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

Tax cuts and Republican leaders

CBS News reports: Wallace asked Kyl on “Fox News Sunday”: “At a time Republicans are saying that they can’t extend unemployment benefits unless you pay for them, tell me, how are you going to pay that $678 billion to keep those Bush tax cuts for the wealthy?” Responded the Arizona senator: “[Y]ou should never raise […]

Wilder on the radio

Rebecca Wilder and Ian Masters on Radio KPFK Daily Briefing have a conversation on economic policy and social consequences (July 13, about 43 minutes into the show).

Ezra Klein’s straw man argument. Rep Shuler’s 500 jobs and only 3 apply. Coburn on Washington Journal

by Daniel Beckerupdated: Tom Coburn, not John.I was not sure how to title this but, today on Washington Journal, Tom Coburn was on to talk about the economy and unemployment. At 2 minutes into the interview, Greta Brawner presents Ezra Klein’s take from this article: “And we’re just going to leave them without incomes and without […]

HEALTH CARE: Bureaucrats Gone Insane

Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt HEALTH CARE: BUREAUCRATS GONE INSANE (topic update) President Obama wants health care provider to invest in electronic medical records networked in electronic health records systems. President Obama put funds in the the stimulus bill to subsidize providers’ large capital outlays. President Obama wanted “meaningful” EHR utilization, and only providers meeting the […]

Dodd-Frank Bill closer to passage as Republicans Sign On

by Linda Bealecrossposted with Ataxingmatter Dodd-Frank Bill closer to passage as Republicans Sign On Senators Brown (R-MA), Snowe (R-ME) and Collins (R-ME) have indicated that they will support the financial reform package. Along with Maria Cantwell, who had hesitated because of the bill’s relative weakness at correcting the key problems that caused the financial crisis, […]

More than an election message

George Lakoff offers his take on some of the mistakes Democrats are making currently in their overall message to the nation compared to the Republicans, with the backdrop and rulings from Rush Limbaugh on proper behavior for the Republican political leadership: Why conservative lies_spread_and what progressives can do to fight them Fit matters. The brain […]

Who Scores the Deficit Commission: CBO or OACT?

by Bruce Webb (My God, can we get any more jargony and wonkish? Well “Si, Si, Puede!”) When the Greenspan Commission was convened back in 1982 Social Security scoring started and stopped with the SSA Office of the Chief Actuary who are also tasked with researching, compiling and presenting the Annual Report for review and […]

HEALTH CARE: Can Mom Live Forever?

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt HEALTH CARE: Can Mom Live Forever? Many of us have had the experience of losing a parent. It is a life passage that is impossible to completely prepare for. Problem is, mom is not going to live forever, and at some point aggressive care makes no sense – except to […]

FHFA Issues Subpoenas for PLS Documents

Hat tip Calculated Risk for pointing us to the FHFA Issues Subpoenas for PLS Documents at the FHFA website. CR notes that Many of the originators of the PLS mortgages are no longer in business (New Century, etc.), however most of the PLS issuers still exist. Update: From the The Washington Post Fannie and Freddie […]