It's Official: The Economy is on the Skids

Yep, that's the word, direct from the smirking lips of The Chimperor himself. In a little-noted speech to business leaders on Monday in Chicago, Baby Doc said, "the nation faces 'economic challenges' due to rising oil prices, the home mortgage crisis and a weakening job market."

So what's up with that sudden shift to reality on the part of our Fearless Leader? You know, the man who has not been a member of the Reality-Based Community since some time in the 1950s.

PM Carpenter has a theory about it: Bush did it to kick McCain in the teeth.

According to Carpenter, the last thing that Bushco wants is to have Baby Doc followed by another Republican. Any Democrat will dismantle our illegal occupation of Iraq, and pretty much any Republican (except Ron Paul) will continue the march. And Baby Doc, who despite what he might claim to the contrary -- "History? Who cares? We'll all be dead." -- is very concerned about his historical legacy.

There's more, including an alternate theory: Given the many financial ties between the Mittster and Bushco -- and given the historical bad blood between Baby Doc and John McCain -- could the BFEE be trying to cripple McCain so Romney can assume the throne?

Pretty fanciful stuff, but it has more than a kernel of truth in it.