Baltimore: If today’s action from the markets is any indication of what investors think about Uncle Sam and his Washington minions, the upcoming mid-term election is going to get interesting.

Nothing talks in Washington any louder than money.

China has once again snatched the leadoff spot in our daily lineup. And once again, they’ve knocked the cover off the ball. The Chinese economy expanded at a dizzying 7.9%, their government announced yesterday. That far exceeds analyst expectations and China’s still-impressive 6.1% first-quarter growth.