This is the time of year when media types begin bloviating about the person who has most impacted the country in 2008. Well, there's not much drama this time around because of Barack Obama's amazing achievement. But there are other folks who have influenced us greatly, as well. Please consider the following list:

Congressman Barney Frank/Sen. Chris Dodd/ Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox:

These three were given the charge to watch the financial system in America, to make sure Wall Street greed-heads and other pernicious people did not hurt the folks. So tell me, how did they do?

Cox, a former Republican congressman himself, simply did nothing, allowing bad mortgages to be traded like sports cards as he fiddled in his lavish office.

Frank and Dodd, as finance chairmen in the House and Senate respectively, actually promoted irresponsible mortgages in the name of "inclusion" -- the liberal concept of giving people stuff if they can't buy it. Dodd also took a sweetheart mortgage from since-failed Countrywide Financial, which saved him close to $100,000. And Frank publicly said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were in "good shape going forward," just weeks before both government entities collapsed.

I'd say these three had quite an impact in 2008.

Sarah Palin: The governor of Alaska completely upstaged John McCain and, depending on your political point of view, was either a breath of fresh air or the ruination of the Republican Party. Either way, she had a huge impact.

Sen. Ted Stevens and Gov. Rod Blagojevich: These two proved once again that political corruption knows no party. The Republican Stevens and the Democratic Blagojevich should now get their own reality program entitled "Scamming with the Pols." Continued...