Outside the Beltway

The pending compromise between the two parties on taxes and other policies underscores the fact that enhanced minority power (in this case, the filibuster power) helps contribute to fiscal irresponsibility.

Don Surber imagines this edition of “Hardball.”

Did Obama’s tax cut deal demolish the Republican charge that he’s a radical? Not hardly.

Minor fluctuation in tax rates is not the most significant thing happening in the world’s largest economy.

Even though it will likely be unsuccessful, a primary challenge against President Obama could end up harming him enough to hand Republicans the White House in 2012.

Amid signs that Democrats in Congress might rebel against the tax cut deal he struck with Republicans, President Obama took to the airwaves today to defend it at the same time that his base is rebelling against it.

President Obama is already taking heat from the left for his compromise on tax cut extensions, but will it actually hurt him in the end?

The unemployed are predominately poorly educated non-voters. Some argue that they are therefore getting far too little attention from the political class.

President Obama and the GOP have reached a deal on extending the Bush tax cuts that gives the GOP virtually everything it wanted.

Republican maneuvering to extend the Bush tax cuts for all Americans appears about to pay off.

Democrats are losing the debate over the extension of the Bush tax cuts, but when you look at the playing field it seems pretty clear that that they never had a chance.

They aren’t going to stop, but the cliches that pass for debate sure are tiresome (plus some musings about the tax cut extension debate).

The Senate rejected an effort to limit the extension of the Bush tax cuts based on income level. At this point, the only question is when Democrats will concede defeat on this debate.

Today’s job numbers make it clear that Congress has only one duty, and that is to do everything it can to stimulate real economic growth.

The Republican talking point that lowering taxes lowers spending and raising taxes increases spending is denied by reality.

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

According to a new poll, the Tea Party movement, which is largely now the base of the GOP, is not completely in step with the views of American voters as a whole.

Congress will vote on extending the Bush Tax Cuts in December, and new polling shows that the public agrees with Democrats that the cuts should be limited to the “middle class.”

Unless there’s an emergency, is it proper for representatives who have been defeated in a mid-term election to be voting on controversial legislation?

While not inherently unconstitutional, lame duck Congresses have the potential for violating the spirit of the Constitution and create the potential for mischief on the part of Representatives who have been thrown out of office.

The immediate reactions from left and right to the proposals from the Chairmen of the Debt Commission are about what you’d expect.

They’ve won the elections, but Republicans still aren’t getting specific about exactly where they’d cut Federal spending.

Ok, what strategy should Speaker Boehner pursue?

Congressional Republicans and President Obama both held press conferences today that included talk of bipartisanship and working together. Don’t believe it.

Is the public anger at Obama really just papered over racism?

Ok, so we’ve been talking about the Tea Party for months. What will that label means once we actually have elections and move on to the governing bit?

Republicans are promising two years of gridlock and obstructionism if they take control of Congress, but is that really what the people who are likely to vote for them next week really want?

Instead of decades-old retreads like talking about abolishing the Department of Education, it would be nice if we had a real debate about the fiscal circumstances in the country.

Remember that $400 tax cut President Obama gave you? Neither do 90 percent of Americans.

High earners are going to have to pay more than our fair share of the costs of government to make things work. But how we frame the debate matters.

Yesterday’s appearance by Carly Fiorina on Fox News Sunday provided an excellent example of how un-serious Republicans are when it comes to living up to their fiscally conservative rhetoric.

More on Greg Mankiw’s thought experiment on taxes and incentives to work.

Greg Mankiw argues that, the more of his money the government takes, the less incentive he has to earn more. That’s debatable.