Once and again ...

So I bounce around the web in my spare time, or at least a couple of sites (like the NYTimes, Slate and Salon). Salon itself does the same thing apparently, which is how I happened upon this story.

Sigh.

(you were actually supposed to go read it)

Democrats aren't doing anything to help the economy ('cause when they spend money and increase the size of the government it doesn't help the economy) and in fact they are keeping the Republicans from helping the unemployed. Or so everyone says.

Because TANF was extended in March, right? Uhhhhh, or at least today, the last day to do so. The last paragraph of the post captures my feelings exactly.

Meanwhile, in a different vein, I think Gail Collins sets exactly the right note in a post on schools. I know that the the popular thing to do is to slam public schools (especially urban ones, with teachers in unions). So it was refreshing to find out (via Collins) that two thirds of the new supposed panacea - Charter Schools - are in fact failing: themselves and thus (more importantly) their students. I like how Collins spoke up for unions (Finland beats us ... no surprise, but jeez). Don't get me wrong, I think bad teachers need to be disciplined and perhaps fired (like Republicans like to advocate). But I also think the unions of today are a different animal than the (self destructive) unions of thirty years ago, perhaps because they survived the last thirty years. As I said, I think Collins sets a good tone about education.