Politics: Debt Ceiling Part Two

… or, how the debt ceiling crises can be solved today

As I write this, we are in a very precarious position. The credit rating of the US is on the brink of devaluation. Not because of some financial catastrophe, but because Congress has apparently lost the desire to craft a pragmatic compromise.

For whom does the Speaker speak?

Last week, both sides were talking, and working out details. Twice now, President Obama and John Boehner (two very intelligent and reasonable men) have crafted a deal that give the Republicans virtually all the deficit reduction that they asked for in January, in exchange for some measures to increase revenue in addition to their spending cuts.

And each time Boehner has taken the specifics to his caucus, the deal has been shouted down by Tea Party congressionals who insist on spending cuts and no revue increasing measures – even if they are not income taxes.

The bottom line is that Obama can deliver the Democrats on a compromise bill, but Boehner can’t deliver Republicans. You can only make a deal if you are willing to give up something to get what you want most. The Tea Party representatives don’t want to give up anything. They have essentially removed themselves from any compromise deal.  And without them, Boehner doesn’t have a majority of Congressional votes behind him. He can only pass legislation by leaning more to the left and picking up some Democrats. But if he does that, he will be rejected as Speaker of the House by his own party.  Boehner’s hands are tied.

So it’s the 11th hour – where are we now? Nowhere. Both parties are going through the motions of passing their own version of debt ceiling + deficit reduction bills; neither of which will pass because they contain the exact same proposals that have already been rejected.  Where do we go from here.

The constitutional (i.e. “nuclear”) option

The debt ceiling has always gone through Congress because the constitution gives congress the “power of the purse”; they set budgets.

However, the Fourteenth Amendment says that “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payments of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”

In other words, Congress cannot refuse to pay it’s debts, which is essentially what those opposed to raising the debt ceiling are proposing. The purpose of the clause was to insure that paying off debt could not be held hostage to political change. (Specifically, in the case of the Fourteenth Amendment the fear was that if the southern states ever controlled Congress after the Civil War, they might refuse to pay the Union debts.)

In our current state (which does seem to change daily), the Senate is ready to pass a compromise bill and the President is ready to sign one. But the House Republicans are divided and the Tea Party faction is obstinate. Only a bi-partisan bill can get out of the House, but to support such a bill would be political suicide for Boehner.

Obama has given Congress every chance to come up with a compromise solution to this issue.  Since they cannot, and the Constitution requires Congress to pay all debts, it’s time for the President to step up and unilaterally raise the debt ceiling, invoking the Constitution.  Congress would inevitably press the matter to the Supreme Court, but this is not a question that lends itself to a quick answer.  It would take months, if not a year or more to debate and render an opinion. By that time, the point would be moot.

A Tea Party Victory

If this comes to pass, the Tea Party Republicans will walk away from this battle with nothing to show for their efforts, having turned down a four trillion dollar deficit cut proposed by Obama. Except they will be able to say that they didn’t vote to raise the debt ceiling and they didn’t vote to raise taxes.  The really sad thing is – they will probably be more than happy with those prizes.

Politics: Debt Ceiling Part 1

It’s time for the squabbling kids to get out of the way and for the grown-ups to step in.

US Treasury Bonds have been renown as the safest investment in the world. Because of this, the US has never had a problem acquiring money to finance itself at a ridiculously low interest rate.

I know – financial meltdown… blah blah blah…  We’ve heard it all for months. But the consequences of default are huge.  (Who would have thought that the US would default before Greece?) The interest we pay on our debt would skyrocket. Investors would stop buying US Bonds and look for a more stable currency (Swiss franc?) States would find their bonds downgraded as well, and find road, bridge, and other infrastructure projects now financially out of reach.

And that isn’t eve getting into the effects of recession, which would be the inevitable result of US finances grinding to a halt.

What is a debt ceiling anyway?

