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- In light of the fact that the ARRA has proved itself a job creator/saver, you would think that Congress and the president would be eager to pass a second, more targeted stimulus focused on job growth. Of course, that would involve deficit spending, which can only be used for paying for wars, tax cuts for multimillionaires' children, and giveaways to drug companies. Or to cite a contemporary example, raising revenue to cover 6 percent of the war in Afghanistan -- surge on! -- is beneath the pale, while crafting a deficit-reducing health-care bill is the height of fiscal irresponsibility.
- Whatever occasional good reporting that comes out of Politico is invariably overshadowed by the tremendous amount of astonishingly, astoundingly bad reporting that is the publication's bread and butter. And contrary to Ezra Klein, I don't think the type of journalism typified by Politico is fearful of political science; I think they are contemptuous of it, so enamored they are of their own self-importance.
- I find the indifference expressed by Chris Bowers over the possibility of large Democratic losses in the midterm elections to be a bit nihilistic. And as Nate Silver points out, the most vulnerable House Democrats next year weren't a crucial element of the voting coalition anyway that passed stimulus, climate-change, and health-care reform bills this year. Bowers offers a response here.
- Remainders: Congress, the president need to start listening to Bradford DeLong on job creation; I ask for an explanation of the Climate Change Conspiracy Theory, Chuck Norris (natch) responds; this idiot is the chairman of the Republican House Policy Committee; nothing good can come from a Republican base riled up about immigration; and James Fallows praises George W. Bush.
--Mori Dinauer
