Nora's baptism picture [Bryan]

Nora was baptized on April 9th. We all had a wonderful day celebrating Nora and her decision to be baptized. She really is an amazing little person. She is kind and mellow, eager to show love and affection. She has a keen sense of fairness and does not like to leave anyone out. She will often say something like, "You're the best, Mom" and then, when she notices I'm listening too, beams and says, "And you're the best too, Dad." In other words, she goes beyond the call of duty to make sure my feelings aren't hurt and that I'm included in her compliment. Nora is also becoming a somewhat accomplished artist, particularly at portraiture. Her soccer skills are developing nicely. She is great at math and she spells better than I do. We love her so much and are amazed at how well she is turning out, considering she has novice and incompetent parents.

Helping kids ride bicycles [Bryan]

Andrew has been learning to ride a bicycle this week. After going through this process twice now, there are a few things I would recommend.

1. Use a very small bicycle, one that lets the child easily touch the ground. This makes it a much less scary process and gives the child more confidence.

2. Tell the child to wiggle the handlebars around, rather than hold them straight. Sometimes I think kids believe that they have to hold the handlebars perfectly straight, which is not how you balance yourself.

3. Start them off going down a small hill. That way, they can focus on balancing at first rather than pumping the pedals.

4. We tried riding on the grass, but this just made it difficult to balance, steer, and pedal. Just start on the sidewalk or road, that's what I say.

Anyway, I hope this helps somebody, somewhere.

Austerity, shmusterity [Bryan]

There have been many calls lately to immediately cut government spending. Wouldn't our economy do better if the government wasn't spending so much money? Actually, no. There are five countries who have implemented severe "austerity measures" in response to the economic crisis: Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Greece, and Britain. We now have yet more data showing what happens when you cut spending during times of economic fragility: the economy contracts, people are laid off, they stop buying, then more people are laid off, then everyone defaults on their loans, tax revenues plummet, interest rates soar, and the deficit ends up increasing! Long term spending on our aging population is the real problem, not big deficits now during a period of high unemployment.

Business Insider yesterday: "So now we know: Not only does austerity not help the economy, it doesn't even help governments get out of debt, as Greece's and Spain's latest horrific numbers confirm. The governments have been cutting spending, and deficits have gotten worse. So, what's the point of austerity again?"

Wall Street Journal yesterday: "Greece's budget deficit in 2010 was 10.5% of gross domestic product, significantly larger than the Greek government and European Union's forecasts, EU statistics agency Eurostat said Tuesday. Lower-than-expected government revenue was the main culprit behind the larger deficit number."

New York Times a few weeks ago: "In the United States, the debate over how to cut the long-term budget deficit is just getting under way. But in one year into its own controversial austerity program to plug a gaping fiscal hole, the future is now. And for the moment, the early returns are less than promising. Retail sales plunged 3.5 percent in March, the sharpest monthly downturn in Britain in 15 years."

Looks like Keynes was right.

Seems about right [Bryan]

Who is President Obama? Ezra Klein has the answer:

Perhaps this is just the logical endpoint of two years spent arguing over what Barack Obama is — or isn’t. Muslim. Socialist. Marxist. Anti-colonialist. Racial healer. We’ve obsessed over every answer except the right one: President Obama, if you look closely at his positions, is a moderate Republican from the early 1990s. And the Republican Party he’s facing has abandoned many of its best ideas in its effort to oppose him.

If you put aside the emergency measures required by the financial crisis, three major policy ideas have dominated American politics in recent years: a health-care plan that uses an individual mandate and tax subsidies to achieve near-universal coverage; a cap-and-trade plan that attempts to raise the prices of environmental pollutants to better account for their costs; and bringing tax rates up from their Bush-era lows as part of a bid to reduce the deficit. In each case, the position that Obama and the Democrats have staked out is the very position that moderate Republicans staked out in the early ’90s — and often, well into the 2000s.

This seems right to me, and you could point to many other examples, like immigration policy, foreign policy, and educational policy, where Obama leans right of center. This is why the spasm of hatred and vehemence that Obama has brought out on the right has always baffled me. It underscores the point that your politics has little to do with your policy preferences. It is more like a football game, more to do, that is, with whether "your side" is winning or losing.

Creepy Easter Bunny [Bryan]

Via the Daily Dish.

