Bloomberg's Kevin Hassett says that California's example will help kill Obamanomics. I would like to think so, since Hassett's argument is that centrist Democrats in the Senate will find the public option for health insurance reform hard to swallow. But, never underestimate the ability of people to live with illusions, even illusions that keep them on the road to disaster.

Jennifer Rubin says on the issue of nuclear arms control, Obama has had it wrong for 25 years. Obama's illusions about nuclear arms and arms control are a clear and present danger.

Ross Douthat says Sarah Palin should have declined the VP spot on the McCain ticket.

The Times of London reports that the Saudis have given the Israelis permission to overfly their territory in a strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. A plausible story, so far as I can tell, since it would be in the interests of the Saudi rulers to see the Iranians taken down a peg or two.

Robert J. Samuelson says a lack of focus on history was the reason so many economists missed the coming financial crisis. That is true enough, and it is the main reason why so many economists fail to understand the oftentimes irrational aspects of human behavior that lead to so many problems.

Sarah Palin resigns as Governor of Alaska.

Dan Balz of The Washington Post attempts to analyze her actions.

Bill Kristol thinks she might be crazy like a fox.

Mark Steyn thinks the simplest answer is probably the right one, which is that she is sickened by the way her family is being treated, and she realizes she can no longer accomplish anything of substance in Alaska.

I agree with his analysis. Who needs trying to explain to your 14-year-old daughter why she is the punchline of a joke about rape made by a comedian on national television? Would you subject your daughter to that kind of exposure and treatment? I wouldn't, and the only sure way to get away from it is to leave public office at once. Now, Sarah Palin will still be a celebrity. She can spend the next two years cashing in on that celebrity by getting paid big bucks for speeches. Amongst the paid speeches, she can do unpaid events to help GOP candidates around the country. When it becomes clear that she will not be a candidate for President in 2012, or any other office, her celebrity will fade, and so will the income opportunities, but she will have made her pile, and she can return to the quiet life in Alaska.

The jobless rate climbs to 9.5%, the highest since 1983. Even worse, the number of jobs lost has wiped out all job gains of the last nine years, which is the first time since the Great Depression that all the jobs gained in the previous business cycle were wiped out in the downturn.

'The Black Swan' says were still in the middle of a crash.

Liberal economist and columnist Paul Krugman believes that Obama has missed the lessons of the 1930s, which is that not enough stimulus was pumped by the Federal Government into the economy.

Some think the job picture is still bad because government is doing too much.

Larry Kudlow thinks the economy could be improved with tax cuts.

You may have heard the Wal-Mart has come out in support of the President's health insurance reform plan, which includes an employer mandate. Why would they do this? Perhaps they see a way to crush their competition.

Ralph Peters still does not like the strategy in Afghanistan, and he believes it will not work.

Amir Taheri says that despite the fact that President Ahmadinejad of Iran seems secure in his seat for the moment, there is evidence that he no longer has any credibility with his own people.

The apparent victory of the regime in Iran, both in the election and against the protests that followed, now means the Israelis must decide soon whether or not to strike the Iranian nuclear facilities, according to this piece by John Bolton, who believes they should strike.

It was fear of Iran that led Saddam Hussein to pretend his nuclear and chemical weapons programs were still in existence, according to Hussein's last interviews with the FBI before he was turned over to the Iraqis for hanging.

Dick Morris hopes the GOP will stand fast against Obama's energy, tax and health reform plans.

John Sununu will not run for Judd Gregg's U.S. Senate seat in 2010.

David Ignatius says President Obama should read The Brothers Karamazov before he goes to Russia in order to better understand why the people love Vladimir Putin.

Jeff Jacoby says there IS disagreement about 'Global Warming', which is among the reasons why he opposes the "Cap and Trade' bill that just passed the House.

Tom Friedman obviously believes in the 'Global Warming' theory, which is why he urges readers to support the bill and work to force the Senate to pass it.

Michael Gerson also seems to buy the theory, as he praises the eight Republicans who voted for the bill.

I think skepticism is in order, as I sit looking out my window at another foggy, cloudy, rainy cool day.

Al Franken, United States Senator from Minnesota.

Christopher Hitchens says we should join France and ban the burka.

George Will wonders when we will finally be able to get to a colorblind society in the wake of the Ricci decision. It strikes me as morally wrong to deny people jobs, promotions or other benefits simply because of their race. I do not believe it is right to use racial discrimination to, somehow, repair the damage caused by past racial discrimination. Racial discrimination leads to resentment, hostility and a loss of social cohesion in the community and, inevitably, to violence and social breakdown. Can we not agree that it was right to end the practice when it was directed against non-Whites because of these factors, as well as the immorality of the practice? Is it not, therefore, wrong to resume the practice, but this time direct it against Whites (however we define 'White')?

Caroline Glick makes the case for Obama as left-wing anti-American ideologue, not foreign policy 'realist'. Like Glick, I hope that as time goes on a majority of the American people will see Obama for what he is, a newer version of Jimmy Carter, and will, like Carter, reject him after only one term.

Here is an argument for more forceful action against North Korea, since the North Korean government has renounced the armistice treaty that ended hostilities back in 1953. Unfortunately, forceful action against the North Koreans runs the substantial risk of North Korean retaliation against their hundreds of thousands of South Korean hostages. Yes, I said hostages. The population of Seoul, South Korea is within artillery range of thousands of North Korean guns. They have had more than 50 years to conceal and harden those gun positions. If they let loose with a barrage many thousands of South Koreans will be killed before the South Korean military can respond. Thus, even if the North Koreans do not have the capability to deliver a working nuclear weapon on a target, they can still cause terrible carnage if provoked. Thus, the situation on the Korean peninsula is akin to a terrorist who is holding hostages at gunpoint. Understanding this fact, Presidents as diverse as George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and now Barack Obama have tread softly, despite all the threats and provocations of the North Koreans. I expect that practice to continue.

Here is an argument in favor of the coup in Honduras. I have almost no knowledge of the situation in Honduras, or the history of the country, therefore I cannot comment on the situation other than to say that since Hugo Chavez and the Castro brothers seem to favor the ousted President, I believe the Army may have been justified in this case.

Here is an argument in favor of raising Federal taxes to deal with the ballooning deficit. I hope the Democrats are stupid enough to raise taxes, the sooner to throw them out.

The President of Honduras is ousted in an Army-led coup.

Czar Vladimir banishes casinos to Siberia. No...really, it's true, read the story.

George Will says health care costs more today because you get more, and we will regret reforms that change the way we ration care.

Robert J. Samuelson says reforms in the financial industry probably won't prevent the next crisis.

Michael Jackson was a physical wreck when he died, unlike Billy Mays who also died suddenly at age 50.