Tuesday night's second presidential debate was an eye-opener, if you kept your mind open and your expectations not too high. Our analysis on These Days was an eye-opener for me because although I actually enjoyed the exchanges, several of our callers found the debate boring and uninspired. My comment at the end of our analysis to the effect that it's hard to be inspired when you are experiencing a hangover, was itself inspired by these observations from debate moderator Tom Brokaw:

Sen. Obama, as we begin, very quickly, our discussion period, President Bush, you'll remember, last summer, said that "Wall Street got drunk." A lot of people now look back and think the federal government got drunk and, in fact, the American consumers got drunk. (full transcript)

That's where the hangover comes in.  And hangover cures range from "the hair of the dog" to various nauseating concoctions. Unfortunately, with the credit market and lending institutions totally frozen, the dog's hair just isn't available to Joe Six-Pack. But here are some nauseating concoctions to contemplate. As the saying goes, choose your poison:

• Completely replace Congress. That means don't vote for any incumbents who were in office when the financial meltdown began and accelerated.
• Legislate paybacks from CEO's of failed lending institutions who earned eight or nine-figure salaries.
• Pull back our troops from overseas assignments and limit Pentagon spending to within the approved new, tighter and more restrictive budget forced by the financial crisis.
• Require any borrower to prove without a shadow of a doubt that he/she/they have the income to pay back the loan.
• Mandate one credit card per person with a low limit and to be paid off within a short deadline (one to two months).
• "Waste not, want not." Time for frugality, even though President Bush advised us to "go out and shop" after 9/11, according to Senator Obama's statement in that second debate.
• Dump those gas guzzlers once and for all and turn to public transportation or, better yet, walking and bikes.
• Give up the American dream and move in with your in-laws.

And do let me know if any of the above work. I'm rooting for all of us.

Each morning this week, nervous Americans awakened to news that yet another financial institution is in rough waters or has already hit bottom and been wiped out. We waited to see if the federal government would toss a life preserver to keep an insurance conglomerate or a massive lender or a decades-old brokerage firm afloat. Imagine that! Private enterprise looking to the feds to come to the rescue and bail them out - what a concept. 

Of course, the presidential candidates weighed in on the crisis. Senator Obama insists that the Federal Reserve must protect families that count on insurance (the AIG disaster), but not salvage the shareholders or management who profited during good times. Senator McCain acknowledges that regulation needs to be streamlined and is calling for a commission to study the problem. Meanwhile, he remains opposed to the federal bailout of AIG.

As the crisis deepens, the presidential rhetoric on the economy will develop new criticisms of the opposition, new ways of laying blame, and, we hope, new approaches to solutions. At this juncture, it appears that McCain is not defending deregulation even as Obama points to the flaws of economic policies which give Wall Street free rein.

KPBS Web Developer and Producer Joe Spurr and I were sitting at our table on Radio Row at the DNC last night, working on our separate projects when a very dapper Dennis Kucinich walked past.

I was deeply engrossed in some writing, but Joe challenged me to interview the former contender for the Democratic nomination.  His campaign in the Democratic primary had failed, but apparently his spirit wasn't diminished. He looked triumphant, almost as though this convention would come to its senses and give him the nomination.  His very attractive wife was busily smoothing his hair and straightening his tie and collar.

I couldn't resist Joe's challenge so we grabbed an audio kit and a microphone, walked half the length of our table and there I was conducting this extremely impromptu interview.  He responded enthusiastically and gave us a clear and thoughtful discussion of his views on the economy and foreign policy.  I wonder if he'll run again.

Wow!  There goes Senator Biden -- maybe another unplanned interview is waiting.

Congressman Brian Bilbray was an avid surfer and lifeguard when he was elected to the Imperial Beach City Council at age 24. A few years later, then Mayor Bilbray made news and established his credentials as an environmentalist when at the controls of a skip loader, he diverted raw sewage from flowing into the U.S. from Mexico. The photograph of his exploits was widely circulated and his reputation as an ocean lover was enhanced.

Now, Congressman Bilbray represents San Diego County's northern coast, an area whose residents vigorously protect the neighboring ocean and its shoreline. The idea of offshore oil drilling is abhorrent to coastal dwellers who remember the destruction caused by a massive oil spill off Santa Barbara in 1969. But as gasoline prices rise, that opposition could moderate.

In fact, a recent national poll shows that public opinion has generally shifted to favoring an expansion of offshore oil exploration.

You've got to have a tough skin to be a politician. Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger whose popularity has dropped almost 20 points since December. The reason: money, or rather, the lack of money in California's treasury. The state is anticipating a $15 billion budget gap. The  governor's remedies involve borrowing, a tax increase, and cuts in health care, and are not sitting well with the public.

But today, the justices of the California Supreme Court may have unknowingly helped both the governor and the budget. They refused to stay their decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. This means that beginning June 17^th, counties must start issuing new gender-neutral marriage licenses. So the weddings will begin and probably continue until at least November 4^th. That's when California voters will weigh in on an initiative that would again outlaw same-sex marriage in the state. If the amendment passes, it is unclear whether those June-to-November marriages would be nullified, a question that might get kicked back to the Supreme Court.

Warning: this blog must be read before you vote in the June 3^rd primary! I know it's not easy to read about eminent domain. It's certainly not as compelling as reading about a candidate's stumble or an impressive bio or track record. But your vote on Proposition 98 and Proposition 99 could have enormous consequences for California's renters, homeowners, and other property owners. So have another cup of caffeinated coffee. Turn off the radio, TV and cell phone, and focus with me for the next few minutes.

Just to review, eminent domain allows government to take private property without the owner's consent for just compensation, usually determined by market value. This is in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Until 2005, that generally was interpreted to mean that government could take your home or farm for public use such as a road or park or rail line. But, that year a U.S. Supreme Court decision (Kelo v. City of New London) broadened eminent domain to include transferring private property to another private owner to further economic development.

Big change! Now small businesses or little houses could be condemned under eminent domain to make way for revenue-enhancing hotels or condo developments. This happened in downtown San Diego recently when a cigar lounge was scraped under eminent domain to make way for a Marriott hotel. And in National City, a popular athletic center was under pressure from a condo development.