Politics Roundtable
Political blogs of interest to economists.
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July 2, 2009, 6:19 pm, 520627
I was in the car with my parents 40 years ago this month when we heard the news that Ted Kennedy had driven his car off of a bridge, after a night of partying, killing a young woman. My father said nothing. I thought "this means Kennedy will ...
July 2, 2009, 6:18 pm, 520626
HE'S NOT CRAZY, HE'S JUST A LITTLE UNWELL.... Well, there's a headline South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) probably didn't want to see in his state's largest newspaper: "Sanford's mental state questioned." While mental health experts are reluctant to pin...
July 2, 2009, 6:18 pm, 520625
THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Marines launched a major offensive in Afghanistan's Helmand River valley early today, described as "the first large-scale test of the U.S. military's new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan." * As part of the...
July 2, 2009, 4:19 pm, 520538
As John shows below, the unemployment numbers released by the Labor Department today provide strong evidence that the Democrats' stimulus package has not succeeded thus far in curbing unemployment. Indeed, notwithstanding the Democratic over-promising, it was always difficult to see how the package could curb unemployment in ...
July 2, 2009, 4:19 pm, 520539
The times being what they are, one would think that Congressmen would make some effort to economize, if only to show symbolic support for constituents who are being laid off. But no: the Wall Street Journal reports that spending on taxpayer-funded, overseas Congressional travel continues to rise. ...
July 2, 2009, 4:19 pm, 520537
President Obama has nominated Douglas Kmiec to be the U.S. ambassador to Malta. If the past is any guide, there's a good chance that Malta will soon be described on someone's website bio as a terribly important place attended to by a
July 2, 2009, 4:19 pm, 520536
THE ORIGINAL KING OF IRONY STRIKES AGAIN.... Karl Rove cracks me up. Consider what he told Fox News this morning: "This White House has carried pre-packaged, organized, controlled, scripted events to a new height, and they're getting away with things...
July 2, 2009, 4:19 pm, 520535
BARTON IDENTIFIES 'CARBONGATE'.... Throughout his career, Rep. Joe Barton, the Republican congressman from ExxonMobil, has been something of an embarrassment. Part of the problem is his reflexive right-wing ideology. Another part is his well-deserved reputation for being the most pro-pollution...
July 2, 2009, 4:18 pm, 520534
Krishna Guha to the orange courtesy phone, please.
The headline over your article is:
Romer Upbeat on US Economy
The quotes from the Hon. Christina D. Romer are:
We do not want to repeat the mistake Japan made in the 1990s, when the moment things started to improve they tightened ...
July 2, 2009, 4:18 pm, 520533
Gene Smolensky admonishes me for not having read Fool's Gold yet. "It's very good," he says, "But it doesn't have enough numbers."
July 2, 2009, 2:19 pm, 520446
In the UAE slander is broadly defined and taken seriously. Abu Dhabi has reached out to help Dubai weather the worldwide economic downturn. One wonders whether
a disagreement over the publication of horse doping story could harm that relationship.
July 2, 2009, 2:19 pm, 520445
Yesterday, at a townhall meeting in Annandale, Virginia, President Obama declared the stimulus bill a success. "It's done its job," he said.
Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the nation's employers, both private and public. ...
July 2, 2009, 2:19 pm, 520444
The Washington Post reports on an interview of Saddam Hussein conducted by an FBI agent shortly before Saddam was hanged. The former dictator of Iraq said that he allowed the world to believe he had wapons of mass destruction because he did not want to appear weak ...
July 2, 2009, 2:18 pm, 520443
WHITE HOUSE HEARTS HELP BILL.... It looks like the health care reform plan crafted by Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has at least one important fan: President Obama. The White House issued this statement...
July 2, 2009, 2:18 pm, 520442
A PATTERN EMERGES.... Time's Joe Klein notices that a certain former U.N. ambassador has a preoccupation with bombing a certain Middle Eastern country, and manages to keep finding major newspapers to publish his thoughts on the subject. In the Washington...
