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

THE CBO AND SOCIAL SECURITY… HYSTERIA and HONEST MATH

by Dale Coberly THE CBO AND SOCIAL SECURITY HYSTERIA and HONEST MATH The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a new projection for the costs of Social Security  [no citation.  I looked up the link in the AEI article (below) and did not immediately find a projection for SS].   They say that increases in […]

It’s Working: Pubs’ Polls Plummeting

Give the Republicans enough rope and they’ll hang themselves? It seems to be working. Yeah, it looks like Dems have taken a hit from this whole business, as Republicans hoped they would. But like the debate in general, it’s very much not symmetrical. Combine this with the Pubs’ internal discord: are they reaching the point that […]

John Boehner Demands Fairness to Arkansan Butch Matthews and His Wife, and Offers to Give Up His Own Healthcare Insurance, Just to Start the Fairness Thing Rolling.

WASHINGTON — House Republicans emerged from a closed-door meeting on Friday with no new strategy to end the budget standoff and an angry plea to President Obama to negotiate over his health care law. “This isn’t some damned game,” said Speaker John A. Boehner, his voice rising in anger. “The American people don’t want their […]

Rand Paul* Says That If He Becomes President, He Will Give In To Dem Demands To Dictate Union and Tax Law. Oh, and the Farm Bill and Environmental Law. Really.

Hot Mic Catches Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul Scheming Here’s the transcript, notice the focus on principle: PAUL: I just did CNN, and I just go over and over again: “We’re willing to compromise! We’re willing to negotiate.!” I don’t think they poll tested “we won’t negotiate.” I think it’s awful for [Democrats] to say […]

Do lower wages REALLY increase the natural level of output? Aren’t they missing something?

One thing that is seen sometimes is a strange teaching in economics and business. The teaching says that lower costs of production will increase the natural level of real GDP output. Now the natural level of real GDP output is considered the limit at which the economy can produce. It is seen as the total […]

Dear GOP: a Daily Kos staff reminder on the constitutional process for changing the law

by Linda Beale Dear GOP: a Daily Kos staff reminder on the constitutional process for changing the law The Tea Party/GOP coalition has often talked about the importance of the Constitution, but one can’t help wondering if the recent extortionist behavior doesn’t belie that, when the governnment shutdown it has caused as a means of […]

Chris Hayes, Why don’t you have me on as a guest?

On October 2, 2013 Chris Hayes had on Larry Kudlow to discuss the economics of the government shut down.  All I can say is, I could not believe he was the one Chris went to for insight.  Maybe he had to because, you know, Kudlow is related to him via the network they work at.  But really, […]

Is low inflation bad?

Even if inflation (CPI less food and energy) stays steady between 1% and 2%, there really is no problem. Prices are still rising. Paul Krugman would like to see inflation rise because that would lower real interest rates. But that is not going to happen, and he shouldn’t be expecting that it will. Is there […]