Newspapers are full of unnamed GOP sources talking about how the leadership might sign on to (or at least not object to) such ideas as ending some ethanol subsidies or changing the way business inventories are taxed.

FORBES: If It Would Make The GOP Happy, Let's Call Tax Hikes 'Kumquats'

But if the government does not sign up to all this, it is difficult to see how Greece avoids a formal sovereign default in the next few weeks.

BBC: European Central Bank bows to reality over Greek bonds

It boggles the mind to think of how many bank executives over the following years had to sign off on this behavior, and how many internal controls did not exist or were bypassed.

FORBES: Are Banks Too Big To Tolerate?

As Lyndon Johnson escalated America's involvement in Vietnam in spring 1965, he was already thinking about how any sign of "weakness" would benefit Richard Nixon, who was starting to publicly criticize LBJ for not doing enough to achieve victory.

CNN: Commentary: Palin, Gingrich, Romney and 2012