Almost every comment I have heard over the past months from members of the general public get the whole debt ceiling concept wrong. In other words, most of the public watching this slo-mo car crash think the whole issue is about how much we allow the government to spend.  Which is not the subject at hand.

I understand why people think this way.  First, a debt ceiling (unlike a budget) doesn’t have a counterpart in people’s personal finances. You see, it works like this: Congress votes on how much money the government will spend (the budget), and then later votes on whether they will pay the bills racked up by previous budgets (the debt ceiling).

The debt ceiling has nothing to do with controlling government spending – that’s what budgets are for. Through this quirk of precedent (i.e. it’s always been done this way), Congress sets a limit on how much debt the US can hold.  Raising the debt ceiling does not mean that the US deficit will go higher – that, too, is determined by the budget (or by ignoring it). We’ve already spent the money; the only question is will we pay our bills.

But the government is spending too much money…

Which brings us to the second reason people are confused: the Republicans have tied an agreement to raise the debt ceiling to commitment to cut government spending (i.e., the next budget). Why do they do this – bind together budget and debt ceiling when they are two different things? Because they can. It’s a combination that is pure politics. They know that the debt ceiling is a must pass bill, so they attach their priority of shrinking government to something that the President has to sign.

Not that there’s anything wrong with politics – it’s the way things get done in a democracy. We will never all agree on everything, so a little horse trading keeps us all moving along. The President avoids financial crises on his watch, and the Republicans get some spending cuts.

Unfortunately the public is confused, and the Republicans have taken every opportunity to keep them that way. Their message: Raising the debt ceiling = more government spending. 

For example, on the campaign trail yesterday  Michele Bachmann said: “I think it’s been very clear the people in Iowa do not want us to continue government spending and increase the debt ceiling.”

Spending and debt ceiling are two different things, and she knows it. The money has already been spent.  If you want less government spending, then you want a smaller budget, not a smaller debt ceiling. A lower debt ceiling has no effect on government spending because no politician looks far enough ahead to care whether the budget they debate today will require a higher debt ceiling to pay for it two years later.

So where do we go from here?  See my next post.

Post-Oscar Recap

The Oscars at this point are like a grand old ocean liner.  You change the crew, slap on a fresh coat of paint – and it’s t still the same venerable old ship taking the same voyage on the same route. The predicted winners took home statues,  Anne Hathaway and James Franco were professional. And the show only ran over by ten minutes and included a satisfying ending with those grade school kids singing Over the Rainbow with all the evening’s winners on the stage.

The only thing the show lacked was any entertainment value. Last year when Adam Shankmen produced the event, he had Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin cracking wise and several spectacular dance numbers.

Last night we had a misfired musical number by Hathaway, and Franco in a dress. So I would call the show efficient, but dull.

Overall the awards were doled out as expected. Inception dominated the technical awards, King’s Speech and Social Network each took their respective writing categories, the same four actors that have been taking home prizes all season added Oscars to their winnings, and the big prize went to King’s Speech. Two minor surprises were King's Speech director Tom Hooper beating out David Fincher of Social Network, and the strong showing of Alice in Wonderland in the design categories.

So, here are some quick notes:

• The opening montage of scene’s from this year’s films was spectacularly edited, and made a great visual “overture” to the event.
• Bravo for the following sequence that dropped Franco and Hathaway into scenes from several of he nominated films via an Inception-themed dream.
• Best Acceptance Speech: 73-year-old screenwriter David Seidler, who won for The King's Speech: "My father always said to me," he told the audience, "I would be a late-bloomer."
• Best Dressed: Anne Hathaway – three times: That old-fashioned full crimson red dress she wore midway in the show, the royal blue sheath that followed, and the form-fitting black lace and crystal number she wore for the goodbyes.
• Worst Dressed: Cate Blanchette in that vanilla dress with the square craft project on top.
• Best Presenter (Individual): It’s a tie between two scenery-chewing scene stealers: Kirk Douglas and Billy Crystal.
• Best Presenter (Duo or Group):  Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law who struck just the right balance of tongue-in-cheek pretentiousness and self-deprecation.

