Ezra Klein

I have an inconveniently scheduled plane flight bisecting my day, so I’ll be popping in and out as wifi allows. In the meantime, Dylan Matthews will be by to keep you all entertained.

Igor Volsky takes some shots at the president of the NFIB for saying that it’s hard to say where they’ll compromise before there’s anything specific on the table, but that’s actually a perfectly sensible position. Volsky, of course, knows what comes to his mind when he hears the word “compromise” because he, like most political […]

If CNBC wants to retain a shred of their credibility and not lose money because they lost market share because the broader public is convinced that they employ frauds, they should stop picking fights with Jon Stewart. .cc_box a:hover .cc_home{background:url(‘http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-over.png’) !important;}.cc_links a{color:#b9b9b9;text-decoration:none;}.cc_show a{color:#707070;text-decoration:none;}.cc_title a{color:#868686;text-decoration:none;}.cc_links a:hover{color:#67bee2;text-decoration:underline;} The Daily Show With Jon StewartM – Th 11p / […]

I’d feel better about touting this poll showing 73 percent of Americans want a public health insurance option if I could find the poll language somewhere. What you can say though is that the case for the public insurance option is a lot more straightforward than the case against it. The issue’s supporters are simply […]

From Dennis Blair’s office: Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair announced today that Ambassador Charles W. Freeman Jr. has requested that his selection to be Chairman of the National Intelligence Council not proceed. Director Blair accepted Ambassador Freeman’s decision with regret. Chuck Schumer is taking credit, which will be no surprise to readers aware […]

Simon Johnson — yeah, that Simon Johnson — thinks Barack Obama should reconsider his opposition to blogs. Having the smartest people in a room is nice, but rooms have hierarchies, and a limited number of chairs, and social dynamics. Sometimes, they even have the insurmountable duo of Summers and Geithner. Blogs, says Johnson, allow for […]

Peter Orszag testified before the Senate Finance Committee today on health care reform. The testimony, and his associated slides, can be downloaded here. You won’t get a much better introduction to the health policy thinking of the country’s most powerful health policy wonk. I’d just add that since coming into the administration, Orszag’s slides seem […]

Today is Employee Free Choice Act day in the Senate, with Tom Harkin holding a hearing on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that will serve as precursor to the bill getting sent to the floor. Elections, as they say have consequences, and one of the consequences of the Democratic control of Congress is […]

In comments to the earlier post on appointments, Bill writes, “if you’ve never watched Yes, Minister, the BBC classic on how the bureaucracy manages the politicians, you simply must. It is an essential part of one’s political education.” He’s right:

Everything you ever wanted to know about smart grid technologies but were afraid to ask.