Ezra Klein

The Republicans are proposing some pretty huge cuts in funding for PBS — $100,000,000, or 25% of PBS’ budget. This should be an opportunity for any Democrat who wants to make a play for the parent vote — unless you’re worried about the liberal media contaminating your children’s minds with literacy, you’ll probably support PBS. […]

From Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs, in response to Dean’s condemnation of anti-semitic literature: But the problem is, the bigots are already inside, and they’ve takenover the DNC’s message, thanks in large part to the cheapening ofpolitical discourse spearheaded by none other than … Dean himself,who says he “hates Republicans.” All you have to […]

Tiereny’s column on TV’s “doofus dad” is suprisingly perceptive today. Well worth a pre-father’s day read. It is, after all, a pretty interesting TV phenomenon. If the majority of shows presented other demographics the way they present fathers, they wouldn’t survive a day. Ignorant blacks? Bitchy, materialistic moms? Moronic, accident-prone dads? The whole set fits, […]

So I’m back for another episode as Ezra’s recurring werewolf guest. Thanks, Ezra! The first thing I want to do is point out the way that people on the right are confusing the torture debate. They pick up on random things happening at Guantanamo that aren’t instances of torture by themselves, and claim that no […]

Light posting today as I change residences. Things’ll perk back up over the weekend, as Neil Sinhababu (The Ethical Werewolf) and I will tag-team the site. And next week…hoo-boy you lucky blog readers, big doings next week.

Now for the promised “more”. Matt replied to Jon Cohn, saying much of what I said below (single payer not going to happen all at once, do it sneakily, etc). But he also made a point that bears some examination: I agree with various folks around here and around the web who don’tthink arguing about […]

Jon Cohn’s post telling single-payer advocates to take transition seriously — i.e, don’t underestimate the level of disruption it’d entail for our economy to break down the old system and create a new one while still providing health care — is a good one, and folks should give it some thought. But how good? I […]

Rare as it may be, Tom Friedman’s got it right today. If GM does go down the toilet, and if Toyota does step forward with the plunger, it’d be a good thing for us all. Pushing Toyota’s hybrid technology into all manner of GM vehicles, arming all the GM brands with fuel-efficient engines, the end […]

I’m enormously disturbed to hear that the GOP is looking for an exit strategy on Social Security. This sort of abandonment of Social Security could let it fall to AARP. Indeed, a reverse domino effect could take place, as liberal pressure groups sense weakness, judge the administration a paper tiger unwilling to take electoral casualties, […]

And that’s a fact. Ask me about Rawls! Go on, ask me!* * Questions will not be answered.