A warning to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie: as you continue to do what increasingly seems to be a Republican Mario Cuomo imitation, if you are serious about cannonballing into the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination candidate pool be fowarned: the Republican Party’s kingmaker real strategist favorite talk show host Rush Limbuagh has started to voice some reservations about you and suggests you’re...

The other day the president of the European Commission gave a speech before the European Parliament calling for a transaction tax on stock, bond and derivative trades. The very considerable sums generated by such a tax will be needed to help refinance banks after Greece defaults, which just about everyone now understands will happen soon. The Obama Administration, however, strongly opposes such a transaction...

The Obama Administration has declined to seek an en banc review of an 11th Circuit panel decision invalidating its signature health care reform legislation. Instead, the Administration has filed an appeal directly to the United States Supreme Court. The move means that the constitutionality of the “individual mandate” at the core of the legislation will almost certainly be decided before the 2012...

The New York Post now reports that after GOPers all but getting on their knees and pleading with him to run for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination New York Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is poised to announce he’ll run next week. After months of hedging, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is giving serious thought to jumping into the ring for a GOP presidential run — and could make his decision...

Not content to lick its wounds from the growing scandal over government loans to the defunct Solyndra company, the Obama administration is doling out more taxpayer-backed loans to “green energy” schemes. One would hope that the Administration has at least learned something from the Solyndra scandal and done more thorough due diligence investigating whether these new schemes actually have any hope...

A big meme from the right wing has been that “stimulus” spending in the United States “didn’t work” (as proven by the continuing high unemployment numbers) and should therefore be presumptively rejected as an option going forward. An equally big meme from the left wing has been that austerity in Europe “didn’t work” (as proven by the continuing sovereign debt crisis...

The meme that the “Tea Party” (and by implication all who oppose or criticize President Obama) are racists has become an unfortunately common fixture in the current American political mileau.  The racism accusation has become a standard, predictable response from the left wing the same way that “socialist” has become a standard, predictable response from the right wing any time someone...

Since Rick Perry stepped out of the protective shade provided by the beautiful Texas Live Oak trees onto the harsh, unforgiving light of the national stage, much has been said and written about his obvious unpreparedness—perhaps inability—to face the scrutiny of the national electorate or even of a relatively friendly and forgiving Republican audience. But while some may have been surprised by the...

You’ve Got to Be Kidding! by Robert A. Levine Congressman Eric Cantor is the poster child for everything that’s wrong with Washington. A rigid right-wing ideologue in a Republican leadership role, he considers compromise a dirty word and has made it nearly impossible to get any deals done with the Democrats. Cantor is also the antithesis of the “compassionate conservative” and appears to have a selective...

Protests directed at financiers continued on Wall Street for an 11th day, with occasional reports of violence from both protesters and police.  But while most comments have focused on the violence, relatively little attention has been given to the content — or rather the lack of content — to the protests.  A look at what the protesters actually are saying reveals the vacuity of their protest. The...

David Brooks nails the essence of the problem plaguing the national and global economies — it isn’t a run-of-the-mill failure of economic performance, but rather a failure of our collective imaginations (including both consumers and policymakers) to adjust to the economic situation we are in. A big part of the problem is the bipartisan retreat to standardized talking points that don’t respond...

The Senate has reached a bipartisan compromise to pass the spending bill that will fund FEMA and avoid a government shutdown. The compromise bill will now go to the House for a vote later this week. The increased spending for FEMA applies only to the new fiscal year, not the current one. Since FEMA has indicated they do not need extra funding for this year it avoids a conflict with the House.

AT THE MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY — And so we bid a not so fond adieu to the hottest and wettest summer since record keeping began in the late 19th century. But don’t go blaming global warning, oh no! How hot and wet was it? Too hot or too wet on most weekends that for the first time since forever we did not make a single trek to the Delaware shore, making this the second strangest summer of my acquaintance. ...

Another political body blow to Texas Gov. Rick Perry who in terms of votes, at least, is shaping up to be the Fred Thompson of the race for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination. A big loss in Michigan — not surprising since it’s a friendly state to Romney. But the size of Perry’s loss will raise eyebrows. In a rout, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney trounced Rick Perry...

Whenever Sarah Palin or another Tea Party favorite rails against “crony capitalism” and its Wall Street incarnation, there’s always wild applause. The right wingers in attendance may not have any real idea of how this crony capitalism works on The Street, but they have a visceral understanding that it’s a major cause of our present economic malaise. Since the Tea Party is largely funded...

If the only thing you read was blogs, you would think that the American left was not only powerful, but hegemonic.  The view that Republicans and conservatives are vicious, venal, and even outright evil or “treasonous” (the irony of embracing that formerly verboten word to describe dissent has apparently been lost) has reached the level of consensus in some quarters, where it is rarely challenged...

They pretty much nail it. http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/gop-debate-cold-opening/1358180/

The EPA has ordered an end to over-the-counter inhalers due to their use of small amounts of gasses that are blamed for ozone depletion.  As a result, asthma sufferers will have to pay 50-200% more for prescription inhalers. The EPA move reflects an administration increasingly torn between uncompromising environmental activists who demand new regulatory measures regardless of their cost and the practical realities...

This is one of the most touching videos I’ve seen during the DADT repeal For some time a soldier has been posting videos discussing his being gay and his feelings on DADT. Up until now the videos have blocked his face. But after the repeal, he posted one with his face, in which he called his father and came out to him. The agonizing moment where he asks “Do You Still Love Me ?” is touching...

Trickle-Up Economics Raging Moderate, by Will Durst It’s all a dance, really. A Democratic president summons the gumption to call for higher taxes on the rich and Republicans cry like third graders having their ice cream taken away and given to the neighbor’s dog. Invoking the hoariest of chestnuts — that oldie but goodie — as predictable as mushy, green grapes in a fruit salad: The Class...

I strongly disagree with Senator John McCain’s politics and policies—especially his almost fanatic opposition to ending “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” and his stubborn support of the Iraq war. I have also been disappointed with the Senator’s seriously flawed judgment on several issues and decisions, such as his deplorable posturing on the new GI Bill of Rights during the Bush administration...

Yours truly is on the road for nearly 9 months (this is being written from New Jersey). I will be live blogging the Republican debate tonight. The entries will be less about ideology than how each candidate presents themselves and some overall conclusions –which may not be the same conclusion I reach after I have a chance to digest what I’ve been for a few hours. The live blogging will begin 9 p.m....

Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner Rick Perry continues to make a big new and old media splash with his rhetoric. He is having little trouble getting ink, digital coverage or radio/cable buzztime. Our Quote of the Day comes from CNN’s John Avlon, who has a must-read column on Perry’s comments on Obama and Israel. Many commentators have noted that Perry delivered this hours before President Barack...

FORWARD: The recent 10th anniversary of 9/11 once again gave rise to questions about NORAD’s role and performance during the attacks and to the now-familiar conspiracy theories. Hence this writing. === The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was officially established on Sept. 12, 1957, during the Cold War—during the “innocent years.” A couple of weeks before, the Soviet Union...

WE DIDN’T LEARN ANYTHING FROM PRIOR REPUBLICAN POLICIES BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH Perhaps Republicans have been correct in asserting that the eight years of President George W. Bush didn’t go far enough in enacting conservative policies. The current Republican presidential candidates argue that the nation must take all their proposals to their logical conclusions in order for them to properly...