With the good news of the past couple of days (i.e. mostly positive earnings, retail sales beating expectations, initial claims down, trade deficit less than expected), it looks as though Bernanke wrote his testimony over the weekend and wasn't alert enough to modify it for his Capital Hill testimony this morning. A couple of word changes could've made all the difference.

 And so... the markets and economy will suffer needlessly, the doom and gloom gang blathers on and all the talk of "the incipient recession" aren't dashed.

 It would seem Bernanke isn't up to the job. He doesn't realize that it's just as much about perception as it is about economic statistics.

 His numbskull is showing.

Ten reasons for John McCain to choose Mitt Romney as his VP running-mate: 
 

1. Senator McCain is the present of the conservative/Republican party; Governor Romney is the future - fusing the two makes good, forward-looking, sense.

2. Romney brings chief executive experience (both political and business) to the ticket.

3. Following his CPAC address, Romney now has incredible goodwill and standing with the Republican conservative base. Choosing him would help to wipe away conservative ill-will toward Sen. McCain.

4. Romney definitely locks up Mass., Nevada, Utah; as well as helps to clinch swing states like Colorado, Michigan and Minnesota.

4. Romney brings to the ticket a strong economic background and record of business success that will attract large campaign donations.

5. Choosing Romney will nullify the charge that will be made by Democrats, that Senator McCain is old ("as dirt"), stubborn, and grudge-holding - and therefore unfit to be president.

6. Being on the top of his substantive campaigning game (see: the "Ask Mitt anything" townhall meetings), Romney will most likely defeat any, and all, opponents in the VP debate.

7. Having never served inside Washington D.C., Romney is a bona-fide outsider - and perhaps would be the only one on either ticket.

8. Choosing Romney assuages the hurt feelings of the LDS base that McCain very well might need to provide a margin for victory.

9. Romney is a non-polarizing conservative with a record of success in governing a liberal-Democratic state.

10. With his success of his family, Romney mere presence addresses many of the concerns of "values voters."

MCCAIN-ROMNEY is the winning ticket that reunites the conservative wing and the moderate wing in the Republican Party as well as appeals to independents and Reagan Democrats.