Jazz Shaw, Hot Air
While I was taking a short break from working this morning and fixing some breakfast, my TV was still on in the background, tuned in to MSNBC. The host of Up With Chris Hayes was holding court over a panel discussion on domestic energy issues, so since that’s pretty much my field I had decided to tune in. The initial discussion had roped in quite a bit of the usual disinformation on natural gas fracking (which appeared to draw heavily on “facts” from fabulist Josh Fox’s fictional propaganda piece, Gasland). There was one industry...
The "Fiscal Cliff" Getaway Call
On December - 10 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Joseph Curl, Washington Times
Before we get started with the column proper, let’s take a moment to explore the very term itself — “fiscal cliff.”The euphemistic neologism had bounced around in various forms in the past few years — almost always in connection with the tax cuts enacted by President George W. Bush — but the phrase took on its current usage in February. On a cold winter day, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke (originally a Bush appointee) told a House committee that America would tumble off “a massive fiscal cliff of large spending...
Before we get started with the column proper, let’s take a moment to explore the very term itself — “fiscal cliff.”The euphemistic neologism had bounced around in various forms in the past few years — almost always in connection with the tax cuts enacted by President George W. Bush — but the phrase took on its current usage in February. On a cold winter day, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke (originally a Bush appointee) told a House committee that America would tumble off “a massive fiscal cliff of large spending...
A Case for Targeted Killings
On December - 9 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
George Will, Washington Post
President Franklin Roosevelt was truly astonished when told by a reporter that Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, had been shot down by U.S. planes over a Pacific island after Americans decrypted Yamamoto’s flight plans. FDR had encouraged this “targeted killing” — destroying a particular person of military importance — a phrase that has become familiar since Israel began doing this in 2000 in combating the second Palestinian intifada.But was the downing of Yamamoto’s plane an...
President Franklin Roosevelt was truly astonished when told by a reporter that Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, had been shot down by U.S. planes over a Pacific island after Americans decrypted Yamamoto’s flight plans. FDR had encouraged this “targeted killing” — destroying a particular person of military importance — a phrase that has become familiar since Israel began doing this in 2000 in combating the second Palestinian intifada.But was the downing of Yamamoto’s plane an...
Yesterday’s Revenue Can’t Support Tomorrow’s America
On December - 8 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Ezra Klein, WP
Since 1950, federal revenue has averaged about 18 percent of gross domestic product — 17.8 percent of GDP, to be exact. A neat bit of trivia, but who cares?Lots of people, it seems. Republicans on the House Budget Committee, in a news release titled “The Impact of Looming Tax Increases,” emphasize that “federal revenue rose to 18.5 percent of gross domestic product in fiscal year 2007, well above the 50-year historical average of 18 percent.” This proves, they say, that “tax relief did not cause today’s deficits.”
Since 1950, federal revenue has averaged about 18 percent of gross domestic product — 17.8 percent of GDP, to be exact. A neat bit of trivia, but who cares?Lots of people, it seems. Republicans on the House Budget Committee, in a news release titled “The Impact of Looming Tax Increases,” emphasize that “federal revenue rose to 18.5 percent of gross domestic product in fiscal year 2007, well above the 50-year historical average of 18 percent.” This proves, they say, that “tax relief did not cause today’s deficits.”
It’s Hard to Be a Hero
On December - 8 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Joe Nocera, New York Times
On a crisp January day in 2007, a 50-year-old construction worker named Wesley Autrey became a New York hero when he rescued a man who had fallen onto the subway tracks.A train had just left the station, so the platform was nearly empty except for Autrey, his two daughters and a young man who was having a seizure of some sort. The man fell onto the tracks, in a position, Autrey told me recently, “where he was going to lose his limbs.” With another train fast approaching, Autrey instinctively jumped onto the tracks, positioned the man’s body safely between the...
On a crisp January day in 2007, a 50-year-old construction worker named Wesley Autrey became a New York hero when he rescued a man who had fallen onto the subway tracks.A train had just left the station, so the platform was nearly empty except for Autrey, his two daughters and a young man who was having a seizure of some sort. The man fell onto the tracks, in a position, Autrey told me recently, “where he was going to lose his limbs.” With another train fast approaching, Autrey instinctively jumped onto the tracks, positioned the man’s body safely between the...
