Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Waldmann’s thoughts on voting districts

by Robert Waldmann I think this is the best post I have read so far on the topic by Kathleen Geier.  Just go read it before reading my comment below. Of course I have my usual comments: Thank you Kathleen Geier  for your excellent post based on good shoe leather (OK leather ear to the phone) reporting.  I […]

More on the Threat to Social Security and Medicare from the so-called "Fiscal Cliff"

by Linda Beale More on the Threat to Social Security and Medicare from the so-called “Fiscal Cliff” In several posts recently I have discussed the harmful demands the right is engaging in related to the so-called “fiscal cliff” created by the original Bush tax cuts (set to sunset en masse), the artificial debt ceiling (used […]

Health Care Thoughts: Health Exchange Delay

by  Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care Thoughts: Health Exchange Delay The Obama administration has delayed the decision point on state health exchanges until December 14th. Much of the discussion on this issue has centered on politics. My focus is on more practical issues. The Obama administration has a track record of being unable to […]

Sore-Losing Doesn’t Bode Well for Well-Considered Policy Choices on Taxes…

by Linda Beale Sore-Losing Doesn’t Bode Well for Well-Considered Policy Choices on Taxes… Romney and Ryan have apparently joined the GOP sore-losers ranks most ably demonstrated by John McCain’s bitter post-presidential candidate spin.  Romney betrayed the GOP’s disregard for ordinary Americans in a post-election talk with some of his major donors. Like his “47% comment” […]

What the Fiscal Cliff Means for the Middle Class

by Kenneth Thomas What the Fiscal Cliff Means for the Middle Class Now that the election is over, it seems like all the politicians and pundits can talk about is the so-called “fiscal cliff.” But the chatter around the fiscal cliff is deeply weird, so in this post I will explain what it is and […]

After selling the election

In a previous post Fiscal cliff and the frenzy  I pointed to the rush of reporting the day after the election. Some of these articles should be in the op-ed section instead of reporting. Lori Montgomery “Avoiding hard decisions could have grave consequences, analysts say…”         …  Few expect Washington to replicate the […]

Elites Demanding Austerity Also Ignored Housing Bubble

Dean Baker writes to the question of who is pushing the fiscal cliff idea: Elites Demanding Austerity Also Ignored Housing Bubble … it was somewhat shocking to see a book review in The New York Times by Noam Scheiber, an editor at The New Republic, that longed for the day when we will have people […]

Calling all Americans: we face an "austerity crisis" not a fiscal "cliff”

by Linda Beale Calling all Americans: we face an “austerity crisis” not a fiscal “cliff”; we need a piecemeal solution, not a “grand bargain” Keynesian economic theory is the only theory that has gotten much of what’s gone on in the last few decades correct, but of course the GOP market fundamentalists, in reliance on […]