'76 was the first election I could vote in. I started out as a Dimocrat and joined my local club. I did actual research and saw that Carter written in the past in support of J. WIlliam Fulbright in opposition to U.S. support of the Israel. My club were primarily Jews like me but the train had already left the station and they backed Carter. and so ended my brief membership with Dimocrats.

History does have a way of repeating itself. Obama is Carter on steroids. Not only is Israel going to have a rough go of it, but like Carter Obama will take an economy working its way out of a recession and create more economic turmoil than Americans have seen since Carter.

"I think you are likewise mistaken about the 11% figure under Carter--it actually never reached 8%.  It rose to nearly 10% under Reagan in 1982 but then declined steadily over the remainder of his term."

While you correctly identified where Clinton's high unemployment rate came from you mistated the 11% unemployment rate I mentioned. I said, and correctly, that the 11% was under "Carter's Stagflation," which extended into Reagan's first term.

And he was referring directly to, and only to, unemployment rates:  

OBAMA: "Well, keep in mind that 1932, 1933 the unemployment rate was 25 percent, inching up to 30 percent. You had a third of the country that was ill housed, ill clothed, unemployed. We're not going through something comparable to that. But I would say that this is as bad as we've seen since then. And if we don't take some significant steps then it could get worse."

So you are factually wrong in your statement that he was  "instead referring to overall economic exigencies.  Considering the collapse of the financial and credit markets, the housing and mortgage calamities, and a domestic auto industry teetering on bankruptsy, he may very well be proved correct."

Also in regard to you hyperpartisan hyperventilating about the economy it would be worthwhile looking at facts. The worst economy we had (and it is not even close) was Carter's Stagflation economy where not only did he get kicked out of office and left Reagan with double digit unemployment, he also left double digit inflation and double digit interest rates. Unless you have some kind of new math we are not even remotely close to those events.

As far as the mortgage mess that was a long term problem created by too much government intervention to get people mortgages for amounts they could not afford by using the the courts and equal rights. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were personal toys of Democrats on the Hill and it was Democrats and ACORN who perverted and abused their use. I do blame Bush for not pushing and forcing his legislation to reform those institutons before it was too late and using the bully pulpit. But that is a problem that will be rectified sooner than you would want people to think.

As far as the Big Three, this country has a history of well known companies coming and going. These companies have been completely mismanaged and require new and different management. The unions need to understand that this country does not owe them a living let alone the living they currently have. Bankruptcy Court will provide that. But what Dimocrats want to do is give a hand out to the auto companies - force them to get green and manage their exec pay - nothing about the unions.

Read Amity Shlaes book about the Great Depression or read her column in the New York Post today and get you facts straight.

Right.  If it were a Republican, Kroft would have jumped in with "Really?  What did you read? What did you read that influenced you?  What was your impression of him from reading?"  and other questions in an attempt to prove that he was lying.

Obama could have said   [FDR] was a simple country boy....You might say a cockeyed optimist, who got himself
mixed up in the high stakes game of world diplomacy and international
intrigue.(Cosmo Kramer)

And Steve Kroft would have nodded and swallowed it whole.

Wilson.

Or shades of Soviet grocery stores with empty shelves..