The Republicans, Dinosaurs and Denial
On December - 8 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Charles Blow, New York Times
Finally, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida — a Tea Party darling and possible 2016 presidential candidate — admits that dinosaurs and humans didn’t co-exist.Last month, when GQ asked Rubio “how old do you think the Earth is?” he stammered through an answer.
Finally, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida — a Tea Party darling and possible 2016 presidential candidate — admits that dinosaurs and humans didn’t co-exist.Last month, when GQ asked Rubio “how old do you think the Earth is?” he stammered through an answer.
Morsi Defends Wide Authority as Turmoil Rises
On December - 6 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
David Kirkpatrick, NYT
CAIRO — Egypt descended deeper into political turmoil on Thursday as the embattled president, Mohamed Morsi, blamed an outbreak of violence on a “fifth column” and vowed to proceed with a referendum on an Islamist-backed constitution that has prompted deadly street battles between his supporters and their opponents. Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines. Twitter List: Reporters and EditorsEgyptian soldiers put up barbed-wire fences near the presidential palace on Thursday in Cairo. As the tanks and...
CAIRO — Egypt descended deeper into political turmoil on Thursday as the embattled president, Mohamed Morsi, blamed an outbreak of violence on a “fifth column” and vowed to proceed with a referendum on an Islamist-backed constitution that has prompted deadly street battles between his supporters and their opponents. Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines. Twitter List: Reporters and EditorsEgyptian soldiers put up barbed-wire fences near the presidential palace on Thursday in Cairo. As the tanks and...
D-Day for Right-to-Work in Michigan
On December - 6 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Shikha Dalmia, Reason
Today might be D-day for the Right-to-Work battle in Michigan. Emboldened by the defeat of the union-backed Protect Our Jobs constitutional initiative that would have forever banned Michigan from going RTW, Michigan Republicans "“ who control all the branches of government: legislature, governorship and the Supreme Court "“ are planning to introduce two bills that will no longer require public and private sector employees to pay mandatory dues as a condition of employment in union shops. Governor Rich Snyder, who had previously said that he would sign such bills...
Today might be D-day for the Right-to-Work battle in Michigan. Emboldened by the defeat of the union-backed Protect Our Jobs constitutional initiative that would have forever banned Michigan from going RTW, Michigan Republicans "“ who control all the branches of government: legislature, governorship and the Supreme Court "“ are planning to introduce two bills that will no longer require public and private sector employees to pay mandatory dues as a condition of employment in union shops. Governor Rich Snyder, who had previously said that he would sign such bills...
The Blue Civil War Is Coming
On December - 6 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Walter Russell Mead, The American Interest
Rhode Island’s blue-on-blue showdown is heating up. Famed litigator David Boies is taking a 96 percent pay cut to represent the state against recalcitrant public sector unions. The New York Times reports:Mr. Boies became involved, he said, because he was convinced that Rhode Island’s pension troubles were just the tip of a $5 trillion iceberg of unsecured retirement promises to the nation’s millions of public workers. “This is something that can cripple state and municipal governments at a time when the federal government is, more and more, cutting back...
Rhode Island’s blue-on-blue showdown is heating up. Famed litigator David Boies is taking a 96 percent pay cut to represent the state against recalcitrant public sector unions. The New York Times reports:Mr. Boies became involved, he said, because he was convinced that Rhode Island’s pension troubles were just the tip of a $5 trillion iceberg of unsecured retirement promises to the nation’s millions of public workers. “This is something that can cripple state and municipal governments at a time when the federal government is, more and more, cutting back...
Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s Greatest Hits
On December - 3 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
John Fund, National Review
Republicans think they got a bit of good news this morning with the announcement that President Obama has asked Debbie Wasserman Schultz to continue as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. The Florida congresswoman will now lead the party through the 2014 mid-term elections.No one doubts that Wasserman Schultz is a tireless fundraiser. Her office says she participated in 885 events in 170 cities in 31 states during the last 18 months. “She’s a leader for women, and the grassroots love her,” a senior Democratic adviser told Politico.
Republicans think they got a bit of good news this morning with the announcement that President Obama has asked Debbie Wasserman Schultz to continue as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. The Florida congresswoman will now lead the party through the 2014 mid-term elections.No one doubts that Wasserman Schultz is a tireless fundraiser. Her office says she participated in 885 events in 170 cities in 31 states during the last 18 months. “She’s a leader for women, and the grassroots love her,” a senior Democratic adviser told Politico.
Can Obama’s Email List Help Break the Filibuster?