As for me, I got 17 out of 24 right, which isn’t bad. We’ll see what they come up with next year.

Oscar Predictions 2011

Last year when the academy went back to nominating ten films for best picture (instead of only five), I felt that the category was padded with some OK, but not very interesting movies. This year – what a change! All ten films should rightfully be considered serious nominees. This is pretty amazing, considering that the major studios have concentrated almost solely on pumping out sequels, romantic comedies, and comic book movies.

It’s the Sundance crowd – the independent films – that have taken up the slack. Maybe Hollywood will get the message and start making serious dramas again? Don’t count on it. But props to Sony for going out on a limb and making The Social Network.

Here are my predictions in the big categories. (I hope to include an addendum shortly that lists every category.)

Best Picture

The King's Speech

The Social Network may be the best movie of the year (at least most of the critics thought so), but The King’s Speech is aimed right at the academy’s heart and I don’t think they will be able to resist.

Director

David Fincher (The Social Network)

Usually Picture and Director go hand in hand, but I think they will split this year and give Social Network’s director the prize.

Actress

Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

I would love to see Annette Bening go home with the award for The Kids Are All Right, but Natalie seems to have cast this spell that is pulling in every award she comes across.

Actor

Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

If there is a sure thing tonight, this is it. Colin has an impressive body of work and many people thought he would win last year for A Single Man. So, this seems to be his year.

Supporting Actress

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

OK, every year needs its upset, and think this is where it will happen tonight. Melissa Leo is favored to win here, and she has been picking up most of the awards this season for her feisty mother in The Fighter. But she is competing against her co-star Amy Adams which could split votes. And she waged a rather shameless self-promotion campaign that may backfire. Hailee has two things going in her favor. First, she was actually the lead in True Grit, and second she is young – both are things the Academy typically rewards.

Supporting Actor

Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Like Colin Firth, Christian Bale seems to have a lock on his category.

Original Screenplay

David Seidler (The King's Speech)

The Kids Are All Right was my favorite original screenplay, but David Seidler’s script for The King’s Speech also deserves the award and will take.

Adapted Screenplay

Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network)

I am a huge Aaron Sorkin fan (Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) and I am sure he will get the Oscar for his script for The Social Network. It was really an achievement to make computer programming and endless legal depositions into a dramatic movie. But, for me, the most amazing screenplay of the year was Toy Story 3. Even though it was the third installment of a cartoon, writer Michael Arndt gave us an emotional comedy/action/adventure thriller.

Animated Feature

Toy Story 3

No contest.

Art Direction

Eve Stewart and Judy Farr (The King’s Speech)

Alice in Wonderland has a chance here – but The King’s Speech sets were wonderfully detailed.

Here’s just a quick look at the rest:

Cinematography

True Grit

Costume Design

Alice in Wonderland

Documentary (Feature)

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Film Editing

The Social Network

Foreign-Language Film

Biutiful

Music (Original Score)

The Social Network

Music (Original Song)

We Belong Together

AI9: And the winner is…

Lee Dewyze! Congrats to Lee and especially to all the fans that voted for him. But, what a shock!  Gotta say I absolutely don’t get it.  Especially hearing him sing his “Winner’s Song” (Beautiful Day).

While the confetti rained down he hit not one single note in key.  Lee isn't my choice, but I subscribe to the wisdom of Randy Jackson: "America always gets it right".

America always gets the Idol that they want. 19E will get behind both these musicians once they are launched they will stand or fall on their own.

Congratulations to all of Lee's fans. Celebrate! You worked hard for Lee and you made it happen for him. And ultimately, that's what Idol is about. The contestants just sing, but it's the fans that battle it out. And you guys did it!

For Crystal's fans - (and I'm speaking to myself here as well) don't look for scapegoats. We had the same four hours to vote as Lee's fans. Did we do enough? It was our responsibility to get her to the top, and we (not Crystal) didn't make it.

