Wanna Combo?

5/8  The reason the deathers are out there is their unwillingness to see the dramatic change in the landscape. It is kind of unbelievable that people are actually asking the right questions. I have heard at least two stories about how much Bin Laden has cost us in actual dollar terms. Even the most conservative estimates put it into trillions. The number of trillions can be calculated in many different ways. The implication is clear. There is a link with our present economy.

The catharsis of Bin Laden's death has created an artificial decade's end, in which we look back and see the trends. This is exactly the type of news reporting that the 24 hour news cycle just doesn't do. Analysis is always in the moment with a scope that at the most covers a week. The death of Bin Laden was a sort of end point of an almost ten year period of deterioration for America. It can go down from here but probably not. While the election of President Obama was a perceived end point for some of us, this event happened in the middle of a hellish period. There were no victories here, or in Iraq, or in Afghanistan.  Now is exactly the appropriate time to discuss American values and torture or the cost to our economy and prestige, or the remembrance of the World Trade Center. The anniversary will prompt even more analysis. The deathers want nothing to do with this.

Bin Laden's stated and restated goal of bankrupting the U.S. (as he did the USSR) hasn't happened as of yet. But hold tight, it might be a close one yet. Even this shot in the foot might not be too big for the GOP.