Pictures from London/Oxford [Bryan]

Below are some pictures of our England trip. We had a wonderful time. My highlights:

• Staying at New College, Oxford, and presenting a paper in that evocative intellectual environment (New College, ironically, was founded way back in 1379).
• Seeing all the old churches and cathedrals. Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's were awesome, obviously. The Henry VII chapel at Westminster was particularly beautiful. But even the little church at New College had a charming cloister and a painting of St. James by El Greco.
• Experiencing "Speakers Corner" at Hyde Park. I always wanted to see this famous place. When we went on a Sunday evening, there were about 150 people, broken up into groups of 2 to 10, arguing fiercely with each other about every topic under the sun.
  
• Falling in love with some new, old paintings at the National Gallery. Some new favorites include Raphael's "Portrait of Pope Juilius II," Bellini's "Doge Leonardo Loredan" and Holbein's "The Ambassadors." I also loved Jackson Pollock's "Naked Man with Knife" at the Tate Modern.
  
• Taking an evening walk around "The City," which includes the financial district and some of the most famous streets in the world -- Cheapside, The Strand, and Fleet Street.
• Contemplating the graffiti in the prison at the Tower of London.
  
• Tasting the best roast beef I've ever tasted at Simpson's on the Strand. Even the boiled cabbage wasn't bad (although Ellie suggested the rest of the world should stage and intervention and gently suggest to the English that nobody really likes boiled cabbage).
  
• Staring at Big Ben -- a monument that is more impressive in person than in pictures.
  

Tower bridge

Off to see the crown jewels, housed in this building at the Tower of London.

View from atop St. Paul's, looking down Ludgate Hill.

Millennial Bridge, from the Tate Modern, looking toward St. Paul's

Ellie dressed up for our night at Simpson's.

Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery

Westminster Abby

Some statuary "borrowed" from the Parthenon in Athens at the British Museum

London at night after our ride on The Eye of London.

Ellie is the world's best traveling companion!

Speaker's corner. The man on the right is on his "high horse," dressed in the blue robe and goat horns. Not sure what his message was.

The Gardens at Kensington Palace

The Renaissance statuary at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Buckingham Palace

The Radcliff Camera, at Oxford

The trees associated with Alice and Lewis Carroll at Christ's Church, Oxford.

The Bridge of Sighs, Oxford

The Cloister at New College, Oxford

New College, Oxford

The old city wall and gardens, New College, Oxford

Unholy silence [Bryan]

Ellie and I recently returned from a trip we took by ourselves to England. We saw many great and important things, timeless monuments to human persistence, endurance, and creativity. We saw majestic cathedrals, ancient libraries, sculpted gardens, and brilliant artistic achievements. Nothing was as sweet, though, as returning to embrace an armful of children. To see their little smiles again, their eyes full of trust and delight, their snotty noses, to feel their little arms give me the tightest squeezes they could muster, to listen to their voices rise with excited questions and bubbling curiosity -- I don't know if could ever stand to be apart from them for too long.

And so it was that I read this remarkable essay, by theologian Christopher Pramuk, about losing children when they are young, particularly losing them through miscarriage. I recall that, when Ellie discovered she was pregnant with each of our three children, we often didn't tell people for several months. After all, what if "something happened" and Ellie miscarried? Thankfully, we were spared this ordeal. But it is sad, tragic really, how there is this culture of silence around miscarriage, and heartbreaking how couples are often forced to carry this burden alone.

The essay begins:

Several years ago my younger sister gave birth to a three-pound baby boy stricken with severe genetic anomalies. With sophisticated prenatal testing, she and her husband were about as well prepared for the birth as possible. Their single hope and prayer was that the infant, Jerry, might live long enough—a few seconds, a few minutes—to say hello, as it were, and say goodbye. They wanted to hold him and look into his eyes, however briefly, so that the child might feel and know their love for him. God willing, they would have long enough to introduce him to his two sisters, ages 2 and 4. God willing—the phrase still catches in my throat.

The day came, and we gathered in the delivery room to welcome the baby. With his limbs badly deformed, his breathing labored, Jerry gazed into my sister’s beaming face as she held him against her, crying and smiling. He was beautiful, and for more than eight hours he fought to stay alive. Everyone around the hospital bed held him in turn: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and his two big sisters, beaming with delight. At last, lying on his mother’s breast, with his father’s hand resting gently on his head, Jerry gave his last labored breath and lay motionless. God, it seemed, had been willing, and a family’s humble prayer had been answered.

Four days later, we prayed at the graveside where Jerry’s body, in a tiny coffin, would be laid in the earth next to his older brother, Jack. Delivered at full-term nine years earlier, Jack was stillborn, the victim of an umbilical cord accident.

