The news:

Greece will default on its bonds “at some point” as the euro region fails to deal with its first major economic crisis, said Paul Donovan, deputy head of global economics at UBS Investment Bank.

“I think it’s in an impossible situation,” said Donovan, who is based in London, in an interview with Bloomberg Radio today. “Europe has failed to clear its first serious hurdle. If Europe can’t solve a small problem like this, how on earth is it going to solve the larger problem, which is the euro doesn’t work. It’s a bad idea.”

And:

Portugal’s credit grade was cut by Fitch Ratings for the first time, underscoring growing concern that Europe’s weakest economies will struggle to meet their debt commitments as finances deteriorate.

The rating was lowered one step to AA- with a “negative” outlook, Fitch said in a statement today, adding that further economic or fiscal underperformance this year or in 2011 may lead to another downgrade. The euro extended its decline, dropping against all but one of the 16 most-traded currencies. Portuguese stocks and bonds fell.

Its because you can’t borrow, print and spend your way in to economic prosperity. You also can’t afford bloated, socialistic welfare programs. The Euro-zone is starting to unravel – it can’t sustain itself and only a radical de-socialization of the continent will fix the problem…but the European populations have grown addicted to welfare and probably lack the spirit to try living as free men and women, again.

This is what the Democrats want to bring here – and with ObamaCare and the massive deficits, they want to fast-track us.

I call BS on all such stories. We know the stories of racial epithets at the Capitol on Sunday were false, and its my contention that all the more recent accusations are also false.

Yes, this includes Stupak’s voice mail – unless you can provide forensic evidence linking someone to it who has voted Republican in every election since 2004, I won’t believe its an actual conservative/Republican/TEA Party member doing it. Absent such proof, my presumption will be that its either a flat-out lunatic or, more likely, a false flag operation…such as has already happened many times since the Democrats first started to tremble in fear of the TEA Party.

Furthermore, we know from experience – and Matt from personal experience with union thugs – that the violence comes from the left. Unable to win an argument and knowing that if patriots get the truth out, they’re cooked, it is natural for the left to try either intimidation or slander to derail the opposition. They’ve tried intimidation, and it didn’t work – now they’re trying slander.

We’re on to your game, liberals, and we’re not having any of it.

Obama will sign Benedict Arnold’s executive order in private…makes sense: Stupak knifed the pro-life movement in the back behind closed doors and might as well collect his 30 pieces of silver behind that same door.

Have at it, boys and girls.

The two biggest boys on the Asian block rub uncomfortably together:

By sheer demographics, it’s the world’s most important relationship. China and India comprise 40% of humanity and boast economies that are expected to loom large over the 21st century. They also represent two of the world’s fastest-growing militaries, armed with nuclear weapons, and are expanding their spheres of influence across oceans. Jonathan Holslag, a Brussels-based scholar of Chinese foreign policy and author of the recent book China and India: Prospects for Peace, is among a growing number of observers who have dismissed the idea of “Chindia” – a term once often invoked, expressing optimism over the joint geopolitical rise of the two Asian giants. He spoke to TIME about the fault lines between the two neighbors, Washington’s place in the region and how tensions could escalate into war.

Do read the linked interview as it is a good nutshelling of basic issues between China and India.

When World War III comes about, it will involve Chinese aggression. This is not because China is heading towards American-style hyper-power but, actually, because China is a basket case masquerading as a functioning State. A hyperventilating economy with massive over capacity served by a population in desperate demographic straights is not a recipe for good times – and made worse because China is governed by a corrupt oligarchy which does not want to surrender power. When push comes to shove, the Chinese government will choose foreign adventure as an alternative to democratic reform.

This does not mean that China will attack us in a Pearl Harbor manner (though, they might) but that China will fuel the fires by striking at Taiwan, or inducing North Korea to attack Japan, or stirring up trouble in India – or any combination of these or a host of other provocations ready to hand. But once China heads down such a road, war will become inevitable because China’s government won’t be able to stop – once nationalist expansionism is uncorked, the government which tries to re-cork it will be turned out by revolution. And so, off we’ll go.

India already has a substantial military force, but in order to curb Chinese ambitions, it needs an American-quality military. At least three American-quality aircraft carrier battle groups; a strategic bomber force; nuclear submarines (attack and “boomer” – armed with nuclear-tipped missiles); an army trained and equipped up to our standards. That sort of force on China’s southern border just might do the trick to preserve peace – or make the war relatively short, if that fails.

Now, this does mean that we renounce our interests in south Asia – including at least as far west as Iran and the Persian Gulf, as well as east Africa. India takes over the imperial responsibility for that part of the world. But, that is ok – it’ll make it easier for us to deal with China, directly, in east Asia and the Pacific.

