John Boehner And Harry Reid Release Competing, Mostly Incompatible, Debt Plans

John Boehner and Harry Reid introduced their debt plans. Now, where do we go from here?

The Final Verdict On The 2009 Stimulus: A Failure

President Obama smiled as he signed the 2009 stimulus into law, but the results aren’t anything to smile about.

Herman Cain’s Silly Idea And The Silly “Read The Bill” Meme

Herman Cain says he wouldn’t sign any bill longer than three pages. It’s a line that will get him applause, but it’s totally impractical.

Republicans Ready To Punt On Ryan Plan’s Medicare Changes?

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

This Budget Cutting Thing is Hard

To borrow a phrase: budgeting is the science of muddling through (with an emphasis on the “muddling” far more than the “science.”

CBO: Obama-Boehner Adds $3.3 Billion to Deficit Rather than Saving $38 Billion

The Congressional Budget Office has come up with slightly different calculations of the savings created by the Obama-Boehner budget compromise.

The cost of doing nothing The cost of doing nothing

Less Than Zero

The Social Security “trust fund” may actually be worse than worthless.

Under Obama, Taxes Are Lower Than Ever

Since Barack Obama took office, federal taxes have been lower for pretty much everyone.

Redistribution from the Feds? Not Really.

There really isn’t a lot of redistribution happening in the United States.

House Moves to End Public Financing of Presidential Campaigns

The House has voted to repeal the broken system of financing presidential elections.

Bipartisan Budget Busting

It is always easier to compromise on more spending and less taxes.

Deficits, the CBO and H.R. 2

When determining the effects on the deficit of a certain legislative action, both revenues and spending have to be accounted for. Indeed, you can’t determine whether there is a deficit, surplus or balanced budget without both variables.

Rand Paul, The Tea Party, And The Phony “War On Earmarks”

Rand Paul is taking some heat for remarks that may or may not indicate that he’s backtracking on his previous vow not to seek earmark spending for Kentucky. Yes folks, the phony war on earmarks is back.

Worst. Debate. Ever. But, Advantage Angle

Last night’s one and only Nevada Senate Debate was an embarrassing affair all around, but it most likely sealed the electoral doom of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Lady Gaga Stole My Pie

The super rich have a lot larger share of total income than they did a generation ago. Are they taking it from the rest of us?

The Risk of a Fiscal Crisis

The CBO sees a clear threat of a fiscal crisis during the next two decades unless we’re saved by magic ponies.

Iraq War Cost Less Than Stimulus!

FOX reports that the entire combat phase of the Iraq War will cost less than President Obama’s stimulus. That’s not a useful comparison.

Wonk’s Fallacy: Media Edition

The extra effort it takes to go from modestly informed to well-informed is tremendous and, for 99% of the public, a ridiculous waste of time.

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