The usual suspects

The bloom is off the rose, the shine is off the apple, the honeymoon is over. All the millions who stood in the cold to watch Barack Obama's inauguration, and the millions more who voted for him, are through. They elected him conditional on Tom Daschle becoming Secretary of Health and Human Services, and they feel disillusioned, used, empty. They will never hope again.

I know because the Experts said so. The pundits, the insiders, the receivers and dispensers of wisdom: Chris, Pat, Sean, Michelle, other Chris, George, David, Glenn, Joe, Bill, Dick, Jeff, Bob, Greta, the whole choir of political brainpower. Curious thing: One year ago, all of them assured me that Hillary Clinton had the nomination all sewed up; the only question was whether she would run against Mitt Romney or Rudolph Giuliani.

Another curious thing: Millions of Americans who had jobs in February 2008, and who did them diligently and competently, don't have them now. The Experts, however, continue to cash large paychecks despite being consistently, spectacularly, hilariously wrong. There has never been an Expert recall, or an Expert layoff, or even a cut in Expert hours. It's the safest job this side of pope.

Even more curious: Some people still pay attention to them.