Tim Fernholz

Conservative tax orthodoxy as outlined by Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform — and accepted by most Republicans — requires not only opposition to tax increases but also opposition to closing tax loopholes: Any act that might raise revenue is forbidden. Unfortunately, this perpetuates a slew of subsidies and give-aways in the current […]

“Big things don’t happen in Washington on partisan votes,” House Republican leader John Boehner said. Maybe not “big things,” but in the modern Congress, Big F**king Deals seem to happen on partisan votes: Health-care reform, financial reform, the Bush tax cuts, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the enormous Medicare Part D boondoggle, and the […]

Now that the job of implementing the financial-reform bill has been handed over to regulators, the financial sector is going to do everything it can to loosen them. Yesterday, the ratings-agency cartel went on strike, refusing to rate bonds — this led to a substantial freeze in trading. While some see this as an economic […]

In a proud American tradition, the majority party in Congress is poised to hold a series of votes designed to damage the minority party’s electoral hopes. First up? A bill that extends President Bush’s middle-class tax cuts while restoring higher income-tax brackets to Clinton administration levels. Policy-wise, it’s a so-so move: A moderate tax increase […]

Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold not only refused to support the financial-reform bill that President Obama signed into law yesterday; he also refused to support an up-or-down vote on the legislation, joining the Republican filibuster. At the time, I had some harsh words for his decision. Now, a group of scholars have done some data analysis […]

President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank financial-reform legislation today; it’s a signature legislative accomplishment that Democrats hope to campaign on this fall after Republicans sided with the financial sector en masse. White House communications guru David Axelrod told reporters the new law will offer a “clear, clear choice in November between folks who want to repeal […]

It seems self-evident to me that of late Big Andrew Brietbart is attempting to produce conservative opinion journalism. At least, that’s one of his strategies for “bringing down the mainstream media.” That’s why I’m confused when he denounces liberal journalists for arguing amongst themselves. Regardless, for all his prim posturing about the death of American […]

It’s pretty safe to say that the four Democratic representatives in this story have a great deal of political motivation in criticizing their leadership on spending. No doubt the headline “Four House Democrats Revolt” and observations that the four “aren’t afraid to express opinions differing from those of Democratic leaders” are making their campaign managers’ […]

Jon Chait reports that he has “a soft spot for bluntly transactional politicians,” and thus appreciates the “real guts” of former Republican, now Independent Florida Gov.Charlie Crist, who is running for Senate and is scrambling to attract Democratic voters after an ill-advised trip through the Republican primary failed to net him much GOP support. He’s […]