http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitchell-bard/krugmans-takedown-of-ryan_b_674845.html

… And other hard-to-find perspectives amid our blame-Obama, Faux News-driven news media:

Decline of the middle class as metaphor for decline of America

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raymond-j-learsy/decline-of-the-middle-cla_b_675022.html

… Also:

Third World America: 11 Books predicting the collapse of the middle class

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/09/third-world-america-11-bo_n_672280.html#s122823

(L-R): Forum Club President Robert Bertisch, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe, and Forum Club President-Elect Wendy Link chatting before the program.

It’s that time of the year when seemingly everyone is happy to flee here from winter. This week, however, has been the coldest sustained in many locals’ memory: Friday was the record-breaking seventh straight day of  below 50-degree temperatures at Palm Beach International Airport.

Meanwhile, the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches followed last month’s capacity crowd, to hear National Urban League CEO Marc Morial, with an even larger 700-plus for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The day was sunny and comfortable. No wonder the attorney general noted the irony of being thanked for leaving behind several inches of snow in Washington, D.C., to speak and answer a few questions here.

The nation’s top law-enforcement official had a lot more to say, of course, mainly focused on combatting financial fraud. Here’s the report by the primo political writer in these parts, my former colleague George Bennett of The Palm Beach Post. He also provided the advance text. In addition there’s video from local WPBF-TV25.

Meanwhile, with kudos to the urbane Forum Club, and  its impeccable Executive Director Gayle Pallesen, here are more scenes from the Kravis Center luncheon:

News media members, and Forum Club Executive Director Gayle Pallesen (L).

Attorney General Holder, Forum Club President-Elect Link, and Palm Beach State College (formerly Palm Beach Community College) President Dennis Gallon.

Evelyn T. Garcia, Democratic Haitian American Caucus of Florida president & Democratic National Committee member, and State Attorney for the 15th Judicial Circuit Michael McAuliffe.

State Senator and Florida Attorney General candidate Dave Aronberg.

Bradley G. Harper, Esq.

Linda Culbertson, chief communications officer - Executive Office, Clerk & Comptroller of Palm Beach County.

Some of the staffers who help make it all happen (L-R): Vanessa Young, Kravis Center director of community outreach, and Marcel Ellis, executive secretary to the president, Urban League of Palm Beach County.