The story:

It’s really looking like a brutal year for Democrats in the Big Ten states.

Barack Obama’s approval numbers in the two places we polled this week- Wisconsin and Ohio- tell the story. He won Wisconsin by 14 points in 2008 but we find his approval there at a net -2 (46/48) for a 16 point drop since the election. It’s a similar story in Ohio. He won there by four points in 2008 but our approval numbers there for him tomorrow will show him at -13 (40/53) for a drop of 17 points. If his national approval rating was falling the way it is in these two states he’d be at about 43/53 for the whole country.

If the election was today Democrats would likely lose something they currently hold in every state where they have something to lose- Pennsylvania Governor and perhaps Senate, Michigan Governor, Ohio Governor, Indiana Senate, Iowa Governor, Wisconsin Governor and perhaps Senate, and Illinois Senate and/or Governor. Only Minnesota doesn’t join the party because Democrats have nothing to lose there.

Its still a long way from election day and the Democrats and their MSM stooges will pull out all the stops – short of outright murder, we have to expect them to use every trick, fair and foul, which can be imagined.

Clearly, though, the times have changed – and in spite of Democrat talking points, once you’ve become unpopular it is very difficult to return to popularity. The real Democrat strategy is to throw out so much muck that people get disgusted – low turnout is the Democrats only hope of holding their losses to the mid-term usual.

Our job is to focus on a couple core issues and just relentlessly hammer home on them. My choice is the debt and the Democrat Culture of Corruption, as they are two sides of the same coin – they spend money like this because they need to payoff those who back them…its a cycle of corruption which ensures that spending will ever increase because once you start bribing someone, you have to keep doing it. As debt piles on debt and more and more of the Democrats’ corruption comes to the surface, we’ll have the narrative we need to beat back all Democrat attempts to change the subject.

We are in a position to score a big victory in November and follow it up with an even bigger one in 2012 – we have to keep our spirits up, never get mad and be relentless. We do this, we’ll be able to rescue our beloved country from the liberals who would destroy it.

UPDATE: Barone crunches some numbers for Illinois House Democrats and it ain’t a pretty picture for the Obamatons.

They corruptly look after their own – always have, always will:

While many Chicago parents took formal routes to land their children in the best schools, the well-connected also sought help through a shadowy appeals system created in recent years under former schools chief Arne Duncan.

Whispers have long swirled that some children get spots in the city’s premier schools based on whom their parents know. But a list maintained over several years in Duncan’s office and obtained by the Tribune lends further evidence to those charges. Duncan is now secretary of education under President Barack Obama.

The log is a compilation of politicians and influential business people who interceded on behalf of children during Duncan’s tenure. It includes 25 aldermen, Mayor Richard Daley’s office, House Speaker Michael Madigan, his daughter Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, former White House social secretary Desiree Rogers and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun…

…The list was maintained by a top Duncan aide, David Pickens, currently chief of staff to the president of the Chicago Board of Education. Pickens said he created the log at Duncan’s behest to track the flood of calls pouring into district offices from parents, politicians and business leaders trying to navigate the system’s mysterious and maligned application process.

But Pickens acknowledged the list was kept confidential. The vast majority of parents who follow the system’s school application process never knew they could appeal to Duncan’s office for special consideration.

“We didn’t want to advertise what we were doing because we didn’t want a bunch of people calling,” Pickens said.

Translation from the liberalese: “bunch of people” = “you and me, dear regular citizen”.

This is the way they work; they want equality, but some people are more equal than others. After all, we can’t expect that the selfless, dedicated leaders of liberalism to slog through the bureaucratic nightmare, can we? Do you really think it right that an Alderman’s daughter be placed on the same footing as a plumber’s daughter? After all, who is more socially useful: they guy who can fix your sink, or the guy who can propose new government spending?

I’m telling you, fellow Americans, if we don’t stop ObamaCare and roll it back, there will one day be lists for the best health care, too. And you won’t be on it – not if your child is at risk of death will you get on that list…but a hangnail on the child of an elite liberal will get seen right away. Its in the nature of things when we have people deciding how others live.

…

Dana Loesch:

Last night the Democrat party died as it drove a spear through the torso of the Constitution and passed legislation that the majority of Americans overwhelmingly opposed. Nancy Pelosi sauntered into the capitol surrounded by fellow socialists, carrying the gavel used in 1965 to pass the now-bankrupt Medicare.

All summer long Americans filled town halls, emailed, called, and faxed their lawmakers, and they were forsaken. They were called Nazis, racists, homophobes; they were threatened, beaten, and called stupid because they disagreed with the minority who feels that the government should run our lives. Our lawmakers unofficially stopped representing us last spring.

