be over $1000.00 an ounce. Remember weak dollar high price gold. And yes businesses rely on that 30 day line but if the banks won't lend it. After being burned so badly with bad loans in the past. They do upset me though since we bailed them out and they are able to borrow from the Fed a 0%. Now if you think no jobs went to Mexico then you have your head in the sand. Our local paper here this last year had stories of people losing their jobs. And where were those jobs headed? Mexico. And do I feel bad the Mexicans can not get more of our jobs...nope feel nothing. Perot was right and over 20% of the voters agreed. And the FED does set the interest rates that banks can borrow money not the bond traders. And yes the so called sages some from your own socialist party are beginning to question how deep of a hole they are digging with the debt. But thats an easy one to fix we just raise the debt limit...another vote is coming up shortly on that by the way. And again you have failed to answer my question. Where are all those jobs we were supposed to get for 750 billion dollars? And why are we looking at another 500 billion (in debt) to try again? Also I notice that not one socialist here has tried to defend the state level socialist's in Madison. You know who I am talking about Jimmy and band of idiots.

Incoherent thoughts strung together are so fun to read.

This is priceless stuff to read...
Yep; everything is just fine. Debt, devaluation and instability of the dollar, free money policy...They pose no problems what so ever. Everything is going to be just fine. Just keep sitting in the pumpkin patch..Don't worry, the great pumpkin will soon appear!

Sadly, facts you are wrong as usual. Bond purchasers determine the interest rates. China could refuse to buy them and wait for a better interest rate but they don't. This is because higher interest rates would weaken the dollar and cause imports to be more expensive and China's exports would fall to its most important market. China is corrupt and WE still have the largest economy in the world. Remember when Japan was going to rule the world and surpass us? I am sure you were whining then too.

Who in Washington is concerned about the debt? Is this the same Washington you complain and whine about? Now suddenly they are sages?

Ross Perot? The Mexicans would like to know where all the jobs are. I think if you really tried you could get it more wrong.

Devil, The average joe is NOT affected by the AMT. Do you even know what the AMT is? It is meant to prevent people who live in McMansions and have dual incomes from receiving too much off on their taxes. You have more, you have more to protect. So, pay your share and quit your whining. Cheap and ignorant is not a political ideology.

Please learn something about how the money system works. Small businesses rely on 30 day lines of credit to operate. This would have disappeared had not the government stepped in and the money IS being paid back. Evidently the chicken littles don't care about facts.

Yes I am optimistic the liberal inclusive left will continue to share their thoughts of kindness to all...

Evidently we are all doomed. I am moving to China where the money is.

http://www.renewamerica.com/analysis/jon...

My My My now the poll says not so many are thinking 2010 is going to be better. Must be the intelligent leadership we have now.LMAOOOOOO

Typical liberal response by NV I should move out of the US. Not a chance I am going to stay here and vote and change things. I wonder what happened to all the left wing nuts who were going to move to Canada when President George W Bush was elected. Apparently not enough left. And Darwin the Fed controls the interest rates. Everyone in Washington that has half a brain is worried about the national debt. Except the socialist liberals would rather worry about the Obama agenda than the long term interest of the country.And I agree that the democratic party has abandon the working man. I think that started with Jimmy Carter and ended when Bill Clinton signed NAFTA.If I recall the unions did not want that did they? You may recall Ross Perot you know the little nut. Well remember the big sucking sound he talked about with NAFTA and everyone laughed at him. Well guess Ross was right about that one. The socialist have one agenda in mind right now and thats what ever Obama says. And its damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead and it does not matter who gets hurt. Its going to be so much fun to see Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi humbled come November. Of course Harry looks like he may not be there. I will not even get into the back door deals that were made. I just find it upsetting that everyone will pay for Medicare increase except the people of Nebraska. Talk about shoving it to the rest of the American taxpayer and elderly. Gotta love how the democrats forgot how they got there. So far none of the kool-aid drinkers have been able to answer the question "where are all the jobs" that democrats promised with the first 750 billion and why do they need another 500 billion more? Remember when a million dollars was a lot of money to the government and now they hardly blink at a billion.

While the government hands out billions in taxpayer money, to wall street companies, it has a chance to help the average Joe tax payer via the AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) patch. The government passes an extremely small change from last year, which will surely leave many average folks paying more taxes. It's hard to get excited about the new year when it's clear the average worker doesn't count much. All this from a supposed democratic administration. They apparently forgot the "workers friend" thing.

facts...."Obama is not my President." Then I am quite sure there is a "better" place somewhere in the world for you. Please leave!! There are enough idiots running around hoping that our President, and thusly our nation, fails.

Then the current state of this country must be the fault of the former Republican Administration.

again facts, if our debt was a real problem interest rates would go up. They aren't. People complained about us never getting the TARP money back and yet it is getting paid back. So, you are wrong again.

