Month: July 2011
-
Another Sign Rick Perry Is In The Race
It looks like the wife is on board: AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Rick Perry will need money, organization, staff and stamina if he runs for president. But he appears to already have the support that’s most important for the race — his wife’s. Following a brief meeting on state finances Tuesday, Perry talked expansively for…
-
Atlantis Lands For The Last Time, Shuttle Program Comes To An End
After 135 flights the Space Shuttle program officially came to an end today as Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center: The last space shuttle flight rolled to a stop at 5:58 a.m. on Thursday, closing an era of the nation’s space program.\ “Mission complete, Houston,” said Capt. Christopher J. Ferguson of the Navy, commander…
-
The Debt Ceiling is a Housekeeping Procedure
The House Republicans are functionally insane.
-
More Allen West/Debbie Wasserman-Schultz Weirdness: The Mystery Of The Missing Apology
Allen West says he apologized for the comments that James Joyner wrote about earlier today, but Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s office says no such apology has been received: Did he or didn’t he? Shortly after Roll Call reported Wednesday afternoon that Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) said that he had apologized to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) for…
-
Opponent Of Gay Marriage Blames Child’s Murder On Gay Marriage
First, some background, about a week ago, a young Hasidic boy named Leiby Kletzky was abducted while walking home from a day camp in his Brooklyn neighborhood. When his body was found it was discovered that he had been brutally murdered and an Orthdox Jew who lived in the neighborhood has been arrested for his…
-
It’s Pretty Sad When A Headline From The Onion Reads Like Today’s Front Page
Read it and weep H/T: John Cole
-
On Debt Deal, Americans Want Compromise Not Grandstanding
Three new polls provide a warning to both sides of the debt negotiations, but mostly to Republicans.
-
Al Franken Distorts CDC Study to Claim Distortion of Study
Senator Al Franken called Focus on the Family’s Tom Minnery a liar in yesterday’s hearing on DOMA. Franken was the one being dishonest.
-
With President Obama’s Backing, Senate Takes Up Repeal Of DOMA
It won’t go anywhere this year, but after 15 years someone is finally trying to repeal a bad law.
-
Judd Gregg: House GOP Won’t Make A Deal Until After A Shutdown And Default
Former New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg doesn’t think his fellow Republicans over in the lower house of Congress will make a deal until they see proof of how much pain not raising the debt ceiling will cause: Former Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) says Social Security checks will need to be halted before House Republicans will…
-
Will Michele Bachmann’s Migraines Become A Campaign Headache?
Speculation about Michele Bachmann’s health continues.
-
Quote of the Day – Winklevoss Twins Edition
One of the things you learn as a college president is that if an undergraduate is wearing a tie and jacket on Thursday afternoon at three o’clock, there are two possibilities. One is that they’re looking for a job and have an interview; the other is that they are an a**hole.
-
Army Personal Blast Sensors
The Army is fielding tiny blast sensors to gauge the effects of explosions on individual soldiers.
-
Allen West is an Embarrassment
Freshman GOP Representative Allen West is a loose cannon and unfit for office.
-
Iowa Caucuses In December? Our Broken Primary Scheduling System
Once again, the primary scheduling race is getting ridiculous.
-
The System Is the Cause of Systemic Failure
To save the world economy and themselves Germany and China must change course.
-
House Passes “Cut, Cap & Balance” On Party-Line Vote
Last night’s vote on the House GOP’s “Cut, Cap & Balance” plan went about as expected: House Republicans on Tuesday approved an ambitious but legislatively ill-fated plan to enact deep spending restraints that could clear the decks for a compromise over the debt limit. The so-called “cut, cap and balance” measure passed on a party-line…
-
Post-Gaddafi Libya
Is NATO prepared for what happens when they win?
-
Michele Bachmann: My Migranes Don’t Affect My Job Performance
In response to the Daily Caller report that I wrote about this morning, Michele Bachmann has released a statement: “Like nearly 30 million other Americans, I experience migraines that are easily controlled with medication. I am a wife, a mother, a lawyer who worked her way through law school, a former state senator who achieved…
-
Romney, Bachmann Lead GOP Race In New NBC/WSJ Poll
The Michele Bachmann surge continues, and the fortunes of candidates such as Tim Pawlenty and Herman Cain continue to falter: Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota has stormed into second place among Republican primary voters in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, but former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney remains the front-runner, according to a new…
-
Federal Appeals Court: Threatening To Kill Then-Candidate Obama Is Protected Speech
What constitutes a true threat?
-
Gang Of Six Resurrecting The “Grand Bargain”?
The Gang of Six is back together. And they have a plan.
-
Evidence Of Prosecutorial Misconduct In Casey Anthony Trial
Even if Casey Anthony had been convicted, there’s a good chance she would have won on appeal.
-
House Democrats Invoke Ronald Reagan In Fight To Raise Debt Ceiling
A new ad from the House Democrats invokes The Gipper: I must say, nicely done.
-
Poll: Majority Believes Not Raising Debt Ceiling Would Be Problematic
Signs, perhaps, that the public is coming to recognize that the debt kamikazes have no idea what they’re talking about: A majority of Americans say that Congress failing to raise the debt ceiling would be a real and serious problem, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Fifty-five percent of all respondents —…
-
The Phony Budget Cuts In “Cut, Cap, And Balance”
Not surprisingly, it turns out that the House GOP’s “Cut, Cap, And Balance” plan, in addition to being little more than a political stunt, isn’t really serious about cutting spending: Under the bill, discretionary budget authority would be capped at about $1 trillion for FY 2012, and discretionary outlays would be capped at $1.22 trillion.…
-
Rupert Murdoch Assaulted in Parliamentary Hearing
Rupert Murdoch was attacked by a man with shaving cream 2 hours into Parliamentary testimony.
