After the turkey, there's an opinion. Mine is that the Jets-New England game next week will decide the AFC East. Here are some others.
Michael Gerson: Liberalism has failed. Never mind that Blue Dogs (who lost) and Obama aren't liberals, and that liberalism prevented a second Great Depression. Gerson exhibits a good political habit of never letting a crisis go to waste, and he's half right. Liberalism has failed - to be enacted.
Paul Krugman has a better idea for the Irish: Jonathan Swift.
Strange to say, however, confidence is not improving. On the contrary: investors have noticed that all those austerity measures are depressing the Irish economy — and are fleeing Irish debt because of that economic weakness.
See Gerson for the explanation.
EJ Dionne in memorium for a local party war horse.
Peggy Noonan:
What a president should ideally have, and what I think we all agree Mr. Obama badly needs, is an assistant whose sole job it is to explain and interpret the American people to him. Presidents already have special assistants for domestic policy, for congressional relations and national security. Why not a special assistant for reality? Someone to translate the views of the people, and explain how they think. An advocate for the average, a representative for the normal, to the extent America does normal.
Here's the explanation and interpretation of Peggy Noonan: President [fill in blank] is not Ronald Reagan, therefore he sucks. The rest is workmanship.
National Journal on Black Friday:
Consumers seem poised to spend more this holiday season than last, but analysts say it could be years before a return to prerecession levels.
W Lee Hammond (AARP) on the catfood commission:
Deficit reduction is a thankless task, but there must be a greater purpose behind proposed changes than meeting a budget target.
Recent proposals from the President's Fiscal Commission are being pitched as a way to strengthen our nation. But don't be fooled: A close look makes clear that these proposals would seriously harm the health and economic security of American families, and the damage would grow over time.
AARP calls on the fiscal commission and Congress to consider the impact of cuts on real people before proposing any changes to Social Security, or increased costs for those dependent on Medicare, Medicaid and other vital programs. This is an essential, humane standard, and the recent proposals fail to properly meet it.