It's worth revisiting this Robert Reich op-ed from two days ago in light of today's jobs numbers. Reich points out that while job growth has grown slowly though not at the rate needed for recovery, consumer confidence is at it's lowest since the Great Depression, largely because of the rise in fuel and commodity prices.

As reports come in that CIA operatives are aiding Libyan rebels and Western leaders are considering arming them, the question of who Libya's revolutionary force actually is -- is worth answering. Juan Cole at Informed Comment makes the argument that the fears that the Libyan rebels are either al-Qaeda members, Hezbollah members, or other revolutionary ne'erdowells is likely false. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't establish a sense of who and what the rebels represent.