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J. Goodrich

J. Goodrich is a recovering economist and the sole proprietor of the political blog Echidne of the Snakes. She also blogs for TAPPED.

Recent Articles

A GUY THING?

J. GoodrichJan 25, 2007

A GUY THING? Joe Klein's take on Jim Webb's SOTU response is on the surface all about class, about who sips chablis and who gulps down a beer or two. Webb is a more genuine voice for the Democrats because he is not (how does Klein know this?) a chablis connoisseur.

But I started feeling itchy with some of the things Klein says. Take these comments:

No way Webb could ever pass for effete; he's a guy who always looks as if he's five minutes from his next altercation.

and

ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE DEBATE

J. GoodrichJan 22, 2007

ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE DEBATE: Ezra's post here on Tapped, Paul Krugman's column (behind the firewall at the New York Times) and Joe Klein's contribution on the same issue make a good beginning for another round of debates on how to cure the health insurance crisis in this country. But I'm wondering why it is that Americans must reinvent the wheel every time.

"RE-ELECT HILLARY!"

J. GoodrichJan 22, 2007

"RE-ELECT HILLARY!" This bumper sticker I saw is an apt summary of both the strengths and vulnerabilities of Hillary Clinton in her newly announced run for the presidency in 2008. Take her strengths first: The little quip reminds us how very experienced and smart a politician she is, how well she has represented her state in the Senate, how fat and peaceful and ... innocent! (yes, innocent, in hindsight) ... those eight Clinton years truly were. And we are also reminded that here is a candidate who served eight years as a close observer of how to run a country. No other candidate can say the same.

HOW TO PAY FOR UPWARD MOBILITY?

J. GoodrichJan 18, 2007

HOW TO PAY FOR UPWARD MOBILITY? A question that occurred to me when I read about the halving of student loan interest on some types of loans:

With fanfare and substantial bipartisan support, the House delivered Wednesday on the fifth of six bills Democrats had vowed to quickly pass, voting overwhelmingly to cut the interest rate on some college student loans.

The bill, however, was much scaled back from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's campaign promise to cut all student loans in half.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE VANISHING PROSECUTORS.

J. GoodrichJan 17, 2007

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE VANISHING PROSECUTORS. Senator Dianne Feinstein was one of the first to make a public note of the odd disappearance of so many U.S. attorneys, replaced by interim appointments by the Bush administration -- appointments which are not subject to Senate confirmation and which can last for the remainder of the Bush era. Feinstein states:

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