Charlie Cook hits the nail on the head with this piece about the political trends in the country today. He concludes that the Democrats are in trouble if the trends continue, especially in the upcoming 2010 mid-term elections, as so many House Democrats represent districts that voted for Bush in 2004 or McCain in 2008, and more than 40 represent districts that voted for Bush AND McCain. They went for the Democrats in the congressional races primarily because Independents swung their way, but disillusionment with Obama and, especially, the Democrats in Congress could swing them toward GOP candidates in November, 2010. But, Cook says, most Democratic leaders live in Blue States and are clueless about the political realities of the Purple and Red States.

Ralph Peters says he never liked the missile defense shield proposal for Poland and the Czech Republic, but that by dropping the plan, President Obama gives Czar Vladimir of Russia a big foreign policy win for nothing in return.