GOP Picks the Wrong Spending Fight
The GOP seems convinced inciting a debt ceiling crisis is the best way to restrain spending. But even a short increase in the limit can stave off a bigger crisis. One might note within many ostensibly conservative discussions about the debt ceiling a strain that comes far more from Leon Trotsky …No Deal in Sight as Debt Deadline Nears
As the U.S. hits its debt limit, it's time for Republicans to take the matter seriously. They can start by putting revenue expenditures on the negotiating table. The debt limit that the United States hit yesterday isn't a big deal yet but, by any reasonable accounting, it could be pretty soon. If …Sex Assault Charge Shocks France's Socialists
IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest for sexual assault pretty much puts an end to his candidacy for 2012 and has thrown the Socialist party into turmoil. IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest for sexual assault pretty much puts an end to his candidacy for 2012, and possibly to his career …Is Boehner Ready for the Budget Backlash?
Republicans may have signed up for the fight of a generation, without understanding how much is at stake - or how fierce the resistance is likely to be. Here's another bit from Speaker Boehner's Thursday speech to the Economic Club of New York that commands some attention: There's another …Debt Default Means New Recession
Tim Geithner has taken heat for suggesting that a debt default could lead to a double dip recession, but unfortunately he's absolutely right. There's no doubt that Tim Geithner is right to say that a debt default would result in a double dip recession. If anything, Geithner understates the case: a …Washington Stalls on Debt Limit Deal
The most frustrating part of the fiscal and debt debates in Washington DC is that all the participants are using the same arguments they've always used. The movie, " Groundhog Day ," rushes to mind as we watch the tragicomedy of the recent debates on the national debt and the country's fiscal …Is Larry Summers a Scientist or a Politician?
A new interview of Larry Summers shows the tension between his public persona as both a social scientist and as a political figure. A couple things in this interview by Andrew Goldman of Larry Summers currently irritated me. I'll give the quotes and then explain my annoyance. 1. Goldman: …Stop Flirting with Debt Disaster
I always assumed that the first American political party to contemplate default as a way to achieve its political goals would be the Communist Party of the USA, not the GOP. The Wall Street Journal 's weekend interview with famed investor Stanley Druckenmiller may have the most eyebrow-raising …Mel's Big Screen Midlife Meltdown
Mel Gibson returns to the screen this week with one of his best performances ever in Jodie Foster's new upscale suburban desperation dramedy, The Beaver . After having previously taken on Charlie Sheen and Donald Trump in the past several weeks, I suppose it was only a matter of time before I …Anti-Israel Critics Want More Attention
A debate over awarding an honorary degree to anti-Israel playwright Tony Kushner has led to the ridiculous claim that critics of the Jewish state don't have a voice. In a world full of problems, we all must make choices about where to invest time and energy. There are so many different …McConnell Gambles on Real Medicare Cuts
After months of mostly symbolic action the Republicans are in a position to propose real Medicare reform can be signed into law. After months of proposing symbolic actions (cuts in domestic discretionary spending), decent if politically risky ideas (the Ryan Medicare reform) and one truly …The Prowl: Horsing Around at Gold Cup
Last week, I attended Gold Cup, a horse race in Virginia that's really an excuse for the South's suburban gentry to wear bright clothes, strange hats and drink to excess. This week I am going to take a break from sharing intimate details of my dating life - mostly because it’s frankly not very …The Fat Diaries: Beware the Vending Machine Diet
Asking restaurants and theaters to post calorie counts seems like a good call, but targeting vending machines may be too much. New rules are being proposed by the FDA that could (if approved) make some changes in the world of vending machines. The feds want the calorie content of each item …
Toronto’s Elephants Need to Head South
Four elephants have died at Toronto's zoo in the last five years, and seven since 1984. Its time to move the rest to a new home. A recent column by the inimitable Joe Warmington, scolded that “phony American activists” were seeking to “hijack” the elephants at Toronto Zoo and send them to an …When Kids Take Over the Kitchen
Meghan Cox Gurdon gets a late Mother’s Day surprise when her children decide to cook her dinner. Will it be a delicious feast or a disaster? Writing in the Washington Examiner , Meghan Cox Gurdon gets a late Mother’s Day surprise when her children decide to cook her dinner. Will it be a delicious …GOP Energy Bills Won't Save You at the Pump
Republicans have applauded the passage of energy bills to address skyrocketing gas prices but conservative economists say they will have minimal impact. Even as Republican Congressmen applauded the passage of three energy bills they said would address skyrocketing gas prices, conservative …Climate Change Policy Won't Prevent Twister Deaths
After devastating windstorms hit the South in April, there's been a push to link climate policy to preventing more tornadoes. But there are easier ways to save lives. By any reasonable measure, the windstorms that ravaged the South in April present a massive tragedy: the most disaster-caused …Fast-Tracking the FDA
The FDA still takes too long to make essential life-saving drugs available to patients. But a new proposal could bring many treatments to markets sooner. In a previous blog post, I noted that while the FDA is currently releasing directives to put calorie information on vending machines, there is …Laid-Off Worker Confronts Obama
CBS News reports In one of the more personal exchanges from CBS News' town hall with President Obama, one audience member, a pregnant woman who recently found out she was being laid off from her government job, asked the president for some earnest advice: "What would you do, if you were me?" …