July 2, 2009, 2:18 pm, 520441
WAPO SCRAPS SALON SCHEME.... When a major national newspaper schedules an event connecting lobbyists and policymakers in exchange for lots of money, there's only so much damage control the outlet can do. In light of this morning's revelations, the Washington...
July 2, 2009, 2:18 pm, 520440
Susan Davis retypes a statement issued by John Boehner's office:
Republicans Blame Obama Policies for Job Losses.
Retyping Republican press releases is not a sustainable business model for anyone save Matt Drudge...
Why oh why can't we have a better press corps?
July 2, 2009, 2:18 pm, 520439
The Economist's free exchange:
Fifty little Hoovers, hoovering up stimulus: MATTHEW YGLESIAS makes a good point:
Reading Harold Meyerson’s column on the looming devastation of California public services was yet another reminder of the remarkable extent to which the terrible continuing economic situation has ...
July 2, 2009, 12:18 pm, 520331
WASH. POST SELLING ACCESS?.... It's hardly a secret that newspapers, including the major dailies, have run into serious financial problems in recent years, and are frantically looking for new revenue streams. But if this report from Mike Allen is accurate,...
July 2, 2009, 12:18 pm, 520330
THE UNINSURED.... Following up on yesterday's item, the Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed yesterday from someone named George Newman, described as "an economist and retired business executive." The point of the piece was to try to debunk some of...
July 2, 2009, 12:18 pm, 520329
THURSDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. * After taking some steps towards the race, former Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) announced that he...
July 2, 2009, 12:18 pm, 520328
The BLS says:
And David Rosenberg, via Barry Ritholtz:
July 2, 2009, 10:19 am, 520220
In the course of his post on the Obama administration's negotiations with Iran-backed terrorists and the release of a terrorist responsible for murdering American troops, Andrew McCarthy asks four questions:
Will no one ask about why we have released an Iran-backed terrorist who is responsible for ...
July 2, 2009, 10:19 am, 520219
We are experimenting with a new comment system. If you click on the "view responses" button, you can post a comment as well as see comments that others have made. Please remember that comments are moderated, and you must include your first and last name if you want your ...
July 2, 2009, 10:19 am, 520218
The gossipy nature of the dispute between Steve Schmidt and Bill Kristol over the anti-Palin leaks by the McCain campaign last year (and the breezy conclusion to my post on the subject) should not obscure the fact that someone engaged in deplorable conduct. Specifically, when ...
July 2, 2009, 10:19 am, 520217
AN AMA CHANGE OF HEART? NOT REALLY.... A few weeks ago, the American Medical Association said it's open to exploring reform options, just so long a public option is not part of the larger effort. This didn't come as a...
July 2, 2009, 10:19 am, 520216
NOT A GREEN SHOOT.... The unemployment trend had at least been going in the right direction. While the overall unemployment rate was going up, the month-to-month numbers offered at least some signs of encouragement -- March's numbers were better than...
July 2, 2009, 10:19 am, 520215
EIGHT MONTHS LATER.... CBS News published an item late yesterday, pointing to a series of internal emails sent within the McCain-Palin campaign three weeks before Election Day. Their source is probably more interesting than their content. At the time, the...
July 2, 2009, 10:18 am, 520214
So we’re in the new era of the Swedish presidency of the European council. Insh’allah this will be the last country presidency under the rotating system once all that Lisbon messiness is sorted out. The Swedes have the advantage of taking over from the politically hobbled Czech presidency and they ...
July 2, 2009, 8:19 am, 520124
The Supreme Court opinion in Ricci v. DeStefano runs 93 pages including the concurring and dissenting opinions. It is therefore easy to miss the story told in Justice Alito's concurring opinion that lies behind plaintiffs' claims. Justice Alito's concurrence makes out the case that New Haven's ...
July 2, 2009, 8:18 am, 520123
IS 'HELP' ON THE WAY?.... Just two weeks ago, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scored a health care reform plan crafted by Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The results were ugly: the plan would...
July 2, 2009, 6:18 am, 520065
Animated by yesterday’s export driven PMI result, Sweden takes poll position in quantitative easing and commits to keeping 0.25% rates on hold till the end of 2010. Mind you, they are lucky enough to have Princeton economist and avid deflation fighter Lars Svensson in there on the board ...
