THE MESS – AT 7:31 P.M. ET:  The Dow dropped almost 512 points today, meaning a certain number of my neighbors here in White Plains won't be hanging out at Neiman-Marcus this weekend.  Maybe Macy's.

And yet, there are some who just know how to party, no matter what.  From Andrew Malcolm at the L.A. Times's Top of the Ticket blog:

Uh, what in the world is going on here?

That humongous hard-fought debt ceiling deal that was supposed to settle things down in D.C. financially and politically seems to be doing precisely the opposite there and now around the world. And all within 48 hours.

Europe isn't buying the deal.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged almost 513 points today, erasing all of its gains this year, as fears grew of yet another recession before most people believed the first one was over. This White House returned to SOP immediately anyway. And George W. Bush is nowhere in sight to blame for this one.

And...

Obama was so pleased with the bipartisan deal to control his spending and cut the nation's $14.3 trillion national debt that he signed it in private. Within hours he was talking about spending much more on bridges, roads, clean energy and unemployment extensions.

Despite his sagging poll numbers, Obama then resumed fundraising for his reelection. He flew to Chicago for a $35,800 per plate dinner that raised millions. He gave a 22-minute oration that still blamed what's-his-face the Texas guy from nearly three years ago, did not contain the word retrenchment and was widely applauded by Windy City fans...

...The stock market plunge, however, was not expected to affect the White House's next pair of parties, a staff gathering this afternoon and another this evening with more friends and family to celebrate the aging Obama's well-documented birth a half-century ago today.

COMMENT:  As one late-night comedian put it, Obama's approval ratings are so low, Kenya is insisting he was born in the United States. 

Watch out for tomorrow.  The term "black Friday" may be hauled out.  We hope not, but be aware.

August 4, 2011