A Little Logic Teeing off on an excerpt from Mayor Gavin Newsom’s appearance Larry King Live, Slacktivist applies a bit of logic: Newsom highlights the contradiction embraced by those who want to argue both that same-sex marriages are not constitutional and that the Constitution must be amended in order to make such marriages illegal. If […]

Greenspan Update In a comment to Kash’s post, I said Oddly, however, Greenspan actually saying this [SSI benefits need to be cut] makes his alleged long term goal less likely to come to pass, because it certainly isn’t a favor to Bush’s reelection odds. Here’s Josh Marshall saying the same thing: But Greenspan did the […]

Greenspan on Social Security Greenspan testified before the House Budget Committee today. Much of his talk was devoted to discussing the long-run fiscal implications of the retirement of the baby boomers. His recommendation for solving the long-term forecast shortfall in the Social Security trust fund is simple: cut benefits. I believe that a thorough review […]

Japan Remains Reptilian It’s a great metaphor, and we can thank a Morgan Stanley economist Osamu Tanaka for adding such poetry to the dismal science: [W]e do not think any full-fledged rebound in personal consumption [in Japan] can be expected, because corporations continue to restrain personnel spending and households’ need to restore depleted savings both […]

US Money Supply Numerous people have commented in recent weeks about the drop in the US money supply over the past few months. The graph below illustrates the concern. “Narrow” money supply (M1) grew more slowly in the end of 2003, but not unusually so. However, the growth in M2 (which includes cash, checking accounts, […]

On the Lighter Side … This is very funny. (Via Cynical-C.) And speaking of funny, read this letter from Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) to Council of Economic Advisors Chairman Mankiw. And no, it’s not a parody, it’s a transcription of the actual letter. Click and see Dingell explain his nomination of the Hon. Mayor McCheese […]

The Triple-X Amendment Democrats need to highlight the idiocy of Bush’s proposed bigotry amendment. I think the best way to do that is to fight to attach bans on turpitude in all its forms: adultery, divorce, fornication, hand-jobs, sodomy, you name it. If it’s not missionary with your opposite-gendered spouse, then by God, the XXVIIIth […]

Andy, Meet Light. See the Light Andrew Sullivan waxes eloquently on Bush’s blatant pander to ignorance, fear, and prejudice: The president launched a war today against the civil rights of gay citizens and their families. And just as importantly, he launched a war to defile the most sacred document in the land. … Not since […]

Jobs in Ohio The number of lost jobs in Ohio (265,000 jobs) is about 90,000 more than Bush’s margin of victory in 2000 (176,000 votes). I’d say that makes Ohio very likely to swing Democratic in 2004. And as GOP strategist Scott Reed recently pointed out, “No Republican has ever been elected president without carrying […]

More Context on the Size of the US Government While I’m at it, here’s another picture providing some more context. Apparently, the US and France also disagree quite a bit about the appropriate size of the government. Rush Limbaugh can add that to the list of reasons why France is evil. This evidence comes not […]