AMERICA'S MOMENT OF TRUTH: Only tough leadership can save the economy.

HEY, I'M UNEMPLOYED TOO! Rep. Jesse Jackson Calls on Government to Hire All Unemployed Americans for $40,000 Each.

Just how stupid do you have to be to be a U.S. Congressman? Reps. Steny Hoyer and Mike Pence must be embarrassed to be in the same picture as Rep. Jackson.

WELL, JOBLESS CLAIMS should grow by one -- but they won't.

THE HUFFINGTON POST'S Amanda Terkel notes that Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan looks an awful lot like the default tax settings in the SimCity video game. So the solution is to elect more gamers to Congress?

PAYBACK TIME: President Obama travels to Michigan today, where he will subtly [?] remind residents they owe him their votes after he bailed out their state with other people’s money.

PLEASE DO: Liberals should embrace Occupy Wall Street. It'll give Tea Partiers a chance to remind America that "spitting on Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (still unproven)" is not on a par with assaulting Kenneth Gladney and "heckling gay congressman Barney Frank" is not on a par with defecating on a police car.

A BAD SIGN OF THE TIMES: On television last night I noticed both Sears and WalMart advertising layaway purchases -- something I haven't seen in a number of years.

MICHELLE MALKIN: Costs of the Occupiers.

Obviously government doesn't feel any obligation to protect the taxpayers.

JONAH GOLDBERG: The Diminishing Returns of Reasonableness. Too bad President Obama was never a Boy Scout; he might then understand their motto 'Be Prepared'.

THE ANSWER: "How come pro-life folks don't care enough to adopt and/or support by taxation those children they insist be born?" I would only add that in reference to the "support by taxation" phrase, the strings attached make care damn near impossible.

A MINOR OBSERVATION: now that I'm mostly home and in charge of household maintenance, pet food should be renamed "pre-litter".

BOB GOLDMAN on how to become a millionaire.

A LIBERTARIAN camps out with Wall Street occupiers. I can agree with the point about big business and big government being too close, but as Timothy Carney observes: "They ... don't seem to understand that getting government more involved in the economy always gets business more involved in government."

GOOD FOR JAPAN: Apology not acceptable.

LISTENING TO THE MARKET: Wal-Mart Ends “Green” Products and Sees Customers Return.

SCRUBDOWN to avert Wall Street showdown. I don't recall any Tea Party protests where the 'protestors' were forced to clean up after themselves.

HARRISBURG (PA) files for bankruptcy. If I had my way, every elected official in Harrisburg should be fired immediately, prevented from running again for any city elected office, and new elections held to replace those who were fired.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Predator in Chief. As useful as the Predator has been in the War on Terror, it's a double-edged weapon. We should all keep in mind that machines have no morals; people with a strong moral sense need to be in charge of them.

NEXT THEY'LL WANT Meals on Wheels to deliver to them. Limiting Meals on Wheels to poor seniors is obviously discriminatory.

236 YEARS: Happy Birthday, U.S. Navy!

From CNO Admiral Jonathan Greenert:

Shipmates,

On 13 October, the Navy celebrates 236 years of enduring traditions and missions that have preserved freedom of the seas and the American way of life. As we celebrate this birthday, we can reflect on more than two centuries of warfighting excellence while serving as a global force for good. The mettle and tenacity of that fledgling fighting force endures today in the men and women serving our Navy and nation.

Our 200 year heritage is still apparent today. As it was in 1775, our primary joint partner is the U.S. Marine Corps, and our focus is “Warfighting first.” It is what our Navy does best, and it will continue to be our priority. Similarly, we have to “Operate forward” providing our nation with critical offshore options and bringing vital security and stability to maritime crossroads around the world. Finally, as history has so often taught us, we must “Be ready” to address any challenges, many of which will be unexpected.

Through all this, it is our Sailors’ fighting spirit that will continue to ensure our success.

Our long and illustrious history makes clear that we can overcome any obstacle, seize any opportunity, and ultimately prevail no matter how difficult the challenges we face. As a result of unwavering contributions of every member of our Navy team – our Sailors, our civilians, our reservists, our Navy veterans, and our families at home, we are the finest maritime force the world has ever seen.

As our birthday is celebrated around the globe, I know you will carry our proud legacy wherever you go. I cannot begin to tell you how honored and privileged I am to be your Chief of Naval Operations. Happy 236th Birthday to you and to your families.

Warfighting First. Operate Forward. Be Ready.

From Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)(SS/SW) Rick D. West:

Shipmates and Navy families,

As we honor the birth of the United States Navy 236 years ago, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all Sailors, civilians and family members for their service and dedication to our great Navy team.

Our traditional maritime requirements, counter-piracy efforts and the many non-traditional missions we have adopted in support of overseas contingency operations are making a difference every day.

On any given day, we have at least 150 ships and 25 submarines underway, and let's not forget about our Sailors who are boots on ground. That's more than 40,000 Sailors who are deployed, on station around the world executing our Navy's core capabilities of the maritime strategy.

From our beginning in 1775 with just six frigates to our present-day highly diversified, modern Fleet with a total of 285 deployable ships and submarines, our Navy is the best it has ever been. Our Navy has remained steadfast and ready for 236 years, and we continue to be ready to answer every call our nation makes thanks to your outstanding dedication and selfless support.

I also want to say "thank you" and express my sincere appreciation to our Navy families for your continued love and support of your Sailor and our Navy. You are the cornerstone of a Sailor's readiness and your role is vitally important.

Please take a moment to remember the thousands of our Shipmates who are deployed around the world vigilantly standing the watch, and those who have gone before us in service to our great nation.

Happy birthday shipmates ... you look pretty darn good to be 236 years old!

HOOYAH!

And from my wife and I: Thank you all for your service to our Nation.