[laughter] all like andrew busch, i am not apologize. i like anybody else on this panel, i am not an academic. -- i am not a path colleges. all like -- unlike andrew busch, i am not a pathologist. unlike anybody else on this panel, i am not an academic. at this point, it would not make sense to go through the terrible numbers that the democrats and the obama administration are looking at. i think the model in the white house these days is "fear not for the worst is yet to come." it seems to me that there are two separate arguments going on right now in the liberal- intellectual world about what is going on. there's one set of people who are defending obama. there is another set of people defending liberalism. they have investments in one or the other. in the case of obama, everyone is saying, "ok, he has gotten a lot of stuff done." he is more popular in the parallels of 1992. others say that obama is fine, but there's a problem in communication. both arguments are deeply flawed. in washington right now, there has been this boom lit to f

our panelists are, in the order in which they will make the presentation, andrew busch, who teaches politicalcience at claremont mckenna college. among his many books are, and this one i singled out for its relevance, horses in midstream. the u.s. midterm elections and their consequences. he's also co-author with another of our panelists, jack pitney benny, epic journey, the 20 -- and jim caesar, sorry, jim. epic journey, the 20 -- 2000 election in american politics. he will be followed by jonah goldberg of -- who is editor at large of the "national review," visiting fellow at the american enterprise institute, and the author of liberal fascism. third of in the middle is matt spalding of the heritage foundation, and author of we still hold these truths. forth is jack pitney of claremont mckenna college, who is the author of american government and politics. democracy, deliberation and citizenship. and, finally, we have transfixed, the claremont contributing editor to the claremont review of books whose most recent book out is out, is called never enough, america's limitless welfare state. so,