On December - 3 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Ari Melber, Nation
How many Obama campaign volunteers want to keep organizing to help push President Obama’s agenda in his second term?At least 800,000.That is the number of people who, after months of campaigning and hundreds of e-mails, still hit reply to a post-election survey from the Obama campaign and said they “want to keep volunteering.” Another 100,000 said they are interested in running for office someday, according to Obama field director Jeremy Bird.
How many Obama campaign volunteers want to keep organizing to help push President Obama’s agenda in his second term?At least 800,000.That is the number of people who, after months of campaigning and hundreds of e-mails, still hit reply to a post-election survey from the Obama campaign and said they “want to keep volunteering.” Another 100,000 said they are interested in running for office someday, according to Obama field director Jeremy Bird.
Why Won’t Morsi Back Down? Read His Resume
On December - 2 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Eric Trager, TNR
From the moment that tens of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets to protest President Mohamed Morsi’s power-grabbing constitutional declaration, western journalists largely assumed that Morsi would back down. From their vantage point, criticism of Morsi’s move from within his own government, threats of judicial strikes, and the sheer magnitude of popular anger could force Morsi, in the words of The New York Times, “to engage in the kind of give and take that democratic government requires.”
From the moment that tens of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets to protest President Mohamed Morsi’s power-grabbing constitutional declaration, western journalists largely assumed that Morsi would back down. From their vantage point, criticism of Morsi’s move from within his own government, threats of judicial strikes, and the sheer magnitude of popular anger could force Morsi, in the words of The New York Times, “to engage in the kind of give and take that democratic government requires.”
12 Investing Rules for the Next 40 Years
On December - 1 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Brett Arends, MarketWatch
At times like this, I think of my marvelous old friend Dan Bunting, a man who successfully managed money on behalf of private individuals and institutions for nearly 40 years.Along the way, he learned to take most economic prognostications with a grain of salt. If you listened too much to economists, he said, you would never invest a penny. “Just remember,” he used to tell me with a smile, “the economic fundamentals always look terrible.”
At times like this, I think of my marvelous old friend Dan Bunting, a man who successfully managed money on behalf of private individuals and institutions for nearly 40 years.Along the way, he learned to take most economic prognostications with a grain of salt. If you listened too much to economists, he said, you would never invest a penny. “Just remember,” he used to tell me with a smile, “the economic fundamentals always look terrible.”
A Teachable Moment for the GOP
On November - 30 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Ben Domenech, Ricochet
Uber-consultant Mike Murphy believes that the way forward for the Republican Party is to ditch conservatism, particularly its social variety; stop doing campaigns the way they were done 25 years ago; and push back against the Jim DeMints of the world, who recruit “unelectable” candidates.This is a teachable moment for the GOP, and I’m glad Murphy is publicly making this argument, given that it is a good encapsulation of the message he’s been advancing for a quarter century or so. It provides an opportunity for Republicans to decide who really represents...
Uber-consultant Mike Murphy believes that the way forward for the Republican Party is to ditch conservatism, particularly its social variety; stop doing campaigns the way they were done 25 years ago; and push back against the Jim DeMints of the world, who recruit “unelectable” candidates.This is a teachable moment for the GOP, and I’m glad Murphy is publicly making this argument, given that it is a good encapsulation of the message he’s been advancing for a quarter century or so. It provides an opportunity for Republicans to decide who really represents...
Should Hillary Run in 2016?
On November - 29 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Amy Davidson, The New Yorker
“Hello again,” Hillary Clinton said last week. “It’s so good to see you again. And my husband sends you his very best regards.” She was talking to the King of Thailand, on what was meant to be one of her final trips as Secretary of State, after which she will make some gesture toward retirement. But one wonders if the whole American electorate might, before too long, be treated to the same sort of greeting the King got. Hillary Clinton may be leaving the State Department, but is she really leaving the stage? The idea of her running for...
“Hello again,” Hillary Clinton said last week. “It’s so good to see you again. And my husband sends you his very best regards.” She was talking to the King of Thailand, on what was meant to be one of her final trips as Secretary of State, after which she will make some gesture toward retirement. But one wonders if the whole American electorate might, before too long, be treated to the same sort of greeting the King got. Hillary Clinton may be leaving the State Department, but is she really leaving the stage? The idea of her running for...
