In which the French and the NY Times, and Iowa are the butt of jokes, among others

Good day after New Year's morning. Via RCP, Dave Barry's 2010 year in review.

Some light relief: One in a series:)

P.S. Greg Mankiw in the NY Times gives The One advice on how to work with Republicans in the coming year. In part:

Since the mid-1970s, the gap between rich and poor has grown considerably. One of best analyses of this long-term trend is by the Harvard economics professors Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz in their book, “The Race Between Education and Technology.” The authors conclude that widening inequality is largely a symptom of the educational system’s failure to provide enough skilled workers to keep up with the ever increasing demand.

Educational reform, therefore, should be a high priority. To be sure, this is easier said than done. But research suggests that one key is getting rid of bad teachers. In a recent study, the economist Eric Hanushek says that “replacing the bottom 5 to 8 percent of teachers with average teachers could move the U.S. near the top of international math and science rankings.”

DON’T MAKE THE OPPOSITION YOUR ENEMY Last month, when you struck your tax deal with Republican leaders, you said you were negotiating with “hostage takers.” In the future, please choose your metaphors more carefully.

Republicans are not terrorists. They are not the enemy.

And a happy New Year. Cuz Republicans know their math.

...And let's hear it for a prosperous New Year. So our hearts will be lighter in 2011.