Jerry’s death awakened painful memories. My wife and I have suffered two miscarriages. For years I have struggled to reflect prayerfully on these and on my sister’s losses, experiences that have struck me to the core; largely, I have failed. What disarms me still is not just the pain of those losses but the revelation of how many others have been through this. After both our miscarriages it seemed that whenever we shared our news with a close friend or family member, a kind of hidden door opened behind their eyes and words would tumble forth, “I’m so, so sorry.” Long pause. “You know, we had a miscarriage two years ago. It was awful."

Another long pause, “No, we didn’t know.”

And the unspoken question arises, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

In Christian and Catholic circles, a strange kind of silence, an existential and theological loneliness, surrounds these more hidden deaths. Some silences are good, healthy and holy, pregnant with hope and expectation. Something new, something beautiful waits to be born here. The silence following our miscarriages, however, was nothing like this. It felt like loneliness, death, crucifixion. It seemed to mock my wife and me and our desire for life, our trust in its elemental goodness.

Withdrawal [Bryan]

I think I am suffering from Home Depot withdrawal. It seemed like I was living at Home Depot over the last few months as I finished the basement, and now I can't seem to find an excuse to go. I really miss my semi-helpful friends in their orange aprons. Anyone want to give me an excuse to go buy a tool or something?

Happy Birthday ACA! [Bryan]

The Affordable Care Act (aka, "Obamacare") passed last year today -- one of the most memorable days of my political life. Some people may wonder why I cared so much about the health care debate. Here is why:

A year ago, the parents of a little girl in Ohio were worrying that they would soon exceed the lifetime limit on their health insurance. Taylor Wilhite had been diagnosed with leukemia at age 8, and her treatment -- rounds of chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, long hospital stays -- had been stupendously expensive.

"No one tells you that you have a cap" on coverage, says Amy Wilhite, Taylor's mother. When a social worker warned the Wilhites that they should check, they learned their limit was $1 million. By then, they had spent $770,000. Taylor's father's company managed to negotiate the maximum up to $1.5 million, but Taylor's oncologist said the cost of her care could hit $3 million to $4 million. "I was just frantic," Amy says.

As the cap got closer, the Wilhites began to put off care for conditions that weren't life-threatening, but the bills kept mounting. "The cost of medicine, you just wouldn't believe," says Amy. And hospital room charges -- "you'd think she was in a resort."

The options for people near the limit weren't pretty. Cancel all but essential treatment, scramble for charity care, or contemplate bankruptcy. But then came a reprieve. The health reform legislation, which President Obama signed into law a year ago today, contained a provision that barred insurance companies from setting lifetime limits.

The provision took effect last September, and suddenly, one huge concern was gone. Taylor, now 12, isn't entirely out of the woods; her leukemia is in remission, but she needs continuing care and monitoring, and a hip that deteriorated during her procedures requires that she use a wheelchair to go long distances. But the Wilhites no longer have to worry about hitting the insurance limit -- and, from now on, other people struggling with their own or a loved one's devastating illness won't have to endure the added anxiety that the money will run out.

Two Monumental Films -- And One You Can Skip [Bryan]

Ellie and I have been trying to catch up on watching all the critically acclaimed movies that we have intended to see, but haven't gotten around to yet. Here are our short reviews. (Note that Ellie's reviews are my reconstruction of her reaction, not her own words. She can clarify later if she wants.)

Mystic River:
Ellie = Boo!
Bryan = Meh.

The Social Network:
Ellie = Very good!
Bryan = Very good!

The King's Speech:
Ellie = Very, very good
Bryan = Unbelievably, stupendously good.

The last two movies, though, do present something of a dilemma for me. Making movies about historical events always leads to the misrepresentation of facts for dramatic effect. This was true for Frost/Nixon, one of our favorite historical films, and it also seems to be true of The Social Network and The King's Speech. Sometimes, I wish those historical nit-pickers would just let me enjoy my ignorance once in awhile. Or, alternatively, I wish Hollywood would be more careful about the facts. Either option is fine with me.

Jimmered [Bryan]

So, I'm a big University of Utah fan. As such, I don't like BYU sports. BYU blue makes me want to vomit. I have to say, though, that I would pay a lot of money to watch Jimmer play ball. Amazing.

Something you won't hear everyday... [Bryan]

My federal taxes are too low.