-
Wall Street Journal: The House GOP’s Balanced Budget Amendment Is A Bad Idea
One of the GOP’s staunchest media allies isn’t too impressed with their Balanced Budget Amendment.
-
The Debt Ceiling and National Security
Bruce Bartlett discusses The Debt Limit and National Security over at Economix. Also, a rather key observation: A key reason why the Chinese own so much of our debt is that they are risk-averse and would rather get a low rate of return on Treasuries, even though higher rates are available on corporate bonds and…
-
The Debate on Taxes Requires Honesty
We need to have a serious debate on taxes and spending. And it would be nice if the debate was honest.
-
Michele Bachmann’s “Stress-Related” “Incapacitating” Headaches Are Fair Game
A Presidential candidate’s medical condition is entirely relevant to their fitness for office.
-
Obama Says He’ll Veto “Cut, Cap, And Balance”
Not surprisingly, the White House announced yesterday that the President would veto the House GOP’s “Cut, Cap & Balance” plan if it came to his desk: The White House on Monday warned President Obama will veto GOP legislation to “cut, cap and balance” spending and the budget. In a statement of administration policy, the White…
-
New York Times Time-Lapse Video
A video of the New York Times website from September 2010 to July 2011.
-
Obama White House Fundraising Video a Crime?
Where is the line on using the White House to further the president’s re-election effort?
-
Can Republicans Govern?
David Brooks is mad as hell and he’s not gonna take it anymore.
-
A Question for the Business Types in the Audience
A question about borrowing.
-
Public Policy Polling Drops Tim Pawlenty From Statewide General Election Polling
This is most assuredly a bad sign for Team T-Paw: As a result of Tim Pawlenty’s poor performance in its latest national poll, Public Policy Polling will no longer include the former Minnesota governor on the list of candidates whom it polls in a direct match-up against President Barack Obama in state polls. Pawlenty will…
-
Eat Your Peas!
If you don’t eat your peas you’ll grow up to be a Congressman!
-
Herman Cain: Mitt Romney Can’t Win Because He Hasn’t Explained His Religion
Herman Cain’s obsession with divisive religious commentary continues, this time tossing the bomb of Mormonism into Mitt Romney’s tent in an Editorial Board interview with the Washington Times: This man is pathetic.
-
Third Bond Rating Firm Threatens Credit Downgrade If Debt Ceiling Isn’t Raised
After Moody’s and S&P warned us last week, the U.S. is now being warned by a third major bond rating farm: Another major bond rating firm on Monday reiterated its threat to downgrade the U.S. government to a B-plus rating if the debt ceiling isn’t raised by August 2 and the government defaults on its…
-
Moody’s Is Right, Eliminate The Debt Ceiling
Moody’s is on the right track. The current debt ceiling law has done more harm than good.
-
More Legal Troubles For News Corporation
Britain’s Channel 4 is reporting that the legal troubles for News Corporation and its subsidiaries are getting worse: First there was the Metropolitan Police investigation into phone hacking. Then it was an investigation into the payment of police officers for information. But now, and potentially most concerning to Newscorp shareholders, the focus has moved to…
-
Moody’s Recommends Eliminating the Debt Ceiling
Via Reuters: Moody’s suggests U.S. eliminate debt ceiling The United States is one of the few countries where Congress sets a ceiling on government debt, which creates "periodic uncertainty" over the government’s ability to meet its obligations, Moody’s said in a report. I would second that motion. h/t: Taegan Goddard.
-
Line of the Day (GA Immigration Law Edition)
“[W]e have turned good workers into criminals and turned criminals into bad workers, losing on both ends of the deal.”—Alex Tabarrok.
-
Another Major Scotland Yard Resignation in Hacking Scandal
Via WaPo: Cameron cuts short Africa trip; police second-in-command resigns Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who years ago made the decision to drop the police probe of the hacking scandal, announced his resignation Monday, one day after his boss did the same. Yates–once considered a candidate to run Scotland Yard–had defiantly sought to hold on to…
-
Even More Evidence of the Negative Consequences of not Raising the Debt Limit
Politico posts a report from MF Global that notes a failure to raise the debt ceiling would impact not just the federal government’s bond ratings, but local governments as well. From the report: In addition to placing the U.S. Government’s debt under review, Moody’s also placed on review approximately 7,000 Aaa-rated muni issuances with direct…
-
NewsCorp Strikes Back
WSJ has a blistering editorial seeking to put the NewsCorp hacking scandal in perspective.
-
An Attempt at Unpacking the News Corp Scandal
I must confess to having only paid peripheral attention at first, but it is clear that there is a major story here that requires attention.
-
Borders Headed For Liquidation, Remaining Stores Likely To Close
The Borders Books bankruptcy case hasn’t been going well, mostly because they’ve been unable to find a buyer willing and able to buy the company as a going concern: Borders’ bid deadline passed Sunday without any offers to keep the U.S.’s second-largest bookstore chain alive, so the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company moves closer to liquidation.…
-
No, You Don’t Need To Drink 64 Ounces Of Water A Day
Kevin Drum debunks a myth that seems to persist: why am I writing about this yet again? Because I’m amused by the fact that every couple of years someone rediscovers this myth, looks into it, and publishes a journal article debunking it. Valtin wrote about water requirements in 2002, the Institute of Medicine tackled the…