Look for a post mortem later in the week.

AI9: Prediction – Crystal Bowersox

 

So, do we get another cute guy with a guitar as our Idol?  No.  I think Crystal Bowersox has this locked up.

As I wrote the other day, each contestant came into the night with positives and negatives. Crystal has a full season of strong performances, but some people find her unlikeable.  Lee has been surging during the last three weeks so he has momentum on his side; but some people hear an awful lot of out-of-tune singing.

My conclusion was that both fan bases were strong, so a lot was riding on who performed better last night.  Crystal, in particular, was in the best shape to take advantage of a great performance night – but that only mattered if she could deliver the goods.

I think she did.  Her first two songs were very good – better than what Lee put out there.  But it was her last song that I think really sold her as an artist.  I think she convinced enough people to go to the phones for her.

If Lee wins, on the other hand, it will mean that his fan base was so strong that he could overcome Crystal’s performance surge and his own lackluster singing and personality.  That would really be sad.

We’ll see what happens.  Who do you think will take the title?

AI9: Finale Performance

For the past two years, we've had nail-biting finales. Who would win? Cook had the better season, but Archuleta owned the night. Adam was the break-out star, but Kris hit back with one smart arrangement after another.

Tonight looks very different. For one, tonight there will be no magic rainbows; no moments like this; and definitely no boundaries.  The Original Winner's Song (TM) has been retired. Instead of a sappy original “inspirational” song, each contestant has been able to select a song to cover for their first single.  Those are the last two songs that they sing.

Here's what I saw (with letter grades for each song):

Lee Dewyze B
“The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkle
"Lee was a very energetic child", says his parents. Wow - that's a surprise.
The Boxer was one of the better performances on Inspirational Week - but not the best. This reprise showed how much Lee has grown in his confidence and ease in front of the crowd. But even so, it was something of an odd choice to start so low-key when he knew he was opening the show and that he had another ballad coming up in the second slot. Why not A Little Less Conversation from the Elvis show? The Boxer was a solid number, but right off the bat he left the door open for Crystal shake things up with something less sleepy.

Crystal Bowersox A -
“Me And Bobby McGhee” by Kris Kristofferson
First, Crystal looked great in that coat-dress and funky beads. Very hip, yet put together. And Crystal did great with this song, as she did originally when she was the only thing worth watching during Teen Idol Billboard #1 Hits Week. This song feels completely authentic on her. And the fact that it ends with the raucous chorus raises her performance level well above Lee's.

Lee DeWyze B+
“Everybody Hurts” by REM
Love the tan leather jacket, but the untucked white tee shirt hanging out looks dopey from the back. This songs kicks it up a level for Lee. He's got a chorus behind him; he's a lot more passionate here. Unfortunately, the song has a lot of held notes, and Lee just doesn't sound so good in those parts. In other songs he has opted to do some vocal rifs instead of sustaining a long note, but here he does the song as written and wavers around a bit at the end.

Crystal Bowersox A
“Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles
Crystal wisely puts aside the guitar, and gives us the R&B chanteuse in a black ruffled satin dress and high heels. As she come down the stairs, singing, we sense she's not quite sure about all this - maybe the stairs plus the heels was one upgrade too many. But she rips into the song with gusto. We some great bluesy fuzz guitar alongside her own vocal riffs. This is definitely a highlight.

Lee DeWyze B+
“Beautiful Day” by U2
Jeans? Again? Seriously, Lee, these look like rehearsal clothes. This is a nice cover, but really, nothing all that special here. Lee does, handle those high held notes better here than on Everybody Hurts. I'll tell you what bugs me a bit, and maybe I've just got the U2 original on the brain, but there is a real heaviness here in Lee's version, like he's weighted down somehow. I think that just might be Lee's melancholy personality - but it's not a good fit for this song which should be, somehow, more buoyant. The song should fly, but with Lee it's very grounded.