I just finished my taxes (really late for me, actually, because of the basement). Now, we are probably not rich compared to other U.S. citizens, but we make a comfortable income. Our total federal tax bill came to about $500. For all the benefits that come from the federal government -- health insurance for grandma and grandpa, arts funding, PBS Kids, cancer research, Pell Grants, roads and infrastructure, the Center for Disease Control, Head Start, and so forth -- this seems like a ridiculously small amount. I benefit greatly from all of this, both directly and indirectly. I am willing to pay more.

It is finished [Bryan]

The work on the basement is now done. The painting and finish work are complete, and the carpet has been installed (not by me, thankfully). Really, all that is left is the final city inspection. I guess it is time to get reacquainted with my family, to return to productivity at work, and to rebuild my somewhat depleted bank account -- and, of course, to resume blogging with regularity.

The stairs leading down.

The completed half-wall.

The doorway nook.

Nora's room (small and hard to get a picture of).

Our new sofa sleeper.

Bloody Knuckles [Ellie]

This morning when I awoke there was still a little blood. Overnight, an angry, purple bruise the size of a silver dollar had bloomed over the knuckles of my right hand.

Last night, I was in a fight.

With my friend Annie and a punching mat.

Last night our Relief Society group hosted a self defense class. It was much more physical than I'd expected. We were punching, elbowing, kicking and making growling and hissing noises. Annie was my partner, and of her I'll just say that every time she wound up to deliver a blow, I wanted to run. Don't mess with her.

I don't think I worry more than the average woman about being attacked, but I do worry. Every time I walk to my car alone at night, I think about it. I feel a brief stab of fear, that could be me, every time I read about a lone woman being attacked.

I'm really proud of my bruise. I'll show you if you ask. Probably even if you don't. There was something very empowering in throwing those punches, so I threw them hard, and I liked it. It may be that I am getting old now and bruise more easily, but it also may be that I was KICKING SOME SERIOUS MAT.

Anyone know where I can find a used punching bag? I think I have some stored up aggression to get out. :-)

Thoughts on North Africa [Bryan]

It has been fascinating to watch the developments in North Africa this past month. I'm not sure how I should feel about any of it, considering my knowledge of Tunisia is basically nil, and my little knowledge of modern Egypt stops around the Carter administration. Who knows how it will all turn out (not like Iran, I hope). Still, it is hard not to be moved by the spectacle of courageous people working for real freedom. I think Will Wilkinson at the Economist sums up my feelings:

I admit that I am more than a little tempted to rain on the parade and note that Mr Mubarak's departure guarantees nothing and that it is not unreasonable to fear a turn for the worse. There's a tiny, stability-loving Burke on my shoulder, and I'm afraid he's no devil. All the same, for now I'm not listening. Well, I did listen a little, but I've heard enough. It is partly due to my Burkean worries that I feel the pessimist in me should just stuff it for now. Whether or not Egypt flowers into a model democracy, whether or not Egyptians tomorrow live more freely than Egyptians today, today they threw off a tyrant. The surge of overwhelming bliss that has overtaken Egyptians is the rare beautitude of democratic will. The hot blush of liberation, a dazzled sense of infinite possibility swelling millions of happy breasts is a precious thing of terrible, unfathomable beauty, and it won't come to these people again. Whatever the future may hold, this is the happiest many people will ever feel. This is the best day of some peoples' lives. The tiny Dionysian anarchist on my other shoulder is no angel, but I cannot deny that there is something holy in this feeling, that it is one of few human experiences that justifies life—that satisfies, however briefly, our desperate craving for more intensity, for more meaning, for more life from life. Whatever the future holds, there will be disappointment, at best. But there is always disappointment. Today, there is joy.

Others see this as a diplomatic masterpiece of the Obama administration:

At times I've been fairly critical of this president's handling of foreign policy, but credit must be given -- this Administration handled this situation about as deftly as possible. This was truly an American diplomatic tour de force.

From the beginning the White House was caught betwixt and between -- not wanting to be seen supporting the status quo, particularly when the winds of change seemed to be blowing in the direction of reform and yet at the same time not be seen as throwing a key ally under the bus.

And while obviously critics can point to individual mistakes ... on the whole this Administration did a really excellent job -- sending public signs that a crackdown would not be acceptable, working the military behind closed doors, trying to ensure a soft landing that wouldn't lead to violence, but still never backing down from the public position that an immediate transition to democracy (and not one in September) was the only acceptable course....

In a sense we helped throw Mubarak under the bus without directly delivering the push.

