Republicans often emphasize the role of incentives. Bush says education is the key to having good jobs in the future. Both valid points. Now I understand the need for fiscal restraint, but why start here?

Go to this post at James Poling’s Blog, watch the relevant portion of the video, and then let me know if you can come up with a reasonable explanation. Seriously, I’d feel much better if you could. AB

I could say WHAT proposals, but there is some good news in this AP story: WASHINGTON (AP) — For President Bush to succeed in his drive to let workers put part of their Social Security taxes in private investment accounts, he’ll have to persuade Republicans like Rep. Ray LaHood to vote for it, and that […]

Via Daily Howler we see that Tucker Carlson thinks a poll from Frank Luntz is a substitute for a real analysis as to the solvency of Social Security: CARLSON: Iwant to put up probably the most famous poll ever taken on Social Security. It was taken 10 years ago. But I think it says something […]

Raines is finally out at Fannie Mae. The company seems to be in increasing difficulties, with recent investigations by regulatory agencies finding that Fannie Mae has hidden about $9 billion in losses over the past few years, basically by using the same accounting trick that WorldCom used a few years ago. It’s unclear at this […]

I’m working on a big Social Security post, but in the meantime, can we fire Don Rumsfeld yet? CNN personnel who have visited the base [where at least 19 troops, as well as others, were killed] said the dining area is a tent-like facility with no hardened protection — and that soldiers had specifically raised […]

David Brooks’ latest New York Times oped makes no sense to Juan Cole: David Brooks has a glib op-ed today in the New York Times in which he celebrates a moment of hope in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. He suggests that all the factors analysts have been complaining about– the hegemony of the Likud in Israel, […]

In President Bush’s surprise news conference, he was testy about fielding questions as to what his Social Security deform proposals would look like. But he did explain WHY we needed to have Social Security deform: There’s more we must do to keep this economy flexible, innovative and competitive in the world. In a time of […]

Jose Pinera’s Retiring in Chile states: Since the system started on May 1, 1981, the average real return on the personal accounts has been 10 percent a year. The Performance of the Funded Pension Systems in Latin America by Juan Yermo, which can found on this page discusses the privatized retirement plans of various Latin […]

…but now it’s official. Newsweek: Dec. 18 – Just two weeks after the September 11 attacks, a secret memo to White House counsel Alberto Gonzales’ office concluded that President Bush had the power to deploy military force “preemptively” against any terrorist groups or countries that supported them—regardless of whether they had any connection to the […]