Crystal Bowersox A
“Up To the Mountain” by Patti Griffin
Beautiful lighting design on this, bathing Crystal in a golden back halo, (and who is wearing diamonds!) And Lee'sHallejujah chorus from last week joins Crystal on stage. How about this song choice - it's either very dumb picking a less known song because people may not vote for her, or it's very smart because as a first single it will become associated Crystal. Regardless, it's a somewhat quiet, but intense gospel-like song. This will probably split the audience. Some will find the beauty and layers in it. Others will be bored and tune out. Kind of a gutsy choice to go out on.

Tomorrow morning I’ll post about who will win and why.

AI9: Contemplating Lee vs Crystal

While it's not exactly Adam vs. Kris or David vs. David, I have to admit that this pairing is coming out a lot closer than I would have imagined a couple of weeks ago. (Conspiracy theorists may say that is by design.)

So how do you think this is going to shake out? How do you want it to end?

Here's my handicapping:

Lee Dewyze

Pro:

• He's got the raspy John Mayer / Bruce Springsteen vocal quality
• Cute guy with a guitar
• Come-from-behind, most-improved, underdog story arc
• Sensitive guy; he cries

Con:

• Some people HATE his voice; this limits his potential to woo large numbers of casual voters (See Lambert, Adam)
• Little facial expression; personality; excitement
• Detractors perceive "pimping" from producers; could produce backlash (See Archuleta, David)

Crystal Bowersox

Pro:

• Strong blues/rock Bonnie Raitt type voice; more of an "Idol" voice than Lee
• Consistently excellent performances throughout the season
• Even if they aren't wild about her, most people like her voice
• After Lee's Hallelujah, she may be stealing a bit of the "underdog" role.

Con:

• Some people are turned off by the way she looks; dreads, piercings, etc.
• Some people are turned off by her attitude: entitled, not invested in Idol
• Her best performances were earlier in the season; she peaked too soon
• Detractors perceive "pimping" from judges throughout season

Lee has fans and Crystal has fans. I think the contest will be decided by the casual voters - which means that the performances Tuesday night will play a large part.

But, the next largest consideration, I think, is what happens with the negative factors. Who has the easier task? Lee convincing non-fans that he can really sing, or Crystal persuading non-fans that she is likable?
I think Crystal's obstacle may be easier to overcome with a killer performance. But then, we're back to speculating what will happen on Tuesday.

Who do you think is going to take the prize on Wednesday?

AI9: Top 3

The good news is that I think everyone gave us an strong interpretation of who they are as musical artists. The bad news is that no one really blows me away - but maybe that's just me. Let's summarize, and then get to the individual songs. Here's my Top Three power list (where I think they are in voting power):

• Crystal - Lee had a better night, but I think Crystal still has both the stronger fan base and Lee is handicapped by his idiosyncratic vocal style. Crystal had a good night; people will be remembering Maybe I’m Amazed is her stronger performance. Without the guitar, she showed that she can be the classic Idol singer, as well as a genuine blues singer.
• Lee - Lee's Simple Man was confident, if a tad obscure. But his Hallelujah was an all-out Idol moment. Easily the highlight of the night. His fan base continues to grow - but his ability to win over casual voters is limited by the fact that many can't get over his lazy relationship with pitch.
• Casey - Casey did well, but let's face it, even at his best he's not an Idol performer. He's personable, good looking, good voice, great guitar player - but he's made for clubs, not the Nokia Theater. He would have had to have had a game changer like Kris Allen's Heartless up his sleeve to upset the Top 2, but it just wasn't there.

On to the songs, with a letter grade for tonight's performance:

Casey James C+
“OK It’s Alright With Me” by Eric Hutchinson
This was very good - it showed just how Casey sees himself as an artist and it had a smooth - easy Blues feel. And if tonight was a fight to get in to, say, the Top Ten and not the Finale it would have been fine. But on a night when Casey is trying to come from behind and make a play for the finale, it was much too small a moment. Casey fans will be pleased, but I don't think this is going to woo many new folks on board the Casey express.

