Andrew Sullivan posts a chart of the day illustrating that Americans’ trust in their government rises in direct correlation to the health of the economy, specifically, to positive changes in real disposable income. He then posits two theories (one of them his own) on why such a correlation is “under-reported.” Here’s my theory: Because it’s too flippin’ obvious. It’s...

Now you would understand why I love the Brits… It seems they haven’t lost their legendary sense of wit and humour. Try this recent story in The Times of London: “Far right Australian politician Pauline Hanson moving to Britain.” I specially enjoyed the comments that followed this article. Here are three sample comments: “Coming to England to avoid Asians is a bit like emigrating...

One reason for the out-of-balance economic, financial, trade, and jobs situation between China and the U.S. can be traced to the Chinese policy of artificially pegging the value of its currency, the Renminbi or Yuan, to the U.S. dollar. No matter what the U.S. does to increase domestic productivity, reduce costs, or innovate, the Chinese can always do it cheaper because they prevent their currency from moving...

I’ve been thinking about business models for online content (text and images), given Apple’s introduction of the iPad and Amazon’s infamous battle with Macmillan. I’ve argued that digital subscriptions should be less than their analog counterparts, basing my argument in large part on the fact that traditional print is vastly more expensive than digital distribution. I’ve been wrong....

Richard Norton Smith is a distinguished presidential historian and former head of six presidential libraries. He has published numerous books and articles on our presidents and is a nationally recognized expert on “most anything and everything related to the presidency.” His books include “An Uncommon Man: The Triumph of Herbert Hoover” (1984), “The Harvard Century: The Making of a University to a...

Faced with a $700 million budget shortfall, a Utah Republican state legislator has found a way he figures will cut about 8% of it by eliminating the senior year of high school. State Sen. Chris Buttars has since toned down the idea, suggesting instead that senior year become optional for students who complete their required credits early. He estimated the move could save up to $60 million, the Salt Lake Tribune...

Here is a non-graded, not-for-credit civics question: What does it mean when the House Minority Leader demands that the White House post any new health care proposal online 72 hours before the Health Care Summit on February 25, and then attacks the White House when it does exactly that?

I’m just an average person who turns the air conditioning on when its hot and the furnace on when its cold. When it comes to global warming, I figure the pollutants we emit into the air probably contributes to the trend in some degree. That’s an unshakable belief just as evolution makes more sense than the creationist theory. Now, what empirical knowledge I have on climate change you can stuff in...

Presidents Weekend brings reminders of how history’s most productive economy of goods and services was brought to its knees by glorified paper pushers, crafty clerks who make nothing but money. On CNN, Obama adviser Paul Volcker complains, “We’ve got to produce something that somebody else wants to buy.” According to the former Fed chairman, “we spent 20 years inducing some of our...

This is an appropriate and timely phrase for our country in light of the sappy day of “love” that we annually celebrate today on February 14th. We have collectively failed to send our bankers any Valentine’s Day cards, flowers, or gifts. By simply replacing “banker” in this post’s title with the original word “woman,” we get the original line from the 1697 Play “The Mourning Bride”...

A malaise is striking down Europe from within. Like doughty old women trying to turn back the clock, Europeans are battening down the hatches to keep out people, cheaper products and high-tech services from non-European nations, especially South Asia and Africa. At the same time, the EU continues to expect Washington to act as nurturing mother and nursemaid regardless of now irresponsibly its leaders behave...

David Herszenhorn reports in the New York Times‘s Prescriptions column that Republican leaders in the House have sent a letter addressed to Sen. Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi informing them that the only “compromise” they will accept at the health care summit is no health care reform bill:

PIIGS is a new acronym for Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain, which are euro zone members with big budget deficits and other economic problems, that led to market speculation against the euro.  Greece has the biggest economic woes and is at the center of attention, but the market speculation could spread. The Telegraph accused European leaders of “sparking unease and confusion” on Thursday....

Nothing like sending a message of toughness in one breath and then undercutting it in the other:

I’ve recently started my fifth decade on this planet. In retrospect, I never expected much from any of our prior Republican Presidents. They certainly did not disappoint my low expectations. I have continued my up and down professional life in four different cities and always working in the private sector. I started Internet blogging about a year ago on TMV. I shied away from the public sector because...

As recently as yesterday, we saw some positive news coming out of D.C. (A rare event of late and more than welcome.) It looked like there might be some bipartisan cooperation on jobs, an issue where the Obama administration is only about one year late coming to the party. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) had hammered out a bill which it seemed both sides might be able to live with. Hurray!...

In the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression, with the stimulus package having helped significantly but much distance left to travel, conservative Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee have decided that a massive tax cut for the rich in the form of estate and gift tax cuts is just the thing to put into a jobs bill.

WASHINGTON — So what exactly is the Tea Party movement and why has it risen up? The ferocity of its opposition to President Obama is mystifying to political progressives. Most of the left simply doesn’t see the current occupant of the White House as especially liberal, let alone “socialist.” Obama, after all, is the man who saved the banks and the capital markets. Now the...

Greg Sargent takes a closer look at President Obama’s Bloomberg-interview remarks about the bonuses paid to Goldman’s and JPMorgan’s CEOs, conceding that what the President said is probably “a bit more nuanced than” the simplistic reaction of certain pundits. Going a step further, the first commenter on Sargent’s post writes … [Oh] for god’s sake. Is he supposed...

Is there a case to be made that Iran has every right to enrich uranium and even pursue a nuclear weapon if it so wishes? There are many people, particularly in developing countries, who see the “big five” nuclear powers as hypocrites that refuse to consider the strategic imperatives of Iranian geopolitics. This editorial from yesterday’s edition of Mexico’s La Jornada says in part: To...

Whether you’re a young, old or middle-aged man or woman, of any skin color, inexperienced or experienced, and possessing many or few degrees, you’re unlikely to be hired initially, or ever again, by any large private company as a full-time employee. Get over it and figure out how you’ll make a living by your wits, determination, charm and overall doggedness. We have to realize that persistently high...

Lobbyists Retreat but Never Surrender by Michael Winship With George Washington’s birthday comes the attendant mythology, hatchet and cherry tree, wooden teeth, throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River – or the Rappahannock. Of course, as the old joke goes, a dollar went a lot further then. Today, if you tried to hurl a silver dollar across the Potomac, chances are some member...

Privatized Bureaucracy is Still Bureaucracy by Tina Dupuy The knee-jerk “government is bad” argument against health care reform, the jobs bill or banking regulations is always “it creates more bureaucracy.” This is mainly from Republicans who want to be called lawmakers. Yes, there are people working in the government – gladly cashing their government paychecks – whose default is always that the...

Just a sign that having massive debt might not be a good thing. And before we get into the partisan battle I blame both sides of the aisle but I am sure many will disagree. And while Rome burns….

I took Monday off to join a friend help celebrate her 63rd birthday at the local Indian gambling casino here in southwest Riverside County, Calif. Now what I’m about to report is in no way considered on my part a racist comment. So, relax and take it for what it’s worth. The vast preponderance of people at the slots and gaming tables were Filipinos and other Asian decent. I don’t know why...