Regarding Saxby Chambliss
On November - 28 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Erick Erickson, Red State
Saxby Chambliss is waffling around like a dog off its leash for the first time.He says he does not care about a “twenty year old pledge” he signed. He’s talking about the Americans for Tax Reform pledge that says he pledges not to raise taxes. He has clarified his remarks to mean he wants tax reform that increases revenue through job growth.Everyone knows that Saxby meant he was happy to raise taxes. Now, under pressure back home, he is waffling. He covets his seat in Washington and is fearful of being primaries. Georgia has primary run-offs, whichs means he can...
Saxby Chambliss is waffling around like a dog off its leash for the first time.He says he does not care about a “twenty year old pledge” he signed. He’s talking about the Americans for Tax Reform pledge that says he pledges not to raise taxes. He has clarified his remarks to mean he wants tax reform that increases revenue through job growth.Everyone knows that Saxby meant he was happy to raise taxes. Now, under pressure back home, he is waffling. He covets his seat in Washington and is fearful of being primaries. Georgia has primary run-offs, whichs means he can...
No Wonder Mitt Romney Lost
On November - 28 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Joan Walsh, Salon
When the Romney campaign seemed to implode in September and the blame game began, lots of blame got dumped on top strategist Stuart Stevens. Not surprisingly, Stevens has penned a defense of his candidate and his campaign "“ and it’s delusional, divisive and unbelievably stupid.In his Washington Post Op-Ed, “Mitt Romney: A good man. The right fight,” Stevens seems to argue that Romney practically won, because he won a majority of voters who make more than $50,000 a year. “That means he carried the majority of middle-class...
When the Romney campaign seemed to implode in September and the blame game began, lots of blame got dumped on top strategist Stuart Stevens. Not surprisingly, Stevens has penned a defense of his candidate and his campaign "“ and it’s delusional, divisive and unbelievably stupid.In his Washington Post Op-Ed, “Mitt Romney: A good man. The right fight,” Stevens seems to argue that Romney practically won, because he won a majority of voters who make more than $50,000 a year. “That means he carried the majority of middle-class...
This Time, Obama Knows How to Beat the GOP
On November - 28 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Steve Kornacki, Salon
Without question, the lowest moment of Barack Obama's first term came at the end of the summer of 2011, when the public registered its disgust with a totally needless debt ceiling drama that produced a last-minute compromise that seemed to enrage everyone. The fallout crashed Obama's approval rating to the low-40s, the lowest mark of his presidency and a level dangerously close to where George H.W. Bush "“ the last one-term president "“ was in his reelection year.That nadir, as Steve Benen pointed out Tuesday, was the product of a serious strategic...
Without question, the lowest moment of Barack Obama's first term came at the end of the summer of 2011, when the public registered its disgust with a totally needless debt ceiling drama that produced a last-minute compromise that seemed to enrage everyone. The fallout crashed Obama's approval rating to the low-40s, the lowest mark of his presidency and a level dangerously close to where George H.W. Bush "“ the last one-term president "“ was in his reelection year.That nadir, as Steve Benen pointed out Tuesday, was the product of a serious strategic...
Obama Taking U.S. Down Path of Greece
On November - 28 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Michael Goodwin, New York Post
Unless you’ve played ostrich, you know the lessons of the presidential election. Republicans must give up their principles and be more like Democrats, or they’ll go extinct.Media sages insist the GOP must learn to love tax increases and the job of being the tax collectors for the welfare state. They must become pro-choice and “get over this obsession with life,” as one so-called conservative put it. The religious beliefs of Evangelicals, Catholics and others must be tossed overboard if the party wants to attract those single women who are married to the...
Unless you’ve played ostrich, you know the lessons of the presidential election. Republicans must give up their principles and be more like Democrats, or they’ll go extinct.Media sages insist the GOP must learn to love tax increases and the job of being the tax collectors for the welfare state. They must become pro-choice and “get over this obsession with life,” as one so-called conservative put it. The religious beliefs of Evangelicals, Catholics and others must be tossed overboard if the party wants to attract those single women who are married to the...
A Minimum Tax for the Wealthy
On November - 26 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Warren Buffett, New York Times
SUPPOSE that an investor you admire and trust comes to you with an investment idea. “This is a good one,” he says enthusiastically. “I’m in it, and I think you should be, too.”Would your reply possibly be this? “Well, it all depends on what my tax rate will be on the gain you’re saying we’re going to make. If the taxes are too high, I would rather leave the money in my savings account, earning a quarter of 1 percent.” Only in Grover Norquist’s imagination does such a response exist.