July 2, 2009, 4:18 am, 519994
July 2, 2009, 2:18 am, 519962
From Macro Advisers:
Private nonfarm payroll employment declined by 473,000 from May to June on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the ADP National Employment Report™. Assuming government payrolls expand by 12,000 (the average monthly increase over the last year), this implies an estimated 461,000 decline in ...
July 2, 2009, 12:19 am, 519954
At my online property Big Brass Blog, I was asked to comment on recent analysis of the role of a financial institution in what has come to be called the "financial meltdown," and I herewith take an unapologetic turn at the entire mentality that has taken hold of intelligentsia as ...
July 2, 2009, 12:19 am, 519952
Byron York catches Barney Frank with his hand in the till. The issue is TARP: recall that the banks that received TARP money are supposed to repay it to the Treasury, along with dividend payments. President Obama has held out hope that the taxpayers may, in ...
July 2, 2009, 12:19 am, 519953
If Rep. Robert Wexler were smart, he'd feel like an idiot. Wexler, a liberal Democratic congressman from South Florida, was the first high-profile Jewish politician outside of Illinois to endorse Barack Obama's presidential candidacy. Thereafter, he vouched non-stop for Obama's bona fides as a friend of Israel. ...
July 2, 2009, 12:19 am, 519951
In a time when many states are experiencing fiscal crises and economic decline, one state stands out above all others as a success story: Texas. I recently heard Governor Tim Pawlenty say that during the year or so before job growth turned negative and the country as a ...
July 2, 2009, 12:18 am, 519950
...any attempt to construct a narrative around all the former Goldmanites in influential positions quickly becomes an absurd and pointless exercise, like trying to make a list of everything. What you need to know is the big picture: If America is circling the drain, Goldman Sachs has found a way ...
July 2, 2009, 12:18 am, 519948
He said it back in 2003, when it was a Bush stimulus rather than an Obama stimulus program. But sauce for the goose...
Mark Thoma deals the deck:
Economist's View: "Deficits are Worrisome, but Not as Worrisome as an Economy that is Not Growing and is Rapidly Shedding ...
July 2, 2009, 12:18 am, 519949
Grasping Reality with Both Hands: The Invisible College: J. Bradford DeLong (2006), "The Invisible College," Chronicle of Higher Education Review 52:47 (July 28, 2006):
The Chronicle: 7/28/2006: The Invisible College: Right now I'm looking out my office window, perched above the large, grassy, Frisbee-playing, picnicking, and sunbathing area that ...
July 1, 2009, 10:19 pm, 519916
I'm a big fan of Sarah Palin, an exemplar of the longstanding American tradition of citizen reformers. At the same time, I don't take her very seriously as a 2012 Presidential candidate. Still, there is no denying that she brings a unique dimension to our often ugly political ...
July 1, 2009, 10:19 pm, 519915
President Obama held an "online town hall" health care meeting in Annandale, Virginia today. It was televised and, coincidentally, I happened to catch the emotional centerpiece of the production on CNN. Obama gave a long introductory pitch in support of his health care plan, and then opened the ...
July 1, 2009, 10:19 pm, 519914
A bitter dispute has broken out in the aftermath of an ugly attack piece about Sarah Palin that appeared in Vanity Fair (the title -- "It Came From Wasilla" -- tells you all you need to know). That story angered Bill Kristol, who pointed the finger at ...
July 1, 2009, 10:19 pm, 519913
Rasmussen reports that the Supreme Court's reversal of Sonia Sotomayor's decision in the Ricci case has caused her public support to slip badly:
A heavily publicized U.S. Supreme Court reversal of an appeals court ruling by Judge Sonia Sotomayor has at least temporarily diminished public support for President Obama's first ...
July 1, 2009, 6:18 pm, 519874
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INSURERS AND SUPERMARKETS.... The Wall Street Journal ran a very odd op-ed today from someone named George Newman, described as "an economist and retired business executive." The point of the piece was to try to debunk some...
