Outside the Beltway

Bill O’Reilly makes a convincing argument for raising taxes on the wealthy.

The second half of the President’s political strategy is in place. Don’t mistake it for a serious legislative effort.

Some perspective on “soaking the rich.”

We won’t solve our fiscal problems by soaking “the rich.”

President Obama is proposing a special tax rate for millionaires.

The “how to pay for it” part of the President’s jobs plan seems destined to be rejected by the GOP. Which may be exactly what the President wants.

Karl Smith does the math and doesn’t see why the Federal government should be collecting ANY taxes right now.

Jon Huntsman is out with a tax and jobs plan that deserves a lot more attention than it’s likely to get.

Denying the Tea Party’s role in the downgrade of U.S. debt is to deny reality.

Any politician telling you that solving our problems will be easy is lying to you.

The immediate reaction among the political class to the debt downgrade was the play the same old stupid games.

The job approval numbers for Congress are at historic lows, but will that matter in 2012?

Has a precedent been set for future requests by the President to increase the debt ceiling?

You thought you’d seen the worst of Congress in July? Oh, you silly American you.

Congress failing to raise the debt ceiling would involve abrogating an enormous amount of power to the Executive.

How the reelection incentive and parliamentary procedure are affecting the debt ceiling debate in Congress.

In the 80’s it was yachts, today it’s private jets. The argument is the same, and it’s still without merit.

Even if we adopt the “Cut, Cap and Balance” plan, tax hikes are a necessity.

We need to have a serious debate on taxes and spending. And it would be nice if the debate was honest.

Right now, it’s more prudent for the Federal government to borrow money than to pay cash.

Do people who take advantage of tax breaks get a “government benefit”?

It was a largely fruitless weekend in the debt negotiations.

It’s still politics as usual in Washington.

What exactly is the GOP trying to accomplish in the debt ceiling negotiations?

The Ronald Reagan that Republicans lionize is very different from the one who actually served as 40th President of the United States.

House and Senate Republicans are pushing a Balanced Budget Amendment. It sounds like a good idea, but it isn’t.

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

Rand Paul has borrowed a bad idea from the 2008 Presidential campaign.

Republicans seem to have realized that the Ryan Plan’s Medicare reforms aren’t going anywhere.

There are signs that the Ryan Plan isn’t playing well with the public.

Tax compliance employs more workers than Wal-Mart, UPS, McDonalds, IBM, and Citigroup — combined.

The GOP seems to be telling President Obama that revenue increases are off the table. That’s a huge mistake.