SUPPOSE that an investor you admire and trust comes to you with an investment idea. “This is a good one,” he says enthusiastically. “I’m in it, and I think you should be, too.”Would your reply possibly be this? “Well, it all depends on what my tax rate will be on the gain you’re saying we’re going to make. If the taxes are too high, I would rather leave the money in my savings account, earning a quarter of 1 percent.” Only in Grover Norquist’s imagination does such a response exist.
Why GOP’s Latino Outreach Plan Won’t Work
On November - 24 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Irin Carmon, Salon
Drop the anti-immigrant rhetoric! Focus on the “family values” that Latinos supposedly share with the party! But that magic solution to Republicans’ demographic problem that some conservatives are touting — which conveniently allows the party to resist moderating on so-called social issues like gay marriage and abortion — is unlikely to pan out.Two days after Latino voters broadly rejected the Republican Party, Charles Krauthammer saw reason for optimism. Latinos, he said, “should be a natural Republican constituency: striving...
Drop the anti-immigrant rhetoric! Focus on the “family values” that Latinos supposedly share with the party! But that magic solution to Republicans’ demographic problem that some conservatives are touting — which conveniently allows the party to resist moderating on so-called social issues like gay marriage and abortion — is unlikely to pan out.Two days after Latino voters broadly rejected the Republican Party, Charles Krauthammer saw reason for optimism. Latinos, he said, “should be a natural Republican constituency: striving...
Is Rand Paul the Future of the Republican Party?
On November - 23 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
He’s certainly part of it, and an important part as the Republican Party tries to reach out to libertarian-leaning voters. His father found ways to excite and energize younger voters, a skill that the last few elections have shown the GOP sorely needs, as well as a message that matches up with their leave-me-alone mindset. But is Rand Paul ready to lead the party toward a resurgence of limited-government conservatism with his blend of devolved powers and social conservatism? “That’s classified,” he jokes to ABC’s...
He’s certainly part of it, and an important part as the Republican Party tries to reach out to libertarian-leaning voters. His father found ways to excite and energize younger voters, a skill that the last few elections have shown the GOP sorely needs, as well as a message that matches up with their leave-me-alone mindset. But is Rand Paul ready to lead the party toward a resurgence of limited-government conservatism with his blend of devolved powers and social conservatism? “That’s classified,” he jokes to ABC’s...
Phrase That Lost Romney the Election
On November - 23 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Higgins & Cortes, RealClearPolitics
You might not believe it, but assume we’re right for a minute. What word would you guess decided the election? Hurricane Sandy?The answer lies in perhaps the single most illustrative exit poll question conducted, where CNN asked “What is the most important candidate quality to your vote?”The response options were “Strong Leader,” “Shares Your Values,” “Has a Vision for the Future,” and “Cares about People.” Among folks that chose one of the first three responses, Mitt Romney won...
You might not believe it, but assume we’re right for a minute. What word would you guess decided the election? Hurricane Sandy?The answer lies in perhaps the single most illustrative exit poll question conducted, where CNN asked “What is the most important candidate quality to your vote?”The response options were “Strong Leader,” “Shares Your Values,” “Has a Vision for the Future,” and “Cares about People.” Among folks that chose one of the first three responses, Mitt Romney won...
The Illusions of Conservative Economics
On November - 23 - 2012 ADD COMMENTS
Robert Solow, The New Republic
JUST AS I WAS wondering how to start this review, along came the Sunday New York Times Magazine with a short article by Adam Davidson with the title “Made in Austria: Will Friedrich von Hayek be the Tea Party’s Karl Marx?” One Tea Party activist reported that his group’s goal is to fill Congress with Hayekians. This project is unlikely to go smoothly if the price of admission includes an extensive reading of Hayek’s writings. As Davidson remarks, some of Hayek’s ideas would not go down well at all with the American far right: among...
JUST AS I WAS wondering how to start this review, along came the Sunday New York Times Magazine with a short article by Adam Davidson with the title “Made in Austria: Will Friedrich von Hayek be the Tea Party’s Karl Marx?” One Tea Party activist reported that his group’s goal is to fill Congress with Hayekians. This project is unlikely to go smoothly if the price of admission includes an extensive reading of Hayek’s writings. As Davidson remarks, some of Hayek’s ideas would not go down well at all with the American far right: among...