Crystal Bowersox B
“Come To My Window” by Melissa Ethridge
First, the harmonica is a mistake. It gets in the way of the performance and adds little to the overall package. Now the song itself is a good choice and gives Crystal something to really wail on. However, she seems a bit disconnected from the audience. Her eyes are closed through a lot of it, and other times she's concentrating on the harmonica or guitar. Very good; not great.

Lee DeWyze A-
“Simple Man ” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lee continues to grow as a performer, and this is a great song for him. His voice is an acquired taste, but there's no denying the confidence he exudes. Tonight he's better than Crystal in that department. He really bends out that final note, starting flat and then finally at the last moment bringing it up to pitch (which is going to drive a lot of folks crazy). I have to agree with the judges: while each contestant chose a song that well represented their musical point of view, it was Lee's performance that was the most dynamic and assured. Whether his vocal style/flaws (take your pick) cancels any of that out will be up to each listener to judge.

Casey James B-
“Daughters” by John Mayer
Randy and Kara pick this recent (by Idol standards) hit by Mayer. Casey takes this and does a great job maximizing it for him. He takes a risk and slows it down, and strips the instrumentation down to guitar and piano. This is probably the best vocal he has ever done on the show. It's a sensitive and original interpretation of the song. But... this is an awfully small moment for such a crucial juncture in his Idol path. While it shows Casey to his best advantage, it's not very buzz-worthy. So, as with the first song, it's unlikely that a mass of new voters are going to be jumping over to Casey's side. However, if he leaves tomorrow, he can go with his head held high knowing that he left at the top of his game.

Crystal Bowersox A
“Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney
Crystal leaves the instruments behind gives a pure rock performance. (Shades of Allison from last year!) Good choice, because it corrects a lot of the performance problems from the first number. She's strong, in good voice, and connected to the material. I would still like to see a little more connection to the audience, so it feels more like she's singing to us instead of to herself, but other than that a great job.

Lee DeWyze A+
“Hallelujah”
It's been said before, this is an almost indestructible song. The melody, the chords, the lyric - it's really a masterpiece of pop songwriting. The down side is that it's been covered by everybody, including Tim Urban several weeks ago on this stage. (He was fine on it, BTW.) So how was Lee? That's not altogether an easy question to answer. I had to watch this three times to clear away all the strings, lights, stairs, and choir and just focus on what Lee was doing. My verdict - Lee was really solid on this. He took the song back to its original Leonard Cohen raspy folk-rock roots, which is a perfect fit for his own vocal style. Once again, it's a distinctive style that won't appeal to everyone. But this is Lee at his Idol best. Back to the performance as a whole, this was a showy X-Factor-like staging of the material. The disadvantage to doing it this way is that you loose the vulnerability that Jeff Buckley and even Jason Castro brought to it. However, the advantage is that the big production works much better as a 90 second Idol show stopper. In Idol terms, this is the best version ever done on the show, in that it fits the format and purpose.

Cowellelujah?

I want to revisit the X-Factoring of Hallelujah for a moment. Last year, Simon stepped in and worked with Adam Lambert on the song he choose for him for Top 3 night: U2's One. Simon feels that it is his prerogative at this point in the season. The other judges can as well, but this is really Simon's chance, for one number, to turn AI into X-Factor where each contestant is coached and produced by a judge.

All of that, just to say this: I consider Hallelujah a Simon Cowell production starring Lee Dewyze. As opposed to the others who, left to their own devices, probably came up with the staging and arrangements themselves. On a critical competition night such as this, this disparity leaves me feeling uneasy.

Last year some complained that Adam Lambert always got the special lighting and stairs on songs like Mad World and Feeling Good, and it wasn't fair to the rest of the contestants. I did not have a problem with that because all those production ideas were Adam's. Any of the others could have gotten the same thing if they had asked or thought of it. But Adam just sees things in theatrical terms, and that's something he brought to the show.

