I’m suffering from a dashing of hope these days, and Paul Roget Loeb’s book Soul of a Citizen just might help me recover.

President Obama and Democrats in Congress have accomplished some truly amazing things. The economic recovery package, health reform, Wall Street reform – all of these things are big f*cking deals. And yet, I and many others are still feeling betrayed – the economic recovery wasn’t big enough, health care reform by all rights should have been much more progressive, and Wall Street reform doesn’t nearly go far enough. Why the feeling of betrayal? Because we were promised so much more than just “reform.” President Obama promised this country transformational change. And we have not been given transformational change.

In part four of the Anti-Saloon League series, we look at the effective use of leverage.

In the clearest indication yet that the White House believes the economy needs more stimulus to keep the recovery going, President Barack Obama sent a letter to the Congressional leadership of both parties, begging that they add into upcoming bills measures to keep poor people on their health insurance and aid struggling state and local budgets.

Here’s the Quitter on Faux News yesterday, saying mean things about the company that employed her husband for 18 years.

We live in a bright line society. It turns out that means there are no enforceable laws.

I was 18, skinny, out of money and in New Orleans for the first time after some Appalachian adventures and a visit to Nixon’s D.C. I faked a cocky walk into a French Quarter piano bar and stayed until closing time when the brunette singer in a sequined costume gown took pity on me. We [...]

Scott Shane and Eric Lichtblau tell a sort of weird story of how a House Intelligence Committee staffer, Diane Roark, tried to reach out to William Rehnquist to get him to review Dick Cheney’s illegal wiretapping program.

All four key areas identified by Mike Konczal of the Roosevelt Institute are under attack from the finance lobby. All four are crucial to get us closer to a safe and working banking system. Negotiations continue throughout the weekend.

Country Wide (or rather, its parent company Bank of America) has to pay an FTC fine for ripping off homeonwers in distress. A fine of only 2 ents per $100 dollars of its enterpise value. Cry me a river.

The world is afrenzed, it’s the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Need the schedule? Want to check the standings? Or just watch Shakira?

As for talking heads, there’s more on the BP Oil Disaster and a lot of chatter about this week’s elections. Oh, and for your viewing pleasure we have the reemergence of Paul Wolfowitz, on GPS.