Raise Your Hand If...

...you give a sh*t who is, isn't, may, or may not be in NATO. Or who is or isn't onboard with a missile defense shield in Europe.

On the same day that President Bush prepared to huddle by the Black Sea with Russian President Vladimir Putin, figures were released in Washington that only further blackened the economic cloud in our own country.

How about a shield for Americans from the widespread fallout of a recession that is sure to get worse?

80,000 more U.S. jobs were lost in March -- the most in five years -- driving the national unemployment rate up to 5.1 percent. The economy has now lost 232,000 jobs in just the first three months of 2008.

And we're worried about who to extend the NATO franchise to?
We're worried about mystery missiles somehow, someday, some way falling somewhere in Europe?

Like you, and me, and your neighbor don't have enough to worry about with the insecurity of our jobs, and the stew of stress bubbling all around our mortgages, our healthcare (if we have it), our shrinking spending power and our kids' diminished futures.

Nato? Missile shields? Are you kidding me?
Like I said, raise your hand if you give a sh*t.

You can put your hand down now, Mr. President.