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- Democrats certainly lack the message discipline Republicans have, but it wouldn't hurt to remind everyone that Republicans do not care about the deficit. They rely on gimmicks to falsely claim the ACA explodes the deficit. They are repeatedly on record voting for policy that increases the deficit. They ignore CBO scores that disprove their nonsensical theories of economics. Despite all this, a myth persists concerning "fiscally responsible" Republicans. It would be nice if, you know, this easily falsifiable myth was debunked in the public square.
- According to Nick Gillespie, the "only reason" for the new Republican majority is "public revulsion at outta-control federal spending," which he also attributes to the changing of the guard in 2006. I get that it must be frustrating and lonely to know your political ideas, in toto, have approximately zero traction in our politics, but pretending there's this silent majority out there that supports it borders on the delusional. The public believes all sorts of things I don't agree with, but I don't choose to ignore that because I disagree with them.
- If it's true that the recent administration shakeups are evidence that the Obama White House is moving from "governing to campaign mode" -- and I think it is -- then this highlights, again, what a questionable choice William Daley is for chief of staff. Yes, his main job is running the White House. But if he was chosen with an eye to the re-election campaign, then it sends a clear signal that the administration is buying into the idea that "liberal overreach" is a great concern to voters. I've never bought the "divided government as useful foil" theory, but the president just can't roll over, either.
- Remainders: The 112th Congress gets off to an ethical start; a complicated tax code primarily benefits the wealthy; if anything, the Republican presidential primaries ought to be a source of never-ending comic relief; five myths about the Chinese Communist Party; and the case against chasing scoops.
--Mori Dinauer
