Frank Rich, September 25 New York magazine. One excerpt, reporting data on what independents believe and why it might not be a good idea to have a strategy of winning them over through appeals to bipartisanship and centrism:
3 guesses who it is. And of course his lemming Republican colleagues apparently stand helpless to prevent this idiocy from determining the outcome. Senator Paul, you're not Howard Roark. Roark was a fictional architect. You're a sitting U.S. Senator who, one hopes, feels some real sense of responsibility for the safety of the people you represent.
"Drivers" in this case referring to NASCAR drivers. I'll get there are considerably more Americans who can name 5 NASCAR drivers than can name 3 currently serving elected federal officials.
Perhaps there is more to this and it is mere coincidence that 5 NASCAR drivers all have "scheduling conflicts" that require them to decline an invitation to meet with the President of the United States.
Disrespect. It can be contagious. And it definitely appears to be spreading lately in this country, whether one counts "lately" as the last 15-20 years or the last 15-20 months.
David Callahan, Senior Fellow at Demos, published today at The American Prospect online.
For more than a century, big business has counted on the Republican Party to do its bidding in Washington. Given recent debates over taxes and regulation—in which GOP lawmakers have catered to corporate interests—it might seem that not much has changed.
Washington Post, August 6, 2011, reported by Lori Montgomery, Paul Kane, Brady Dennis, Alec MacGillis, David Fahrenthold, Rosalind Helderman, Felicia Sonmez and Dan Balz. It was written by Dennis, MacGillis and Montgomery. (might need to register to access; sorry, but if so, reg. is free)
From the Editors at The American Prospect. 3 progressives--Dean Baker, Greg Anrig of The Century Foundation and Tamara Draut from Demos, offer their thoughts on what might be done to get people back to work and get a recovery going.
Leo Soderman (about whom I know not a thing), posted at Edited for Clarity on August 1. Perhaps the most positive take I have seen so far on the debt deal.
The most reasonable conclusion I and many others can reach in the wake of the debt ceiling fiasco, and more generally the events since last November, is that our President wants and means to pursue an austerity economic policy at this time.
He obtained Speaker Boehner's support for a grand bargain that would have been more contractionary, very possibly leading to more job loss and weaker economic growt
Moody’s will likely affirm the United States’ triple-A credit rating with a negative outlook, the ratings agency said Friday, signaling that there will be no immediate downgrade but could one come in the medium term.
Moody’s expectation, if the government fails to raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2, is based on the likely scenario the government will continue to service Treasuries obligations, even if it needs to prioritize bond payments while discussions continue on raising the debt ceiling.
