Ezra Klein

The New York Times offers up some specifics on the unfilled appointments that have turned Tim Geithner’s time at Treasury into a particularly dull Home Alone sequel: Mr. Geithner, as a result, has been pulled in many directions at once and remains virtually the only public face of the Treasury. He is the sole person […]

First, the crass political comment: It’s notable that Obama gave his first presidential address on education to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Fairly little in the speech specifically targeted the Hispanic community — they got exactly one line on early education programs — but choosing them as the site for the address fits into […]

Obama’s speech on education this morning — on which I’ll have a more specific post in a moment — began with a sharp jab at those questioning the scale of the administration’s ambitions: I know there are some who believe we can only handle one challenge at a time. They forget that Lincoln helped lay […]

Ian Parker’s essay on post-crash Iceland has been much-recommended, and I’ll join in that chorus. Among the article’s many great scenes is a closing conversation with Hannes Gissuarson, Iceland’s most influential libertarian thinker and a key adviser to the government that accelerated the country’s transformation into a hedge fund with a flag. Reflecting on his […]

I think Tyler Cowen gives my earlier post too much credit when he says I “consider[ed] the fate of the progressive agenda if a bank goes on the government’s balance sheet and voters start to blame Obama for what they don’t like about banks.” But I’ve been meaning to write that post, too! The nationalization […]

You know your life is starting to get weird when you’re finding out about parties you’re invited to by gossip blogs reporting the fact of your invite. Y’all know I write about health policy and cap and trade, right?

Did I mention that I interviewed Andy Stern on health reform last week and posted the transcript on TAP today? No? Well, I did. This part, in particular, struck me as insightful: I was talking to someone who works a lot with business on health care, and he said to me “I finally have this […]

Kate Sheppard reports that celebrated climate activist Van Jones might receive an appointment in the Obama administration. But he won’t be a czar and he certainly won’t be the president. Which means he’ll move from being a talented outside communicator to an inside player with uncertain access. And the first comment over at Grist strikes […]

This article about the 14-year-old conservative pundit who parlayed a (genuinely eloquent and well-delivered!) three-minute speech at CPAC into a popular YouTube video and a friendship with Bill Bennett is a cute read. You get why the kid is doing what he’s doing. And you get why the reporter thought it a fun story. But […]

No one seriously thinks Chas Freeman is being opposed because of his opinions on China. Even so, an e-mail he wrote arguing that Beijing should have cracked down on the Tienanmen Square protesters before they reached 100,000 strong and occupied the center of the city has leaked and become a prominent part of the case […]