Outside the Beltway

The House Republicans are functionally insane.

The House GOP has scheduled a vote next week on a debt ceiling package that is solely designed to mollify the base.

The idea that the GOP can block a debt ceiling vote and benefit politically is, quite simply, absurd.

Right now, it’s more prudent for the Federal government to borrow money than to pay cash.

The idea that we can avoid the consequences of failing to raise the debt ceiling is patently absurd.

It was a largely fruitless weekend in the debt negotiations.

A study shows how a brief blip in payments in 1979 had negative consequences.

While unemployment remains stubbornly high, Washington is spending its time fighting over the budget deficit

The White House has apparently rejected using a tortured interpretation of the 14th Amendment to deal with the debt ceiling debate.

Barack Obama’s leadership style may be his undoing.

We might be looking at a potential fiscal crisis.

And even more bad news.

All in all, not looking like it will be a fun summer.

Is our current economic situation the result of massive government intervention? The Randians certainly think so.

Moodys warns the the Republican plan to cut spending could cost the economy 700,000 jobs.

Freshman Members of Congress are threatening to block a vote to raise the debt ceiling that Congress will have to take by this Spring. They’d be irresponsible if they did so.

The Federal Reserve is injecting $ 600,000,000,000 into the economy, primarily in the hope that it will boost stock prices and, in turn, the economy. It might work, but if it doesn’t the consequences could be severe.

Dow closes above 11,000 for first time since May after a decline in jobs boosts hopes of stimulus measures from the Fed.

The CBO sees a clear threat of a fiscal crisis during the next two decades unless we’re saved by magic ponies.

For many reasons, the housing market is unlikely to fully recover for the foreseeable future.

The Fed chair, seemingly oblivious to the fact things are pretty bad already, promises to do something if the economy falters. But he’s about out of arrows in his quiver.

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

If lawyers and MBAs don’t understand their mortgage documents, what chance do the rest of us have?