Good times are here again?

You must read Sen. Harry Reid's "I Am Awesome" piece from the weekend. It is a fascinating piece of reading.

I don't begrudge Harry the opportunity to present an optimistic case for recovery. G-d knows after the first six months of the Obama experiment we could use a little that oft-talked-about hope.

The problem is that after six months of Obama/Pelosi/Reid, the economy in Nevada is worse, not better. This is undeniable.

Harry can say as many times as he'd like that "there is no question that (his) hard work (in the Senate) is beginning to pay off", but the proof is in the pudding. Right now our state is leading the league in bad economic news and nothing Washington has done in the last six months appears to have improved that status.

Get a look at the second quarter earnings results for publicly traded gaming companies. Check out the airport traffic stats. The unemployment rate. Ask anyone (and there are  plenty) with a mortgage higher than the value of their home. It's tough as nails out here.

Recovery. Recovery. Recovery. Politicians can say it as often as they like — and you can bet this election cycle they will. But saying it does not make it so.