When did you ever think you'd read these sorts of things in a news article: "The US already meets 72pc of its own oil needs, up from around 50pc a decade ago ... Boston Consulting expects up to 800,000 manufacturing jobs to return to the US by mid-decade, with a multiplier effect creating 3.2m in total ... Volkswagen is investing $4bn in America, led by its Chattanooga Passat plant. Korea's Samsung has begun a $20bn US investment blitz. Meanwhile, Intel, GM, and Caterpillar and other US firms are opting to stay at home rather than invest abroad...

I thought putting grownups in charge of the House would allow businesses here to start growing again. It would seem not enough grownups were given the reins, but if things shape up as well as I think they will in 2012, that'll change in a whole big hurry.