Back from a glorious Florida vacation, I am now prepared to resume blogging. If you get a chance, and have the means, try Discovery Cove in Orlando (part of the Sea World empire). It was terrific.

I haven't been paying much attention to the news this past week, but I did get a chance to watch President Obama's speech from my hotel room. Clearly, the era of Big Government is back.

President Obama, in his new budget, is presenting himself as the anti-Reagan. He is using the economic crisis as energy to propel forward his ideas which will, in my estimation as well as others, attempt to transform America so that it is closer to the European model.

Howard Fineman has a theory as to why President Obama is moving so quickly. Bill Kristol exhorts conservative Republicans to try and slow him down.

Paul Krugman is pleased with the budget proposal, which should tell us all we need to know about how "Progressive" it is, and how diametrically opposed it is to the ideas of Ronald Reagan.

Charles Krauthammer also believes the budget represents a hard change in course for America toward European-style economics and governance.

The U.S. is ready to shoot down a North Korean missile, if the President orders it so. I predict he will not.

Christopher Hitchens is attacked and beaten in Beirut.

Another major newspaper, The Rocky Mountain News in Denver, bites the dust. There will be more.

Some Jewish leaders are stunned that Secretary of State Clinton is taking a harder line against Israel than they expected.