I spent majority of my day at Border’s in Noblesville, Indiana waiting to get my book signed. After 8 hours in the cold and rain with my wife and 10 month old baby, I was shocked to watch Sarah get on a bus and leave without signing books for at least 400 people.

…and I think: Dude, you stood in the cold rain for eight hours with a 10-month-old baby?

Family values, I guess.

On a final note, I wanted to point out Goldman is also shorting a Euro index (betting against that currency) as well as two gold mining companies (Barrick and Agnico Eagle Mines). This indicates that Goldie is bearish on both the euro and gold which hints that Wall Street’s finest are likely betting on a US Dollar rally (that would, after all, be the most obvious catalyst for a correction in gold and the euro).

To be blunt, it’s clear that Goldman (like me) believes the financial crisis is nowhere near over: four of its top ten largest shorts are financial companies. It’s also worth noting that Goldman is betting against gold and the euro. Given Goldman’s incredible access to and close relationship with the regulators and federal government, I see this as further proof that we may be seeing another stock crisis triggered by a Dollar rally in the near future.

Dollar up again today. Dollar goes up; gold and stock market goes down.

And as Sullivan notes - Hannity doesn’t correct her. Can’t. That would be elitist!

For Citibank credit card holders, there is one way to escape the bank’s rate hikes currently under way: Meet a monthly spending requirement.

Those who meet the spending minimum — in some cases $750 a month — will be able to get a rebate on their total interest charges for that month. The rebate could cover some or all of the interest rate hike. Customers also need to make payments on time to qualify for the rebate.

So - you spend $750 per month, sure, we’ll drop your rate from 20 percent to 15 percent, or whatever it is.

Of course, 15 percent of the growing credit card bill you can’t pay off will wind up being a lot more than 20 percent of a smaller bill you can pay. Citibank wins! As they were always going to.

It ain’t because she shoots guns.

It ain’t because she’s a Christian. It ain’t because of the kids.

It ain’t because of her good looks.

It’s because anybody -and I mean anybody - could mouth the exact same boilerplate talking points. Are these the conclusions she’s reached as the result of deep introspection, a study of history, and perhaps personal experience?

Or is this just the ideological shopping list, swallowed whole and regurgitated on cue? Things she just “knows” to be “true” in her “gut?”

Aside from causing a ton of personal misery, this is fertile political ground for Republicans. Too bad they’re averse to a populist economic message. If Sarah Palin ever realized that her biggest fans are likely carrying five-figure Visa bills, and the interest rate they’re being charged is going up, and fewer restrictions on the banks won’t fix that (and could make it worse) - she’d be unstoppable.

Sarah Palin is the rightful vice president of the United States!

The direction the GOP is heading does require a repudiation of Reagan’s legacy.

Reagan raised taxes occasionally in deference to some concern about deficits. The current GOP refuses to even think about thinking about raising any taxes. 

Reagan embraced immigrants and indeed granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.

Reagan was prepared to negotiate with the Soviet Union. The current GOP does not believe in meeting or negotiating with any foreign enemies.

Reagan opposed an anti-gay initiative in California. Today’s GOP regards anti-gay initiatives as a key fundraising and base-stoking tool.

Reagan never went in for extensive and open-ended nation-building and pulled out of Lebanon after a bombing that killed many Marines. The current Republican party never retreats on anything.

Reagan took personal responsibility for his violation go the law in Iran-Conrtra. Bush still has not taken responsiibility for the illegal authorization of torture.

Reagan took pride in his reading and his thinking on the philosophical and economic and social arguments that forged modern conservatism and the critique of the welfare state. Today’s leader of the GOP - Sarah Palin - holds up her ignorance as a badge of honor.

Reagan signed the UN Convention on Torture. Today’s GOP takes pride in violating it.

I don’t think you understand. All we need to know is that Reagan was a God. We don’t need to know anything about what he actually did. It only complicates things.

It’s that potent one-two punch that has had Las Vegas and Atlantic City reeling all year long: the bad economy and slashed discretionary spending.

But the desert gambling mecca, with more than 150,000 hotel rooms (easily overshadowing Atlantic City’s 17,107) and heavily dependent on convention business, is having the tougher time.

Fewer people are visiting, let alone spending. Casino floors are half-empty during the day. As Ellis played the slots at the Paris Casino this week, he was surrounded by rows of lonely machines.

Taxi drivers up and down the Strip complain that they wait a long time between pickups. The fares they do get negotiate every rate and no longer tip even minimally.

Even fewer flights are landing here - US Airways Group Inc. announced last month that it was cutting arrivals in half - so Vegas hotels are heavily discounting to lure folks back.

At the Imperial Palace, rooms are going for $25, $65 on Saturdays. At the Palms Casino Resort, a standard room costs $59, $99 for a studio suite.

High-end casinos such as Mandalay Bay are offering rooms for $109.99 this week, with a special two-night-minimum promotion that includes a 50 percent discount on a suite upgrade, a two-for-one House of Blues restaurant voucher, $25 resort credits on food, beverage, or merchandise, and 30 percent off tickets for The Lion King.

Not a good omen for other casino towns - or tourist destinations in general.