By BONNIE ERBE, Scripps Howard News Service

It will be years before we know whether government bailouts of financial and other institutions were a good idea or not. While we're in the midst of bailing out the planet (or so it seems) one question comes to mind. If Citicorp, why not GM?

When in doubt, blame the media. That used to be an over-used conservative tactic. Now it's being adopted, apparently, by the Kool-Aid imbibing Obama fans who are so blind to the Obamas' flaws that they scramble mightily to find someone other than the Obamas to blame for these flaws.

I recommend to you an article on Politico.com that reports on the latest contretemps between the Obamas and the Clintons---a tricky-track of a relationship if ever there was one.

President-elect Barack Obama's win is so cataclysmically historic one knows not where to begin. First, his victory signifies the death of the Old South and President Nixon's infamous "Southern Strategy," which the GOP has used successfully for almost four decades to win presidential elections.

It's been debated for more than a century. But when this historical presidential campaign comes to a close next week, will we know the answer to the following question with any degree of certainty: which more fervently permeates the fabric of American society, racism or sexism?

Sometimes news stories make me spiral off into outer space. The premise of the story noted below is that the presidential candidates should "talk to" or go out of their way to woo the support of illegal immigrants or, excuse me, undocumented workers.

Leave it to California to once again lead the way on one of the most important social issues of our time. This time it's animal cruelty in factory farming. Next month, Californians will have the opportunity to ameliorate conditions for the millions of factory-farmed animals in that state.

I've been doing internal 180's this whole election season, bouncing from poll to contradictory poll and changing my assessment of which candidate was going to win the White House.

To all you "Main Streeters" who protested the federal bailout plan for its lack of accountability and socialization of losses, I have a message for you. I feel your pain, I share your pain, but things are only going to get worse if Americans don't come together and tell their members of Congress to vote for it.