Bill Newbie is correct about his God's blessing crap. If there was an omnipotent, merciful God there wouldn't have been a Holocaust.

Just remember this. This country was attacked under a Republican Administration. You can't change that fact no matter how hard you try to twist it.

If one were extremely angry, one could be expected to refer to those one disagrees with as “nut jobs” and as being in a “state of mental constipation”, but if one were trying to reason such people out of their anger, those disparagements would be contradictory, even self-defeating. I wonder if NVgrf will refuse to allow these facts to interfere with his hateful and angry state of mind. Sadly, I doubt it.

I will say that NVgrf has finally written something I heartily agree with. “God Bless America and God Bless Our President!” Amen, amen and amen again! Though I disagree with our President and I have great concerns for the direction our country is headed, I do most sincerely ask God’s blessings on it and him! However, it will be a cold day in Nevada, a very cold day indeed, colder that has ever been recorded there, before Darwin1 will ever ask God’s blessing on our country or our President!

WTG facts! Your right, but I don't think Darwin1 and NVgrf get it and never will!! And the cost of Kool-Aid is going up too!! LOL

OH yea two kool aid drinkers and what intelligent leadership? Any bunch of idiots can spend money. The left wing loonies bitched when Bush was spending money on two wars. But this group is spending like a drunken sailor. And what has it done where are the jobs that were supposed to be created or saved? The numbers it turns out are as phony as Barry Obama. Now Barry wants another 500 billion (of borrowed money) to try and do what the first 750 billion was supposed to do. And I got my information on China and India from TIME magazine. Lets talk about Reagans debt just look who he followed Jimmy Carter I know we all recall the great Carter years. Carter gutted the military and Reagan spent alot of money to build it up so America would be strong again. Obama and the rest of socialist idiots don't have a clue how to fix anything they are just running the country deeper and deeper in debt. And mark my words the big tax increases are coming. Nothing these socialist have tried has worked. GM got another 38 billion and are still in trouble. Thats money the American tax payer can kiss goodbye. And we have to keep extending unemployment since most companies are not seeing much they like so far and are not hiring. And NVgrf Barry Obama is not my president I did not vote for the fraud. And I heard a lot worse when the white house was in Republican hands from people on the loony left. My hopes for 2010 are very high since come November the socialist left will loose big. The American people have see what happens when one party gets too much power and that will be taken care of come November. I think that unemployment will still be double digits. Until the people who employ people see something from the socialist left that makes them want to begin hiring. You liberals know who I talk about you know the big mean companies who you always want to tax to death. Those big mean companies who supply jobs to Americans. Look at the new taxes the liberals here in Wisconsin hit businesses with. And you wonder why companies won't stay in this state. And you cry and wring you hands when jobs go overseas. Its all about cost and expanding taxes on businesses only drives them out. Its going to a fun 2010 to see what happens when Barry and the socialists don't have the numbers to screw the American tax payer.Now both of you go take the blue pill and things will be alright after that.

darwin1.....It is a fruitless effort to attempt to reason with the right wing nut jobs who blog here. They are determined not to allow facts to interfere with their state of mental constipation. They are an extremely angry lot who are merely responding to their loss of both Congress and the White House. But as this local poll indicates, most folks are more optimistic regarding the new decade under intelligent leadership. God Bless America and God Bless Our President!

facts you are factless. What newspaper? If India and China have a problems then interest rates would go? But they aren't because that would weaken the dollar and increase exports. Either way we win because the dollar is KING!!! It's a simple economic fact. India and China are just like you: lots of complaining but little doing. Debt is a product of the economy. When Bill was elected, we had debt from Reagan and Bush I, which everyone thought would go on forever, but it didn't. Bill pulled us out from the debt and the higher taxes of George "Read my lips" Bush. Get your facts straight.

Nice kool-aid cliche, you clearly didn't think of that on your own.

BA HUMBUG on the New Year, its gonna suck just as bad as last year!!!

Darwin apparently you have drank the kool-aid way too long. Both China and India have told the United States they they cannot keep buying out the US. Right now they own so much US debt that they could ruin the country just by calling in the debt. 90% employment? Yea right is that number based on the same numbers that the number of jobs created or saved from the stimulus. Peoples benefits run out therefore you have less people claiming them and they still are not working.My grasp of economics is pretty good when I know that my great great grandchildren will be paying for this democratic spending spree. We can all just stand by now and wait for the huge tax increase that has to be coming. Since there is no way you can spend this much money without raising taxes. Then again we have a democratic gov that never raised taxes either its just them pesky fees that separate the tax payer from their money. Only a few more months and we can instill some fiscal restraint to the government at all levels

facts get your facts straight. The difference between Bill Clinton and the morally bankrupt republicans is that Bill Clinton isn't a hypocrite. Mark Sanford called for his impeachment but now refuses to resign and his own party won't impeach him. Newt Gingrich did the same. And the list goes on and on and on and on.

