A snip from Barack Obama's interview with Diane Sawyer: … [Read more...] about Herbert Hoover Returns to the White House
Haiti: On Avenue Poupelard, Life Goes On
Tomorrow it will be two weeks since that massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. I have written on the efforts by the U.S. and other countries, organizations and individuals to rescue those trapped in the rubble and to save lives, to treat the injured and to reduce the immense suffering. There have been many stories on the stoicism, the perseverance and the … [Read more...] about Haiti: On Avenue Poupelard, Life Goes On
(Guest Contributor): Discipline Government, Too!
Hello there, Dr. E. here. The following is a Guest Contributor opinion column by Will Marshall, who is the founder and president of the Progressive Policy Institute, which describes its blog as "...Lively political commentary informed by rigorous analysis and evidence. Inspired wonkery — a constant stream of bold ideas for solving big public problems. And a distinctly … [Read more...] about (Guest Contributor): Discipline Government, Too!
Keeping the Poor in Jail To Ensure Bail Bondsmen Face No Competition
NPR ran an important three part story last week on the half-million people sitting in jail -- petty, nonviolent offenders who are there for only one reason -- because they can't make bail. It's an expensive proposition; in Broward County, FL, for example, jail costs $115 a day per inmate. A far cheaper alternative, a pretrial program in Broward costs about $7 a day. That … [Read more...] about Keeping the Poor in Jail To Ensure Bail Bondsmen Face No Competition
The Philsophical Obama: Shrugs Off Single Term Possibility
It sounds as if President Barack Obama is at peace with himself no matter what polls and the (see sawing) conventional wisdom say about him. Here are some excerpts from his upcoming interview with ABC News Tonight's host Diane Sawyer (who is giving the show a ratings boost since she took over): "I'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term … [Read more...] about The Philsophical Obama: Shrugs Off Single Term Possibility
A Break For Low-Income Borrowers After College
The Chronicle: The president's new student-loan plan would sweeten a program known as income-based repayment, created by Congress in 2007, in which borrowers with a federally subsidized loan are required to make payments on the loan each year that total no more than 15 percent of their discretionary income. The new proposal could cut that maximum payment to 10 percent, and … [Read more...] about A Break For Low-Income Borrowers After College
One-Word State of the Union
A Gallup poll confirms that rank-and-file GOP members have followed their leaders in saying "no" to Barack Obama with the widest gap in approval ratings by party for any first-year president in history, 23 percent against 65 for Democrats. Obama, who started as a wannabe conciliator, faces his first State of the Union with a one-word reality: fractured. Now, the White House … [Read more...] about One-Word State of the Union
More Bad Economic News: Existing Home Sales Take Biggest Fall In 40 Years
Increasingly, if the Democrats want to analyze why they are now sinking in the polls (and votes) you get back to the old slogan: "It's the economy, stupid." And the latest economic news is grim, indeed: Existing-home sales took their biggest tumble in at least 40 years last month as the impact of a buying spree spurred by a tax credit for first-time buyers waned, according … [Read more...] about More Bad Economic News: Existing Home Sales Take Biggest Fall In 40 Years
Is The Ghost Of Don Johnson Haunting Democrats ?
No, I'm not talking about the former Miami Vice star (though certainly he might haunt the dreams of some). I am refering to former Congressman Celete "Don" Johnson (D-GA). Johnson had a distinguished and successful career in Georgia politics. He was a graduate of the London School Of Economics who served as staff counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee. Then he … [Read more...] about Is The Ghost Of Don Johnson Haunting Democrats ?
I Told You So of the Day
One of the best newspaper and blog political analyists Dick Polman writes, in a post that needs to be read in full: On the eve of the November ’08 election, one commentator warned that Obama should not “mistake a solid win for a sweeping ideological agenda,” because, after all, “contemporary America is actually slightly right of center.” That was me, folks, writing in … [Read more...] about I Told You So of the Day
Biden Won’t Run For Senate
In a move that is all but certain to lock up a Senate gain for the GOP, Delaware AG and VP son Beau Biden has announced he will not run for his father's old seat. This pretty much means Senator Mike Castle (R-DE) will take office next year. In Arkansas, a second Congressman, Democrat Marion Berry has announced his retirement. This means Arkansas will be very competetive this … [Read more...] about Biden Won’t Run For Senate
Whatever Happened to Drill Here, Drill Now?
Maybe we just dreamed the whole thing? Or perhaps I've only now awakened from some sort of alternate reality, Twilight Zone style fantasy. Does anyone else remember the election of 2008 when it seemed like every candidate and their mothers had a plan to address the nation's energy woes and promote domestic security by making us more independent in terms of energy production? … [Read more...] about Whatever Happened to Drill Here, Drill Now?
Is “Red Versus Blue” Over with Scott Brown Massachusetts Win?
Our political Quote of the Day is actually comprised of a batch of quotes from independent, centrist writer John Avlon, who worked for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, appears on CNN and has a new book out Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America. In a post on The Daily Beast, he argues that GOPer Scott Brown's upset victory in supposedly liberal Democratic … [Read more...] about Is “Red Versus Blue” Over with Scott Brown Massachusetts Win?
Solution To Federal Campaign Financing
The Supreme Court decision to allow corporations to spend unlimited funds in elections may have opened the door finally to revamp our campaign financing laws. President Barack Obama in his weekly Saturday address said he will be working with Congress to forge a "forceful bipartisan" counterattack in what amounted to a rare but firm rebuke of the court's decision. “We have … [Read more...] about Solution To Federal Campaign Financing
State of Barack’s Union
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about State of Barack’s Union
Quotes for the Day
“We have to consider everything. We have to put taxes on the table.” “There is nothing good for America that will come out of arguing which part of the debt each party is responsible for." -- Former Republican Senator Pete Domenici, the co-leader of an independent bipartisan group to be announced today. It's goal: To study and recommend ways to reduce the national … [Read more...] about Quotes for the Day
Move Over, Mark Sanford
South Carolina has a new embarrassment: Andre Bauer, the lieutenant-governor -- and the man who is running to replace Mark Sanford as governor: … [Read more...] about Move Over, Mark Sanford
Jim DeMint Denies Saying He Wanted Health Care To Be Obama’s “Waterloo”
When the truth doesn't serve, lie: … [Read more...] about Jim DeMint Denies Saying He Wanted Health Care To Be Obama’s “Waterloo”
Obama and Sarkozy: the US and Europe facing the world
The world expectantly awaits word from its most powerful man, Barack Obama who delivers his State of the Union address on January 27. On that day, France’s Nicholas Sarkozy will make a keynote speech at Europe’s most prestigious annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, of global political, business and civil society leaders. The only significant American personality at the … [Read more...] about Obama and Sarkozy: the US and Europe facing the world
Why Not A 60-Second Tax Return?
It's tax time. Wouldn't it be nifty if you could download your return pre-completed with the data your employers and financial institutions have already sent to the government? Review it, edit it, upload it, and be done with it! California does it, and it's a real money saver. They say it costs $2.59 to process a paper return; 34 cents to process a "ReadyReturn." Funny … [Read more...] about Why Not A 60-Second Tax Return?