Giving exams [Bryan]

As I write this, my students are taking their midterm exam. It is fascinating to watch them as they are tested. You can see in their faces their trials and agonies, their epiphanies and ecstasies. You can see their thought processes, their minds churning. You can see when they remember the answer. Or when they give up. Some enter with confidence, and you can watch as their bravado disappears confronting the unexpected reality of the test. Others enter awash in apprehension, but work steadily and surely, with grim determination, to completion. As the students turn in their exams, some don't even want to look at you, out of shame, spite, or resentment, while others are beaming with accomplishment. Others, most really, just seem relieved to have it over.

It is strange knowing that you, a mere teacher, have dictated how these students have passed their last few days of study and toil. You have determined the level of their stress, you have tried their hopes, multiplied their sorrows. Such a work and a wonder.

I've joined the baking elite [Bryan]

I've always wanted to make my own bread, but have been rather intimidated by the whole endeavor. I remember my mom, covered in flour, laboring for hours on her bread, kneading the dough over and over with a rhythmic thump. Although her bread was truly wonderful, it seemed like a lot of work and time. We have a bread maker, to be sure, but I've never really been a huge fan of the bread it has produced.

This weekend, however, I took the plunge and baked some bread from scratch. It was a huge success. The crust was soft, crispy, and flaky, with great flavor and a substantial crumb. It was golden brown and possessed a wonderful, meaty texture. In short, it turned out just like what you would expect from a fine artisan bakery. I did it all without any stress or rhythmic thumping. (I have several witnesses, and they are free to comment here and verify that this is all true. If they do not agree, of course, and did not like my bread, they are NOT invited to comment.)


So, after baking just one loaf, I have joined the baking elite.

I wish I could take credit for any of it. Here is the secret recipe, though, and the accompanying article. The trick has to do with time and baking procedures. To get the crispy crust, apparently all you need to do is bake the dough sealed in a big pot. The pot lid keeps the moisture in, thus keeping the crust dough wet (as everyone knows, this moisture is the key to that crispy crust that all good bread has). Also, if you let the dough rise for a long time, apparently you don't have to knead it at all.

The Real Story [Ellie]

Eighteen months ago, my sister Anna and her husband Spencer and daughter Grace moved here to Columbus so Spencer could attend OSU. A lot of people have asked me longingly, when they find out I have a sister in town, what it's like. This expose--the real story of what it's like to have a sister living 10 minutes away--is long overdue.

Here's what it's like:

*It's having a running buddy/cheerleader/personal trainer all in one.

*It's being able to call someone because you're bored or lonely or frustrated and have them come over just to give you a hug.

*It's having someone to share dinner with when your husband works late.

*It's having family to visit with on Sunday nights, Thanksgiving, Christmas, baptisms, blessings, and birthdays for the first time in 10 years.

*It's learning, on a daily basis, what it's like to be someone else--someone like you, yet not.

*It's having someone around who loves your kids almost as much as you do and is more willing to play with them than you are.

*It's having a park date any afternoon you want one.

*It's talking every day with someone who's known you your whole life and still likes you.

*It's having someone who will come to your kids' soccer games and cheer.

*It's having someone to go shopping with.

*It's having someone who's willing to listen to every mundane detail of your life with interest and input.

*It's having someone who'll share with you the mundane details of her life.

*It's like having someone around who's always willing to help your husband move heavy objects and wire circuits (Bless you, Spencer!)

*It's having someone who will produce more babies for you to love when you are done producing them yourself.

*It's having someone who will tell you the truth about yourself.

*It's having another family to vacation with.

*It's almost like having a brown-eyed, brown-haired second daughter to love. (Grace, you're adorable!)

*It's having a built-in emergency babysitter.

*It's having someone who is interested in overanalyzing everything about your upbringing with you because they were actually there.

*It's having someone around who forgives you for being a jerk because, hey, you're in this for eternity.

*It's getting to talk on the phone with a toddler, whenever I want.

*It's having someone to confide in about the icky things in life--baby poop messes, bloating, birth control, times I have disappointed myself and others, runny noses, cramps, and vomit.

*It's someone around to share memories with--past, present, and future.

So, the real story is that I LOVE IT. I am so grateful that the Bardsleys made the decision to come to Columbus. My life, and the life of my family, is blessed every day because they are here.

Basement update [Bryan]

Ellie and I have described a certain neurosis that has developed in me while I've been working on my basement. It is "irrational, unattainable, perfectionism." My perfectionism is "irrational" because I've stressed about perfecting even aspects of the job that no one will ever see. For example, I really tried to make sure my wiring was tidy and straight, even though this will forever be hidden from human eyes. My perfectionism is "unattainable" because, with my skill set and experience, doing things perfectly was not really an option. One can never reach perfection, after all, the first time one has ever done something, like drywalling. I have often reached the end of a job wishing I could start over, knowing much better what to do at that point than I did when I started. Of course, trying to save money on tools and materials doesn't help the perfectionist cause much, either.

