Republicans have deservedly lost control of the government. And given the bankruptcy of their ideas for addressing the crisis we face, they realize their only chance to return to power is to try to rewrite history. Enter Karl Rove... READ MORE Darkening Clouds... Silver Lining? While we are trying to move the economy to full capacity, we also need to make sure that our communities are operating at full capacity. Our full capacity of giving. Our full capacity of service. Our full capacity of compassion. As America's Misery Index soars, so must our Empathy Index. READ MORE Watch: Arianna on Larry King Live Discussing Limbaugh's Influence on the GOP and Obama's Stimulus Plan

While we are trying to move the economy to full capacity, we also need to make sure that our communities are operating at full capacity. Our full capacity of giving. Our full capacity of service. Our full capacity of compassion. As America's Misery Index soars, so must our Empathy Index.

Despite Karl Rove's concerns that his appearance before the House Judiciary Committee could become a "show trial," the deal he cut assures that his testimony, at least initially, will be conducted in private. John Conyers promises to get to the bottom of Rove's role in the US Attorneys scandal, but will Bush's Brain be asked about the outing of Valerie Plame? The prosecution of Don Siegelman? His cozy relationship with Jack Abramoff? The Rove deal allows Obama to sidestep weighing in on Bush's very broad claims of executive privilege. White House Counsel Greg Craig says Obama is "very sympathetic to those who want to find out what happened," but doesn't want to "do anything that would... weaken the institution of the presidency." After reading the chilling secret Bush memos released this week, the idea of a less unbridled executive branch doesn't seem like such a bad thing.

Hot on the heels of his Reversal on Rush, RNC Chairman Michael Steele this week delivered his U-turn on Choice -- first saying women "absolutely" have the right to choose abortion then, after having his knuckles rapped, asserting his pro-life bona fides: "always have been, always will be." At a time when there is a serious discussion around the world about the future of capitalism, including a must-read series in the Financial Times, the GOP is so devoid of actual ideas that spineless lightweights like Steele -- and cartoon characters like Rush Limbaugh, Joe the Plumber, and Sarah Palin -- are able to step in and fill the intellectual void. Bill Buckley must be spinning in his grave.

The mystery over who killed a provision in the stimulus package that would have curtailed bonuses at bailed out companies is a disturbing D.C. whodunit. But even more disturbing is what it reveals about how our government is run.

Barack Obama's Special Olympics line on Leno got all the headlines, but the night's real money quote was his saying that his administration plans to "set up a securitized market for student loans and auto loans outside of the banking system" in order to "get credit flowing again." Excuse me, but isn't that what the $700 billion bank bailout was supposed to do? So what happened? Instead of lending the billions we gave them, Obama explained to Leno, the bailed out banks "are keeping it in the bank because their balance sheets had gotten so bad." Imagine that: zombie banks using taxpayer money to stay afloat. If the White House really didn't see that one coming, it's no wonder the ferocity of the public's reaction to the AIG bonuses caught them so off-guard.

Tim Geithner's actions throughout his career, including his time as Treasury Secretary, are proof that the toxic thinking that got us into this mess is part of his DNA.

It was on Summers' watch that the credit-default swaps warhead that has blown up our economy was launched. It would be hard to make assumptions that turned out to be more wrong than his were.

This week, House Republicans unveiled their alternative budget -- a wafer-thin proposal that contained no precise numbers. But the plan did have one big idea: a massive tax cut for rich people! Talk about being tone deaf to the times. While announcing what he called "The Republican Road to Recovery," John Boehner said, "Our economic plan amounts to less government, lower taxes and economic prosperity" -- forgetting, it seems, that the first two had been the GOP roadmap while in power the last eight years and had led to the exact opposite of prosperity. Elsewhere in the GOP, Michael Steele claimed that his many gaffes since taking over the RNC had actually been part of a master plan. "It's all strategic," he said. This coming from the guy in charge of strategy for the loyal opposition. Be afraid. I'm guest hosting CNBC's Squawk Box next Tuesday morning and I'd love your suggestions, which you can put in the comments to this post.