Why some of us feel so out of it

Scene from Miami Boat Show this year.

Miami Beach leads the Sunday NY Times Style section this weekend.

Reaching for Escape in Miami Beach - NYTimes.com

This quote from Roman Jones, owner of the Opium Group of still-thriving lux-lounges, summarizes why some of us residents of the Beach feel out of it:

“They come to blow off steam, and if spending $5,000 over a couple of nights will make them forget they lost more than $5 million, then in their minds it’s worth it,” he said. “They’re marking an era that has passed, but they want to hold on to it.”

This was in my mind, too, as I traipsed around the Miami Boat Show and spent about $35 on a couple of handy tools to tinker on my sailboat. I withstood the temptations of the $1.3 million catamaran called King's Ransom, as well as the power boat with five outboard engines, each with 350 horsepower. Does all this continuing excesss, I asked myself, explain why the Republicans are unable to muster a single vote in the U.S. House for rescuing the economy? Yes, comes the answer, they don't feel it yet.

I'm updating this with a link to Frank Rich's column in the Sunday Times. It amply lays out the many ways the Republicans are deluding themselves about the wisdom of their course. The main exception being our Republican governor, Charlie Crist. We need to keep our eyes on him and take notes whenever he veers into the "parallel universe" where the Republicans actually believe the foolish stuff they say.