July 1, 2009, 6:18 pm, 519873
WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Diplomats from the E.U. are considering "whether to withdraw the ambassadors of all 27 member nations in a dispute over the detention of the British Embassy's local personnel." * Honduras grows isolated:...
July 1, 2009, 6:18 pm, 519872
Global manufacturing took another step towards growth in June - but the process was, as ever, uneven. The JPMorgan Global Manufacturing PMI posted 46.9, its highest reading since last August. The current output component even expanded slightly following a year-long period of contraction. The PMI has now remained below the ...
July 1, 2009, 4:18 pm, 519802
THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT'S 'WALL OF SILENCE'.... Most of the relevant players have weighed in on South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) personal and professional difficulties, but Dan Gilgoff reports there's one group whose silence stands out. One week after Mark...
July 1, 2009, 4:18 pm, 519803
GET THEM A FAINTING COUCH.... You know who's having a hard time adjusting to Al Franken's Senate victory in Minnesota? Fox News. Glenn Beck said of the senator-elect, "[I]t shows how crazy our country has gone.... [I]t shows that we've...
July 1, 2009, 4:18 pm, 519801
BACHMANN PUSHES HER LUCK WITH GOP COLLEAGUES.... Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) bizarre obsession with the national census -- she's said she's prepared to break the law and not answer census questions -- has become so annoying, some of her far-right...
July 1, 2009, 2:19 pm, 519733
LOOKING FOR DADT 'FLEXIBILITY'.... At this point, the Obama administration supports repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and will sign a repeal into law if Congress passes one. Of course, this issue isn't exactly on the front burner on the...
July 1, 2009, 2:19 pm, 519732
THE EPA'S FAR-RIGHT CAUSE CELEBRE.... The conservative Washington Times ran a piece today on one of the right's new favorite subjects. Republican lawmakers, coming off a loss Friday in their attempt to block passage of a massive climate bill, have...
July 1, 2009, 2:19 pm, 519731
THE DREADED 'BUSH-OBAMA' ECONOMIC AGENDA.... An interesting new House Republican memo, obtained by Greg Sargent, takes aim at George W. Bush's economic policies, and tries to connect the unpopular former president with President Obama. The memo directly blames Bush's handling...
July 1, 2009, 2:18 pm, 519730
David Leonhardt writes:
Mistake by Obama’s Advisers in Predicting Job Losses: In the weeks just before President Obama took office, his economic advisers made a mistake. They got a little carried ...
July 1, 2009, 12:19 pm, 519636
We have invited political historian Paul Rahe to write something for us on the themes of his timely new book Soft Depotism, Democracy's Drift: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville, and the Modern Prospect. Professor Rahe writes:
President Obama has one distinguishing feature. He is a man of rigid self-discipline. Politicians ...
July 1, 2009, 12:19 pm, 519634
WHAT AMERICANS REALLY NEED.... Former CIA official Michael Scheuer has taken some provocative policy positions over the years, but I never thought he'd go this far. Talking with Fox News' Glenn Beck, Scheuer argues, "The only chance we have as...
July 1, 2009, 12:19 pm, 519635
A DELAYED FOOD FIGHT.... I've only read excerpts of Todd Purdum's Vanity Fair piece on Sarah Palin, but it relies on McCain campaign aides to cast the Alaska governor in a very unflattering light. "They can't quite believe that for...
July 1, 2009, 12:18 pm, 519633
WEDNESDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. * Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) conceded yesterday that he is "going to get into the race...
July 1, 2009, 12:18 pm, 519632
July 1, 2009, 12:18 pm, 519630
anonymous writes:
The Dreadful Armenian Star Thistle...: Congratulations, your blog is now the #1 Google result for "armenian star thistle".
Posted by: anonymous | July 01, 2009 at 08:32 AM
July 1, 2009, 12:18 pm, 519631
I can envision seeing a more complete, more craven, and even funnier abdication of the journalist's responsibility to inform his or her audience--for some reason "Josef Stalin: lover of puppies or genocidal dictator?" springs to mind--but I never have.
Jonathan Martin raises the bar:
Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com: ...
