Outside the Beltway

According to a new poll, the Tea Party movement, which is largely now the base of the GOP, is not completely in step with the views of American voters as a whole.

Within the first few months of 2011, Congress will be required to take another unpalatable vote to raise the debt ceiling. Already, some incoming Republicans are talking about waging an effort to block the vote. That would be politically, and financially, stupid.

A new poll about the proposals coming out of the Deficit Commission makes it clear that the American public needs to grow up.

The incoming freshman of the 112th Congress say that they won’t repeat the mistakes that Republicans made when they gained power sixteen years ago, but some of the advice they’re getting virtually guarantees it will happen if they aren’t careful.

Here’s my plan for creating a budget surplus of $126 billion by 2015 and $592 billion by 2030.

Is the current media environment a problem for proper political discourse?

The U.S. Postal Service is warning Congress that it could run out of cash next year without a government bailout. Meaning that this is the perfect opportunity to reform an organization that has been out-of-date for a decade now.

Democratic consultants Doug Schoen and Pat Caddell offer some free advice for President Obama. It’s worth every penny.

Okahoma’s James Inhofe has a message for the Tea Party movement — don’t be fooled by the “War On Earmarks.”

Eliminating earmarks is good policy and good politics.

The Chairmen of the National Debt Commission have released a draft report for consideration. It’s got some very good ideas, but it’s most likely Dead On Arrival.

They’ve won the elections, but Republicans still aren’t getting specific about exactly where they’d cut Federal spending.

Taxpayer “watchdog” groups are urging House Republicans to cut Congressional pay as an act of symbolism. It’s symbolism all right, pointless symbolism.

Now that the Republicans have control of the House, wheres the jobs? Why isn’t the economy fixed yet? Why do we still have a deficit? Why are we still in recession? Are Republicans secretly Muslim and trying to ruin our country?

David Broder offers up some odd ideas on the relationship between a war with Iran and the economy.

An ad for Republican Senate candidate Roy Blunt complains that his opponent voted to cut Medicare in order to support “government-run health care.”

Jack Conway’s “Aqua Buddha” ad has come back to haunt him in the polls, and may become the act that seals his fate on Election Day.

After months of media reporting on the Republican advantage in outside spending, NYT reports that Democrats retain a sizable advantage at the campaign level.

It’s unlikely that the Chinese yuan will replace the dollar as the world’s reserve currency any time soon.

The GOP looks likely to win substantial victories next Tuesday, and may even take control of both Houses of Congress, but they’ve already made their own failure inevitable.

The coalition of voters that propelled Barack Obama to an historic victory in 2008 is seemingly falling apart, and the President is reacting by blaming the voters.

Today’s college students are 40 percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago. Is our political culture to blame?

Yesterday’s appearance by Carly Fiorina on Fox News Sunday provided an excellent example of how un-serious Republicans are when it comes to living up to their fiscally conservative rhetoric.

The Washington Post looks around and discovers that the Tea Party isn’t racist after all. Their bad, I guess.

We must abandon an Industrial Age education system that rewards compliance and stifles creativity.

Harry Reid think it’s his Constitutional duty spend other people’s money and bring it home to Nevada. His constituents seem to have other ideas this year.

Despite hopes that they could help reverse a 20 year trend, both Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman are beginning to lose ground in their races for statewide office in California.

President Obama’s approval is at its lowest point to date, matching President Clinton’s in 1994. It’s 14 points higher than his predecessor’s.

In 1994, it was the Contract With America. In 2010, it’s the Pledge To America. But does it really mean anything regardless of what it’s called ?

In addition to Delaware, the Tea Party movement appears to have a shot to upset an establishment candidate in New York.

A Public Policy Survey poll taken over the weekend — apparently the only survey taken thus far — has eccentric Tea Party candidate Christine O’Donnell leading Mike Castle 47-43 in the race for the Republican nomination for Delaware Senate contest that will be decided Tuesday.

David Brooks blames our economic woes on a change from a culture that valued productive work to one of gentility. And Bill Cosby.

With Rahm Emanuel apparently set to leave the White House to run for Mayor of Chicago, speculation is turning to who may replace him in what some have called the nation’s de facto Prime Minister-ship.

According to Paul Krugman’s latest column, the massive destruction of World War Two was actually good for the U.S. economy. Sadly, there are people who consider him an expert.

Facing a difficult economy and a very bad November, the Obama administration is considering a tax cut proposal to spur hiring.

Aging Vietnam vets are being treated for diabetes and other ailments unrelated to their service on the taxpayers’ dime. We can’t afford it.

FOX reports that the entire combat phase of the Iraq War will cost less than President Obama’s stimulus. That’s not a useful comparison.

More audio from Angle’s past interviews.

Another set of bad economic numbers are out today, and one wonders when we’ll start getting the good news.

Sarah Palin’s decision to back a long-shot candidate in the GOP Senate primary in Alaska didn’t exactly work out as planned.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is superbly qualified for the presidency. But our system virtually assures that he won’t be a serious contender for the job.

Paul Krugman’s Medicare projections don’t line up with what the actuaries are telling us.