No, we don’t want to tax little companies that form LLC’s and S-corps. We just want the BIG guys in the top 5% of income who form corporations not to do business, but to shelter assets on and offshore.

Neil, I couldn’t stick it out like EW, who can really get the nitty-gritty and still insert snark. My brain locks up whenever the really controversial stuff comes up, need to concentrate on it to the exclusion of on-board CPU required to type at the same time. Hope you’re feeling better soon; there’s warmer weather coming in less than 24 hours your way, if our weather is any indication.

i got most of my christmas shopping done yesterday. traffic was light, roads were clear, lines were short. nonetheless, i arrived home feeling sick (again). the lingering flu that started after Thanksgiving has given way to a head cold and sore throat. time for cold remedies.

it’s snowing again in boston.

“Wait and see what happens…we are asking people to do hard things…”

Fluffy, avoidant answer, has that bit about spreading democracy down pat.

{You forgot Poland. Oh, yeah, they bailed out. Maybe he forgot Ukraine.]

More lecturing, “it’s necessary work, it’s hard work…we will prevail.” Jeebus, that’s so ‘V for Vendetta’.

Now running out the clock, filibustering about his relationship with this Congress and Dem leadership in response to question by John Yang/NBC. Jeebus, this part makes it look like NBC actively set up this overlong moving photo-op.

Bill Plante/CBS, asking about benchmarks set by Iraqis in re: improvements. Uses this as an opportunity to dig at current Congress taking too long to pass bills he wants, says not good to make comparison of Iraqi parliament’s performance comparison to our Congress. “To say nothing’s happening is simply not the case.”

John Cochran/NBC, on presidential race — based on experience, are religious views important? Dubya avoids the religion question, reframes as principles, hesitant to support anybody who uses focus groups to lead, more filibustering… (Thank you once again, NBC) Jeepers, Cochran gets a followup on same.

Bret Baier/Fox — asks about review of Afghanistan, sounds like a softball (natch). Dubya answers by defining what a review is, blah-blah-blah…

Gawd, I want to shut this off, but I’m afraid somebody might ask more about the tapes. He already danced around with his “I have faith in the system” response to first question.

“First priority of Congress after the new year should be passing a good bill” in re: PAA. Mentions liability of corporations — got his slug in about immunity, didn’t he?

You know, it strikes me he’s actually had to do more reading of notes rather than get his speeches “phoned in”.

Ooh, first question about the tapes. I’m going to have to get the transcript, not going to do it justice. Parsing his answer too carefully, must have practice this part all night.