Letterman Extortion, Obama Olympics, Gronstal Budget

The fallout...

I'm wondering about three things this afternoon as the wind howls outside our living room window at home, making me think way too much about the crummy winter that will soon be upon us. But I digress...

Budget fallout--This past budget year, Iowa Democrats spent less than the previous year, before you add in the federal stimulus money. So, in the end, they spent more money this year. Today, Radio Iowa's Kay Henderson reports Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal expects some pretty deep cuts during the next budget year. Kay was part of the panel quizzing Gronstal on today's taping of "Iowa Press". Gronstal also told Kay the now-suspended state film tax credit program only has a 50-50 survival chance. Here's what I wonder...will voters think the Dems should have made deeper cuts last year to reduce the amount of cuts they will next to make this next year? Or will they decide that Democrats made enough cuts to balance the budget and preserve their core programs last year and then get set to tackle challenges in the coming year?

Olympics fallout--President Barack Obama traveled overseas to give a personal plea (after his wife gave one, too) to get the 2016 Olympics in Chicago. Here's what I wonder...will voters praise the Prez for his efforts or will critics get another weapon to use against him for failing?

Letterman fallout--Did you see the show last night? David Letterman admitted that he had sex with female staffers. And he said someone was trying to extort about $2 million from him, so the man wouldn't produce a movie about it. Here's what I wonder...did anyone else find the way Letterman explained the situation a little inappropriate? No where in there did Letterman say he was sorry for what he did. He is married now, after dating a woman for several decades. If he had sexual relationships with women on his staff, doesn't that mean he was unfaithful to his girlfriend/wife? Should he have apologized for what he did, rather than just keep making joke after joke about the situation?