Hallelujah feels different to me because this isn't Lee's aesthetic. Lee doesn't arrange songs in this bombastic style, and he's not one to come up with all the lights and staging. It has been imposed on him - to good effect, without a doubt - but it feels like a very unlevel playing field when Lee has been X-Factored and the others haven't.

Once again, if the Hallelujah arrangement and hoopla was all Lee's idea, then my hat's off to him. Well played! But I have a feeling this was more Simon giving Lee a little Las Vegas showcase.

AI9: Top 4: Hooray for Hollywood

Well, from my point of view, the season is still "Crystal & Company". The Final Three will be Crystal and two other guys. Which two? I don't care. You pick. They are kind of interchangeable for me. In general everyone did well, though no one tore up the night with an out and out amazing

performance, though Crystal came the closest. Casey was the weakest; Mike and Lee were equally good for me. This usually means it becomes a fan base war. I'm sure Lee and Crystal will be well protected by fans; but both Mike and Casey have done a fair amount of time in the bottom. Who has the stronger fans? I haven't a clue. Mike was actually voted off early on. On the other hand he has been singing well. Casey was terrible last week, but apparently has enough supporters to carry him to safety. This will be interesting.

Below are how I rate tonight's performances. They are listed in performance order with a letter grade for how well I think they did tonight.

Lee DeWyze – B
“Kiss From A Rose” by Seal from Batman Forever
I have to say that Lee impressed me on the first verse when he floated up to his falsetto for a few notes. That's more range than we have seen from him all season. Some compalined that he went off key - but I've watched it twice and didn't hear any pitch problems. When he gets to the chorus, though, he abadons the melody and takes a lower harmony. Overall a good performance. Lee definitely gets the "most improved" award for the season. Barring a fan base war, we should see him in the finale.

Michael Lynche – B
“Will You Be There” by Michael Jackson from Free Willy
He starts off really low, which does nothing for him. Fortunately he got off those bass notes quickly and moved up an octave where he vocally stronger. While Mike doesn't really give us anything new in this arrangement, I have to give him props for taking the MJ arrangement head on and coming out looking good. That is very difficult to do, and he pulls it off. He and Casey are fighting for that third spot, and since "The Save" Mike has been a consistently strong vocalist, even though as a performer he is not everyone's favorite.

Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze – B-
“Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová from Once
Full disclosure: Kris Allen had me in a puddle of tears last year with his rendition of this song - so I've got my skeptic's hat on as I watch these two take on this Oscar winning ballad. And I have to say, they are fine on it. They bring up the tempo, add the band, and do a fun power ballad trading lines. However, it leaves me empty. There is so much in this lyric, and they pretty much throw the words away. It feels like empty calories to me.

Casey James – C+
"Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkle from The Graduate
I don't know what Casey is thinking. He desperately needs another "Broken Man" moment, and he gives us a campfire version of of the S&G classic. He sings it with great sincerity, but the song is meant to be ironic and cynical. This rendition has all the substance of a hot sticky s'more. Why not do "Sounds of Silence" from the same movie? A lot more substance there. Anyway, it is a very small moment and not the rocket booster Casey needs to get into the Top Three.

Crystal Bowersox – A
“I’m Alright” by Kenny Loggins from Caddyshack
Hmm, ya think the girl is trying to send us a message? Is this a great piece of material? No - but it's particularly appropriate for Crystal and she gives a it a funky blues-rock spin. Great job on the vocals; overall wonderful performance. Mamasox is back!

Casey James and Michael Lynche – B-
“Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman” by Bryan Adams from Don Juan DeMarco
What lifts this piece up from the level of "wedding performance" is Michael's soulful vocal and Casey's masterful guitar playing. What could have been a bland disaster turned in to a lovely moment. I guess that is the "glass half full" point of view. Some could just as easily slam Casey's weak vocals and Mike's so-so guitar - but as a whole I thought it worked.