Also, your understanding of economics is clearly devoid of reality. We have 90% employment, so what are you talking about. We have no inflation despite such spending which means our creditors believe in our country and economy more than you do. Could you be more specific than the conservative cliches and catch phrases you heard on Fox News.

Of course health care is cheaper they have thrown the seniors under the bus cutting benefits. And then lets screw the working man by raising his taxes on the very thing that you just cut benefits to the seniors. And you will purchase insurance or the government will fine you (which I am not sure is legal).Plus they will be collecting money for something that does not take affect right away. And we all know what happens to money that sits too long in Washington just look at Social Security which both parties have used as their bank account. I think Fidel and Hugo would be very proud of our democratic party.

The cost of the Bush tax cuts exceed what health care reform is going to cost, and why didn't the Republicons scream about that? They are hypocrites pure and simple.

Darwin lets not even go to morally bankrupt Republicans. Remember Bill (I did not have sex with that woman) Clintoon. Speaking of bankrupt Obama and the rest of the limp wrist-ed liberals just about have us there now.And now he wants another 500 billion for some more stimulus. Sorry Barry I don't think I can take anymore stimulus at this time nor can my grandchildrens grandchildren. Not to mention the extra taxes for medicare that are coming. Of course you don't have to pay those taxes if you don't work. These are not democrats they are socialists at their highest form. Democrats want to spread the wealth forgetting that you have to put people to work first. OH you don't want to work then thats ok to we will just take from the working man and give you half...thats fair. How much longer can you tax the wealthy before they are too broke to pay. And then who will the Obama socialist turn to? Mr and Mrs. working stiff don't look into your rear view. They want every one to have health insurance but then they want to fine me if mine is too good. Good old socialist thinking there.These idiots are a train wreck and when the money runs out they will have nothing.

Darwin1, What kind of Kool-Aid you drinking??

NVgrf: DITTO! LOL. I love your comment!

I am very optimistic now that we have an intelligent person running the country. Nancy Pelosi is a much better speaker than Newt "I cheated on my wife" Gingrich and the rest of the morally bankrupt Republican'ts. Sadly, the rest of the ignorants are about eight years late in their whining. Maybe the complainers could man up and be responsible for their past electoral decisions instead of blaming everyone else. But I guess, stupid is as stupid does.

Soon we will have job promoting national health care that will allow small business owners and their families some peach of mind.

Everything will get better. It always does- even with the bad leadership we now have.

I want my glass half full for the new year.

Optimism? The US has lost most of our manufacturing jobs to cheap labor in Asia. The human population of the world is growing at an alarming rate. We are using more water than can be replaced to grow food. I for one don't have a very rosy outlook on the future of mankind as a whole. If the optimists want to continue to put on a happy face and think everything is going to be wonderful, just go ahead and ignore reality as you have been doing. But the reality is we are headed for disaster.

Soooo, you don't know that all Roman Emperors were called Caesar as a title, eh Granpa? And you don't know that Nero having been adopted into Julius Caesar's direct line of succession by Nero's uncle Claudius (yet another Caesar and a direct descendant of Julius) had the family name Caesar added to his own as I showed below. That means therefore in fact that Nero was a direct descendant of Julius Caesar himself and as such Nero was a Caesar both in title and in name. That "hogwash" comes from historical records, not popular movies from which you sadly seem to rely on for much of your faulty knowledge.

Now if Dorothy had run into people today with a poor knowledge of history and a determination to repeat the failures of the past expecting different results, then she wouldn't be in Oz, she'd be in the Democratic Party.

The Roman Empire and the US will actually have MUCH in common; as it was mass political corruption along with MASSIVE public debt that ultimately brought down the Roman Empire (as it has with MANY great empires throughout history). The US, will be no different the way things are going, I am afraid to say.
.
Many people, including myself, are very optimistic about things in their own life, and the coming future. However; the direction of the country in general, I can't see how anyone could possibly say we are heading in the right direction, looking at anything with objectivity.

billyboy...Where did you come up with that historical hogwash? You are dead wrong in your bombastic verbage as usual. The only thing Caesar fiddled with was Cleopatra. I know that The Wizard of Oz is now 70, but you might want to stop your fabrications in support of your political position. By the way, if Dorothy ran into a man today with no brains, no heart and no courage, she wouldn't be in Oz, she'd be in the Republican Party.

We can all hope for a better year. Outlook is not all that promising at this time, yet all people need to look for the positive as to dwell in the negative without looking for the positive just keeps the attitudes in a negative frame of mind. Happy New Year to all!!!

