Allahpundit quips, “David Brooks surprised to find Obama is, in fact, a statist liberal”–hot on the heels of Christopher Buckley brilliantly arriving at the same deduction about his candidate. But then there was the pundit who must be a conservative–all the papers tell me he is!–who said in October:

Bush at this point, I think largely because of Katrina and Iraq, is unable to use the authority of the office to calm people or the markets, and I think until this election is resolved, the markets will not stabilize. They need to know there is a grown-up back in the White House.

And added a couple of days later, “It’s been all tactics and no strategy. [McCain's] supposed to be a fiscal conservative, but in fact he will add more to the debt than Obama will.”

I don’t think anyone’s holding out much hope for his apology.

Update: Mark Steyn chimes in on the Obamacons’ belated Dennis Green moment and writes, “I wonder if President Obama is fretting, “If I’ve lost Brooks, I’ve lost the country.” Or is he laughing his rear end off?” I think it depends on whether or not the latter gesture counts as a short-term gyration.

More: “Look Out! David Brooks has a Tendency!”