Last night, our legislators officially broke the contract with America that is the Constitution. Last night, they ceased to represent us. Last night, a new party was born; the malignant tumor that is the progressive caucus consumed the Democrat party from within and gave birth to the mainstream Socialist Party.

Do read the whole thing – she concludes thusly, with a call to arms:

…This is the dawn of the modern-day sons and daughters of liberty. We must heed the call of action and with courageous steps and humble hearts work against tyranny. We will guard our hearts and we will realize that the only fight worth having is a fight on the right side of God…

You need to decide right now: will you fight to preserve liberty? Will you give of your time, your money, your passion so that your future generations will benefit? Will you get behind groups like ELPAC, candidates who can best win the race and most mirror our platform? Will you become an evangelist for liberty?

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”

– Samuel Adams

I am a Republican and no one knows better than myself the imperfections of my party. We have our problems and the only way we can ensure that the Republican party stays right is be vigilant. That said, it is now the duty of all patriots to vote Republican in the 2010 and 2012 elections. Failure to secure the largest possible majority of Republicans is a dereliction of duty.

This is not because the Republican party will make everything all better. Far from it. We’re conservatives: we know the limitations of Fallen Man. But unless we turn back this socialist tide, our nation’s story is told. America is the land of liberty – not the land of government hand-outs. We’ve been slack for far too long – both in holding GOP feet to the fire, but also in quibbling about who is the purest Republican and thus allowing Democrats to slip in.

No more of that. It is time to change America back to what the Founder’s intended – not, mind you, a return to the past but, actually, a restoration of that timeless, sublime vision. We don’t hanker for the past – but we know that if there is to be an America in the future, it will have to be the Founder’s America, or not at all.

I’m ready for this battle. As I said on Sunday, I’m geared up, happy and willing to do what I must. Do not hold back, fellow Americans – give all you can, do all you can…we owe it to those who came before us…those who fought and died for liberty, not for a government run health care system.

Michael Yon reports on some of the very good work our troops are doing with the people of Afghanistan. Most of us talk a good game of helping the less fortunate – these men and women actually do it, and do it at the risk of their own lives.

They are the best we have, and a cut above the rest of us. God bless them all.

Liberalism: America’s Bane.

Pelosi at 11% approval – which is, astoundingly, better than Reid’s, at 8%.

ACORN goes out of business. Liberalism’s glad morn sure lasted a short amount of time – from November 4th, 2008 until March 21st, 2010. I know, liberals are calling Sunday a win…but, then again, liberals are pretty dumb.

A new “Decade of Greed”: investors are snapping up junk bonds at the fastest pace, ever. This is the change we can believe in? No – this is a fool’s errand. Eventually everything has to be squared. I didn’t think the Fed and Treasury could keep it going as long as this – I was wrong about that. Guess there are more “greater fools” out there than I suspected. But it will come crashing down – tomorrow, next week, next month, next year; who knows?, but it will come and it will be a mess.

Sunday’s vote is proof that abortion is the central pillar of the Democrat party. Trouble is, having death as your motive doesn’t work, in the long run.

The National Black Pro-Life Union speaks out:

Many Americans put so much trust in Rep. Bart Stupak and the other Democrats who stood with him when they promised that they would stand firm–no matter what–to insure there would be NO taxpayer funded abortion.

They caved! A very weary looking Stupak announced that he had changed from No to Yes.

Don’t you get it, Mr. Stupak? President Obama is a staunch abortion supporter! He doesn’t care about the 50 million children (including 17 million black babies) that have been butchered by abortionists since 1973. He is not going to give or “issue” anything of value. He will say whatever it takes to get this horrible bill passed including issuing an Executive Order to do so.

It’s amazing…President Obama insisted over and over that there was no tax payer funding for abortion in the 2700 page monster bill yet, he issued an Executive Order re tax payer funding for abortion. President Obama lied–again.

‘Nuff said.

The news:

The bond market is saying that it’s safer to lend to Warren Buffett than Barack Obama.

Two-year notes sold by the billionaire’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in February yield 3.5 basis points less than Treasuries of similar maturity, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Procter & Gamble Co., Johnson & Johnson and Lowe’s Cos. debt also traded at lower yields in recent weeks, a situation former Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. chief fixed-income strategist Jack Malvey calls an “exceedingly rare” event in the history of the bond market.

The $2.59 trillion of Treasury Department sales since the start of 2009 have created a glut as the budget deficit swelled to a post-World War II-record 10 percent of the economy and raised concerns whether the U.S. deserves its AAA credit rating…

You can’t borrow forever. The budget must be balanced. This is not a difficult task – just spend as much as we spent in 2004, and we’re in surplus.

Obama is digging our economic grave, and the Banksters and Bureaucrats re calling it a recovery.