I was apparently one of the few viewing Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's speech at the August 26 session of the Democratic National Convention in Denver.  While at the ensuing Republican conclave in St.Paul we would hear Rudy Guiliani exhort wealthy delegates averaging $500,000 per person and deliver a ringing mantra of "Drill, baby, drill!"

Those same delegates that, on the evening of John McCain's presidential acceptance, would examine every aspect of offshore drilling, conveying to the uninitiated that Big Oil was every bit as lonely as the tallest and loneliest girl on senior prom night.

Why hadn't the "left wing media" of which the Republicans frantically proclaimed have nothing to say of the grim reality described by Rendell that afflicted middle class Americans?

Three succinct paragraphs from Rendell's speech defined what is happening in America today as one group of citizens seek to come to grips with reality while the others, notably Republicans adept at circumventing the truth, present a picture grounded in tunnel vision fantasy that avoids reality.