What a difference a year has made for Barack Obama and Sarah Palin, mused New York Daily News columnist Michael Goodwin. Last November, Obama was fresh off his historic presidential election and Palin had been sent packing to Alaska. Now, his approval rating is below 50 percent and Palin is everywhere, including atop the best-seller lists. Goodwin wrote: “This flip-flop in fortunes stems from many factors, war and recession chief among them. Yet ultimately, Obama has mostly himself to blame. He’s aligned himself with the left wing of his party instead of the ordinary Americans who identify with Palin. His Ivy League eloquence seems tired next to her wrong-side-of-the-tracks passion. That she could quit her job as governor and still rise from the dead is a testament to fury at Obama and his policies. She is probably not a viable 2012 candidate; then again, he’s not looking so hot himself.”
Bankers may have the most to be thankful for today, wrote Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank. A year ago, the financial system was near collapse and had to be rescued with hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ dollars. Yet because of its lobbying strength on Capitol Hill, the industry may escape any major reform of financial regulations, such as the creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Milbank noted that some of the same companies that were propped up with taxpayer money “are determined to fight off regulatory efforts to prevent a repeat of the same cycle of bubble, collapse and bailout.”
“President Obama is getting ready to pardon the White House turkey, the Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner. . . . I don’t want to say Geithner is not doing a good job. But today God asked for his name to be taken off the bill.” — Jay Leno
“President Obama pardons the White House turkey. Dick Cheney didn’t miss an opportunity. This proves that Obama is soft on poultry.” — David Letterman
“According to a new poll, more Americans would like to have Thanksgiving dinner with Hillary Clinton than with Sarah Palin. Mainly because no one wants to eat elk pie. With caribou syrup on it.” — Conan O’Brien
