Seneca said that. “Fire tests gold; misfortune, the strength of man.” In other words, you learn the most about a leader by seeing what he does when things are going wrong. So how is our phone-it-in talk-show rock-star President doing?

Russia says further anti-Iran sanctions futile. So the international scene remains an embarrassment leading to horror.

Sicker by the day: Health care reform gets a little weaker with each ugly deal. The whole healthcare fiasco looks like it will not only bankrupt America, but actually make treatment even worse.

Aid pours into Haiti, but delivery is difficult. Meanwhile, Haitians plead that America is not doing enough to help with urgent rescue efforts.

Is Obama in trouble? A lot of highly pro-Democratic pundits are asking scary questions; his approval ratings continue a slide downward to new historical lows for a President. He is less popular than Bush, Carter, Nixon, and Johnson—and Nixon resigned in disgrace while Johnson publicly announced he could not be re-elected.

Worse, U.S. unemployment rate for blacks projected to hit 25-year high, which is translating to votes lost.

Obama Treats First Lady to Surprise Birthday Party. Ah. Well, now we know what his priorities are. A sad irony that the First Lady is doing her job much better than her husband.

Happy birthday, Mrs. Obama.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.