Economy vs. Security - Dems vs. GOP

With Iowa happening in just a few short days, the question becomes - are we as a nation now security voters? And if so, what kind?

It's said that fear is one of the strongest and most primal emotions, that it can override the logical cortex.

NYT: The political brain

So it could be said that Democrats are playing on fear as well, the fear of voters that the economy is going straight down the tubes, and with it our savings, pensions, homes, and jobs. What else is left?

Economic insecurity - polls indicate voter anxiety (NYT).

Also, you know it's bad when the banks are tearing each other up over trying to land some capital in Asia, and Citibank says they may have to lay off 32,000 people, and Bank of America STOPS SUPPLYING BATHROOM SOAP as a cost-cutting measure!!!! (Also, they should realize that from a public sanitation standpoint, more folks will probably spread germs and diseases and you'll lose more productive employee hours cos more workers will get sick, but that would only be logical thinking right?) Watch this hilarious CNBC anchor trash BofA and tear them apart for picking on the little guys. Gotta love the class warfare from the propagators of consumerism. (Great find via www.americablog.com)

Also, for those of you who are caught in flight hell, or will be, here's pilot Patrick Smith's perspective on the "security follies." A bunch of complex mumbo jumbo and legalistic dancing around what is really important. I used to read his stuff all the time on salon.com - man has it perfectly and concisely and lays it all out. I would love to see more input from frontline workers on how to develop security policy at airports.

(Ugh, this was supposed to be a much longer piece but Iowa is on our doorsteps. I say this as though it was some orphan child in a basket. But no, really, I have a lot more enthusiasm for it...)