Limbag is in the hospital, the future is looking brighter already.

Every thing will get better it alway's dose even with the bad leader ship we have now

Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus was Caesar (aka Emperor of Rome) from Oct. 54 A.D. to June 68 A.D., Grandpa. Your political acumen is only surpassed by your historical knowledge and your impeccable ability to check your facts with the internet to insure that your postings are error free.

Billnewbie:
You are dead on with your comments.
There is really nothing to be optimistic about. If you are invested in the stock market, there is decent optimism there, only because it is being driven short sited Fed free money policy, that will drive the markets up in the short term, however; have catastrophic long term effects. Unemployment will be in double digits throughout 2010, while under employment will continue at rates not seen in decades. Public deficits and debt are mounting up at a record pace, with no exit strategy ever to be laid out.
I can't possibly see what anyone is optimistic about, short of making some easy trades in the markets to cash in on.

Nero was the fiddler, Billy. Mr. Negativity can't even get that right. How can one help but not be optimistic. But it's still a long climb out of the deep hole dug under the expert leadership of our last President.

There's more opportunity available right now than ever before. CHANGE is the key. It's getting the right info. from the right source and applying it to the new economy. Wisdom is more important than knowledge in this day and age. What we've learned up to now doesn't give us an edge as to what we need to learn for the future. What we don't know CAN and WILL hurt us. I've learned real quick that "it's what you learn after you already know everything that counts"!

Optimism without a reason is just wishful thinking and prevents people from realistically facing their options to make good choices.

Considering the following, that our President and Congress are busily transforming the Federal Government without much regard for the short term effects, looking only to create a long term effect according to their political agenda and for their advantage. That the State is in so much debt that it has little to no capacity to do anything but cut services and raise taxes, exactly the opposite of what is needed right now. That our city's council seems to think that building ice rinks and parking structures are so important that they just cannot be delayed no matter how bad our local economy has become. That our school district and it's teachers' union are intent on maintaining current employment, spending and increasing pay scales in spite of decreasing enrollment and falling community income. How can one be optimistic for 2010?

Optimism for the long term is a good attitude to have but be realistic too. Our problems are getting worse right now, not better. Our Caesars are fiddling while Janesville burns. And when you consider how little interest there is in new people wanting to run for city council, hope for change is hard to come by, at least for the foreseeable future.

Regardless of the changing times,. . .what's the point of living if you are not looking toward the future with optimism??

In order to vote out the idiots we have overseeing our "well being", we need to have someone to vote for. Look at the choices we have to pick from. For the last 30+ years we have had to choose between the lesser of the evils to vote for. It has been a matter of voting against a candidate instead of voting for a candidate. I say we should all vote for a write-in candidate. I just hope thekid3477 is up to the task when I vote for him.

I have never looked more forward to a new year. 2009 was a horrible year for me and I can't wait to move on from it. Bring on 2010!

Probably the big chill....

Looking forward to a big change!!!!!!!!

It would be nice if the Gov. would spend money here in the USA instead of giving it to all those other country's. We need peaple in DC.& the state that care about us

2009 sucked worse than any year I can ever possibly remember. Therefore, cheers to the new year!

I agree that us who have a roof over our heads, food, clothing and a family to love, will have a better 2010, at least we will try to. Looks like Rock county is still not the place to look for work though. Have to travel to Madison is what I hear if you need work.

thats obvious. but the question doesnt say ANYTHING about the economy. it asks if you are more optimistic for '10 than you were for '09. hollynfaith ended their post by saying 'what is there to be optimistic about?' i was just reminding them there are still alot of things to be optimistic about. things that actually matter...

thekid3477: I think HollyinFaith was speaking strictly in economic terms. Economically, at least locally, things look pretty bad and it's tough to disagree with him. I think there will be very modest improvements over the next few years. However, I think long term we're looking forward to about a decades worth of unimpressive economic growth here in the United States. We're not competitive globally and we're saddled with too much debt. In addition, our financial system is still a wreck. Meanwhile, countries like China and India continue to make progress. We'll likely be a #3 or 4 world power in the coming decades. Sad, but likely true. I hope for the best, but expect the worst; that way I'm prepared either way.

wow. im sooooo glad i dont have your outlook. do you have your health?? your family?? a roof over your head?? love?? all the things you say are true but if you cant be optimistic that things are gonna get better there is little hope or you just havent dealt with enough personal loss in your life. you can take EVERYTHING from me and i would be optimistic enough to believe that tomorrow will be better. how can it not be???????????????????

The bailout went to wall street, homes are still being forclosed on at record numbers, the economy is still crumbling, unemployment is up, and we are suppose to get some crummy health care bill that even congress can't agree on. What is there to be optimistic about?