Anyway, I have finished drywalling! It was a long, hard slog. I hung 5/8" drywall on the ceiling because the joints are 24" apart, and 1/2" drywall on the walls. The one exception was the soundproof wall around Nora's room, which was also 5/8" for sound control. The drywall is fire and mold resistant. I managed to hang most of the drywall on the ceiling myself, with the help of a rented drywall lift from Home Depot (best $37 I ever spent). This will go down, in my own mind, as one of the most amazing things I feel I have ever done, since drywall is very heavy and awkward. I worked from 7:00 AM one morning to 2:00 AM the next morning (I had to get the lift back in 24 hours). One of the hardest days of work I have ever done. Please feel free to congratulate me profusely.

The last couple weeks have been consumed by taping, mudding, and sanding. I even "skim coated" the entire project, because I heard on Home Time that this is the way to give your mud job that extra bit of quality. Still, there are little imperfections throughout, since, as I said, this is the first time I have drywalled anything.

This was messy, tiring, tedious work. The dust from the sanding alone seems to have destroyed several things, including our furnace. Despite my efforts to seal off the basement, dust managed to enter our furnace room and clog the filter, thus leading the furnace to overheat and destroy the gas flow switch ($300 repair bill). Cleaning up all the slopped, hardened mud was a two-day task in itself. I had to scrape much of it off on my hands and knees with a wire brush. I'm glad I did the drywall, but I'm not sure I want to do this part of the job again.

(Thanks to Ellie, Anna, and Spencer for helping me sand. Thanks to the Mannings for loaning out some sanding implements.)

The half wall leading to the stairs, drywalled, and primed to paint.

The hall nook to Nora's room, drywalled, primed, and ready to paint.

On to floorboards, painting, and door installation.

Three achievements [Bryan]

There have been a three articles published in the last few months, from fairly conservative sources, grudgingly admitting that President Obama may have been right about certain things, after all.

First, an article from Forbes Magazine, pointing out that the small business tax credit already seems to be working really well to help small businesses give health insurance to their employees:

The first statistics are coming in and, to the surprise of a great many, Obamacare might just be working to bring health care to working Americans precisely as promised.

The major health insurance companies around the country are reporting a significant increase in small businesses offering health care benefits to their employees.

Why?

Because the tax cut created in the new health care reform law providing small businesses with an incentive to give health benefits to employees is working.

Second, an article from the right-leaning Economist magazine, admitting that "an apology is due to Barack Obama" when it comes to the "bailout" of the auto industry. The magazine opines:

The doomsayers were wrong. Unlike, say, France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy, who used public funds to support Renault... on condition that they did not close factories in France, Mr Obama has been tough from the start. GM had to promise to slim down dramatically—cutting jobs, shuttering factories and shedding brands—to win its lifeline. The firm was forced to declare bankruptcy. Shareholders were wiped out. Top managers were swept aside. Unions did win some special favours: when Chrysler was divided among its creditors, for example, a union health fund did far better than secured bondholders whose claims should have been senior. Congress has put pressure on GM to build new models in America rather than Asia, and to keep open dealerships in certain electoral districts. But by and large Mr Obama has not used his stakes in GM and Chrysler for political ends. On the contrary, his goal has been to restore both firms to health and then get out as quickly as possible. GM is now profitable again and Chrysler, managed by Fiat, is making progress. Taxpayers might even turn a profit when GM is sold.

Third, an article from the conservative Frum Forum, arguing that the President's successful unwinding of the bank bailouts proves he is "no socialist."

The Obama administration just announced its plans to sell off the government’s majority stake in the bailed-out insurance company AIG. The government also has been unwinding its positions in Citigroup and other banks, and is preparing to sell off its shares in GM as well.

The AIG rescue and the other TARP bailouts, initiated by the Bush administration with support from then-candidate Obama, were never popular in general and are anathema among Tea Party voters. But these bailouts seem to have worked out pretty well. The cost to taxpayers looks likely to be modest (it’s possible the Treasury will profit on AIG overall). A reasonable concern — that the government had no clear exit strategy from its crisis-driven role ­— has turned out to not be a lasting problem.

I have always thought that Obama's rhetorical skill was overrated. It is really his policy and managerial skills that have set him apart so far.