The plane that crashed outside of Buffalo, killing 50 people, was carrying a prominent 9/11 widow, according to The New York Post.

Sen. Judd Gregg, apparently realizing, however belatedly, that he would be a conservative fish out of water in the Obama cabinet, decides to withdraw from consideration as Commerce Secretary. Bill Kristol believes it was over control of the census process. Larry Kudlow thinks it was a courageous decision. The folks on the Left are happy. So am I. Let the Obama Administration give us good, old-fashioned Liberalism. Let the GOP respond by advocating for good, old-fashioned Conservatism. Let's see how the Liberal solutions work. If they improve the economy, and maintain the security, of the nation, then the Democrats will win even larger majorities in 2010, and Obama will win re-election in 2012. If not, the GOP will make a comeback. That's the way it's supposed to work. Let's quit all this blather about "bipartisanship". Liberals and Conservatives disagree about serious things, so let's be serious about advocating for our respective positions and implementing them as policies when we get the chance, and then let the people decide who is right.

A man who is about to publish a book that predicts China will be the world's economic and political leader of the 21st Century (and he is not alone in making that prediction) writes this piece, from a British perspective, about the financial crisis and how it may lead to another Great Depression. I find it an interesting read (which is why I mention it and provide the link). I agree that we may very well be heading into a new version of the Great Depression, and I think it will be so because our political leaders will be as short-sighted and irrational as the leaders of the early 1930s, but I also happen to think that China will not rise to world leadership status, because it's own inherent instabilities will do it in.

David Brooks paints what he believes to be a worst-case scenario concerning the financial crisis, but I think it could be even worse than he believes.

The heart of the matter continues to be the financial condition of so many banks, which won't get any better as long as they continue to hold so many bad assets.

Here is a piece in The Atlantic Monthly that paints one possible scenario for how America will change as a result of the economic crisis.

Up in Canada, some believe the American Era is over, so it is time for Canada to look for new trading partners.