Today's twists from James Lileks

The big three automakers are all close to bankruptcy. The polar icecaps are shrinking. And what does Lileks find to worked up about? A few people in Omaha may be gathering to praise Obama.

A quote: "REAGAN, BACK FROM THE DEAD, EATS BIN LADEN AND CRAPS TAX CUT"

Apparently JL thinks Reagan has Arab-eating and tax cutting creds. Let's see:

• Reagan sent a few Marines to Lebanon, then pulled out immediately when things got hairy.
• Reagan sent arms to the muhadjadeen, including, hmmm, Bin Laden.
• Reagan sent nerve gas technology to Iraq, last categorized as "a wacko Arab country".

• As for "tax cuts", a few of us remember paying MUCH HIGHER taxes under Reagan.
• For instance he cut lots of tax deductions, like the investment tax credit.
• "Tax cuts" for the top 10% went from 17% to 26%. A tax hike, and a big one.
  
• And he instituted the Earned Incomne Tax Credit, not only not a tax cut for the wealthy, but free money for the very poor.
  
• After the first round of tax cuts, he more than undid them starting in 1983, with $150 billion in corporate tax increases, the largest ever in history.
• Paul Krugman, Nobelite wrote: " In fact, no peacetime president has raised taxes so much on so many people."

So much for the Reagan legacy.

And next, JL is a bit behind the curve. Many other Repubs have already done a 180 degree turn-- Bachmann praising Obama, et al. Now JL comes in a bit late, backpedalling:

"... this reminds the right that no one was ever this happy about Bush, even when the love was at its zenith. No one put him with George, Abe and Frank before he took office. Really, he was just The Next Guy, a caretaker in a post-history world. "

So let's get this right. Somehow it was patriotic to Country to not say anything for eight friggin' years while this dimbulb screwed up everything he touched? Many folks would consider it unpatriotic and cowardly to run cover for this guy at the expense of our country. So NOW that it's safe you speak your mind. How can anyone every trust a single word you say in the future when you've revealed you've been dissembling for eight years?

Next, this gem:

There are rumors of new Executive Decrees,

Nope, not quite. Not an expansion of executive power. Just the revocation of many of Bush's executive decrees which increased the govt's dominion over us. Like blocking stem cell research. Like tapping American's conversations. Like following Teddy Roosevelt's plan to protect Utah parklands. You know, a republican plan of yore.

Will executive unilateralism remain a bad thing, a threat to our rights, or suddenly gain favor with old critics?

Again JL, this is an undoing of past executive unilateralisms, not more. Better think up a new bogeyman, this one's knackered.