Are we in economic free fall?

This came across the wire on AP at about 6:40 PM EST.

In summary....Oil closed up today $10.75 a barrel; the largest single day increase in the history of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Unemployment is up to 5.5%, up from 5.0% last month. This is the 5th straight month of job loss increases.

On the foreign policy front, Israel has declared that they will attack Iran if Iran does not cease nuclear exploration.

Can McCain convince America that he can pull us out of this lethargy? The thing is that I wonder sometimes whether, indeed, he can! I am sure Obama cannot. Can McCain win if even his supporters are voting for him mainly because he isn't Barack?

The good news is that the atrocious Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act went down in flames yesterday, with 27 Democrats voting for, 28 Republicans voting against and 45 not voting. John Warner voted against his own bill; good for him, but I don't know why you sponsor a piece of legislation and then don't support it? Why get behind it to begin with? I get why Kennedy and Byrd weren't there and Hillary & Barack were busy in their meeting last night and McCain was campaigning, but come on!!! What about the other 41 who didn't vote??? What do we pay these people $169,000 per year to do, if not to at least show up and go on record for or against bills that come to a vote? I love Sam Brownback and Jon Cornyn, but guys, we need an accounting here for where you and the other 39 were on this.

I guess I'm kind of off on a tear...but it is getting to a point in the economy where we need some leadership that is resolute and fearless. Maybe all 41 of these people had legitimate reasons not to be present to vote, though I doubt it. But it is reaching a point in America where average citizens are struggling to keep up with spiraling costs and keep the wolf from the door, and these Senators can't show up to vote against a monstrosity like this?