Sisters of Mercy

My friend called the other day and asked if I thought the economy would slip into recession. I think my response frightened him. We're already in recession. What we have to worry about now is something no one-- or almost no one-- thought we would ever see again: a depression.

There were two votes in the Senate last night regarding the $2 trillion bailout package. The bill itself, which was a compromise concoction with some flimsy, temporary relief for ordinary families that progressives wanted and a hideous grab bag of corporate giveaways and bailouts conservatives insisted on-- while holding working people hostage-- passed 96-0 in the wee hours.