GOP Gay basher who was arrested for D.U.I. comes out of the closet. He has thousands and thousands of brave men and women to thank and beg forgiveness of for the simple fact that he's is free to come out at all.

The end of the Reid/Bama/Pelosi monster near? Why moderate dem must stand up to Obama now.

The new normal is now in Detroit. Motor City shrinks. On Purpose.

Another sign of the new normal: Kansas City School chief is demanding change you better believe in .

Does it matter what day it is? They all fade together in the torrents of nonsense currently known as our government. I must step back from the depressing, endless rain and imagine summer. The best version of summer I can think of right now is a mind game called "What if Hillary were President?" Let's imagine that and focus solely on health care. Here's my guess, understanding - as it seems only Clinton Democrats and McCain voters did in 2008 - that politicians are not magical messiahs who ride in on unicorns. We can make a few educated guesses as to how it would have turned out. None are a stretch:

1. Clinton also would have made health care a central item in her first year.

2. Clinton, having learned the hard way in 1993, would have both lead and collaborated throughout the debate, not punted or relied exclusively on rhetoric.

3. The final bill would have been too moderate for the Left which would have wailed to high heaven. It is, after all, a Clinton in the White House in our game. (Unlike our current situation in which the Left is annoyed but can't bring themselves to go after His Royal Highness.) To be fair, they'd also have good reason. The bill would include a mandate but not a public option.

4. A few onerous and obnoxious deals would have been made along the way - but nothing to the degree we saw in December.

5. Rahm Emmanuel would be in a position of power. He would have collaborated every day with President Clinton on the health care bill. Neither would have relinquished huge amounts of power to Reid or Pelosi. Clinton, unlike Obama, is both a hard worker and a policy wonk.

6. The blow back against the bill would have started just as early and been just as fierce. BUT Clinton's blow back against the blow back would have been intelligent, consistent, every bit as fierce, and born of harsh experience.

7. Bills would have passed in the House and the Senate just as in our current reality. The difference being that Clinton would have gotten a few GOP Senators to vote Yea. The Maine senators come to mind.

8. Scott Brown would have lost. There would have been no bogus summit. Most of the GOP would be in full attack mode - but with much less ammo. Clinton would have gone on Fox news, not banned it.

9. The House and Senate bills would have been reconciled in a mostly transparent and proper way with Clinton at the head of the table, not Pelosi.

10. The final push in Clinton's Presidency would have occurred around Halloween of last year - not March of 2010. Clinton would have done what Obama is now doing- taken the show on the road. Her husband would have been everywhere pushing, cajoling, and selling like a man on fire. As for President Clinton, her health care road show would look nothing like Obama's. Clinton is a happy warrior, not an effete fool reduced to begging. Reports on Clinton would reference Truman, not Carter. She could sell her compromise bill because not everything would have been compromised. And it would be, in many ways, the culmination of her life's work, not an ego trip. Americans would have continued to listen to President Hillary Clinton on this topic because they would not have at any point doubted her commitment and knowledge. Millions would have opposed nevertheless. But the debate would have been saner throughout. No one in Clinton's White House would have insulted an emergent - astroturfed or not - tea party movement. If someone had they'd have been kicked to the curb.

11. She would have signed a health are reform bill around last November.

Experience matters.

Is my little fantasy crazy? I think not. Clinton's road on this issue would have been brutal. But I repeat: Experience matters.

Alas, here we are, back in reality, wondering when the downpour of missed opportunities and sell outs will end.

Deep Economy: Our ideas of growth and development can’t involve the rest of the world (or even Americans) living like Americans. If the Chinese ate meat like Americans, they’d use 2/3 of the world grain harvest. If the Chinese owned cars like Americans, they’d use more than all the oil currently produced globally...But why should the world want to live like Americans when Europeans have a higher quality of life, work fewer hours, and use half as much energy. People in Kerala, India earn an average of a few dollars a day but have higher literacy and higher education rates and similar life expectancies as Americans. Americans don’t rank in the Top 10 in Quality of Life or Average Happiness while European countries dominate both lists. Read the rest.

Danny Boy: It's the time of year I can get away with posting as many versions of this perfect song as I like.