Outside the Beltway

Tim Pawlenty’s new fiscal plan isn’t very grounded in reality.

And even more bad news.

Real Estate prices continue to fall, but where are the buyers? Maybe they’re acting sane this time.

Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg is catching some flak for complaining that he’s “struggling like everyone else” despite a net worth in the millions.

Three years later, there are no signs that the real estate market is anywhere close to recovering.

An increasing number of bright observers are questioning the notion that everyone needs to go to college.

Is our current economic situation the result of massive government intervention? The Randians certainly think so.

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

Moodys warns the the Republican plan to cut spending could cost the economy 700,000 jobs.

The home mortgage interest deduction benefits Democrat-voting states most! Is the fix in?

Demanding that the new GOP House hold the line at the current number is satisfying rhetorically, but all-but-impossible politically.

We won’t be able to solve our fiscal problems until the American people grow up. So far, there are no signs of that happening.

The political firestorm that has erupted in the wake of the shootings in Arizona is drifting, inevitably, into calls for more government control over the content of speech.

There is a simple mathematical equation that explains why deficit reduction is so difficult.

Thomas Ricks laments that the combination of the all-volunteer military and lower top marginal rates mean that the wealthy have “checked out of America and moved into physical and mental gated communities.” To solve this problem, he proposed bringing back the draft.

A new poll about the proposals coming out of the Deficit Commission makes it clear that the American public needs to grow up.

The Chairmen of the National Debt Commission have released a draft report for consideration. It’s got some very good ideas, but it’s most likely Dead On Arrival.

Dana Milbank asks, “Would we be better off under a President Hillary Clinton?” His affirmative answer isn’t very convincing.

The Federal Reserve is injecting $ 600,000,000,000 into the economy, primarily in the hope that it will boost stock prices and, in turn, the economy. It might work, but if it doesn’t the consequences could be severe.

Paul Krugman argues that recent economic crises demonstrate that America has failed at corporate governance, banking, and the rule of law.

Tonight’s topics: The latest mortgage scandal, lust for a third party, the role of judges in Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, political motorcades and their impact on the little people, and who knows what else. I hear there’s an election coming up, so perhaps that will enter into the discussion as well.

Banks are faced with a huge number of foreclosures and that resources they’ve allocated towards handling them was woefully inadequate.

Greg Mankiw notes a curious revisionism in Barney Frank’s pronouncements on Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac.

In 1994, it was the Contract With America. In 2010, it’s the Pledge To America. But does it really mean anything regardless of what it’s called ?

David Brooks blames our economic woes on a change from a culture that valued productive work to one of gentility. And Bill Cosby.

The new tea party candidate in Delaware seems to be a rather odd bird.

The idea that we are in the middle of an illegal immigration crisis is not supported by the evidence.

After several months of bad housing sales, politicians in Washington are starting to talk about bringing back one of the worst public policy programs of the last two years.

For many reasons, the housing market is unlikely to fully recover for the foreseeable future.

The Fed chair, seemingly oblivious to the fact things are pretty bad already, promises to do something if the economy falters. But he’s about out of arrows in his quiver.

Another set of bad economic numbers are out today, and one wonders when we’ll start getting the good news.

Lenders and Borrowers seem poised to make the same mistakes that brought about the last Housing Bubble all over again.

If lawyers and MBAs don’t understand their mortgage documents, what chance do the rest of us have?

Megan McArdle cites an academic article someone disagrees with, proving she’s a dishonest hack.

A bizarre rant in American Spectator contains some interesting thoughts about the nature of America’s political elite.

Before we raise taxes on the rich, let’s first stop the flood of tax money that’s subsidizing their lifestyle.

Those with million dollar plus mortgages are defaulting at almost twice the rate on those smaller loans. Are the rich more ruthless?

The real estate market is returning to normal after being artificially stimulated by a tax credit.