The entire range of Democratic opinions on Social Security seem, for a change, to be consistent: no privatizing. Realizing that some semblance of bi-partisanship will be necessary to gut Social Security, the GOP is showing its desperation. With their push to restructure Social Security off to a rocky start, Bush administration officials have begun citing […]
As the chorus of voices condemning the war in Iraq grows, perhaps the most important are those who’ve been asked to the fight the war — but now realize it was wrong and are willing to say so. For the first time since Vietnam, the number of soldiers-turned-protestors is growing and getting organized. The two […]
The White House wants to start the national discussion with Social Security, the president has already indicated he doesn’t intend to invest too much time in a constitutional amendment on gay marriage, but that doesn’t mean congressional Republicans are on the same page. The fight over same-sex marriage is about to vault to the top […]
I was going to write something like this up over the weekend, but it appears Dave Koehler beat me to it. It’s a great look at Bush “by the numbers.” Here are some highlights: Poverty Rate 2000: 11.3% or 31.6 million Americans 2003: 12.5% or 35.9 million Americans Stock market Dow Jones Industrial Average 1/19/01: […]
You may have seen in the New York Times today that Senate Republicans are unveiling an “ambitious” legislative agenda today, including, of course, privatizing Social Security. What you didn’t see was news that Senate Dems are unveiling an agenda of their own. In just a few minutes, Harry Reid and the Senate Dem leadership are […]
The immediate and furious spinning coming out of the White House in response to his second inaugural — Bush said we’d work to eradicate tyranny around the globe, but argued that’s not a policy shift — sounds eerily similar to one of my favorite Steven Wright jokes… Wright goes to his local convenience store to […]
Posted by Morbo If you live in the United States and plan to grow old, you must read Roger Lowenstein’s piece on Social Security in last week’s New York Times Magazine. (Also read the Time magazine piece that Carpetbagger wrote about on Wednesday.) Lowenstein’s piece is not light reading for the beach. It will take […]
I don’t mean to be poli sci geek every day, but I have to admit being fascinated by Dick Cheney’s views on the power of the presidency. It says a great deal about this White House, but it also hints at a problem that Cheney seems unaware of. Bob Woodward apparently got Cheney to talk […]
Members of Congress are already deeply divided over nearly everything, but before you think it can’t get any worse… Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) wasted little time before introducing two bills that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted in both the Capitol and the Senate and House chambers. Stearns introduced the bill Jan. 4, […]
To oversimplify the situation a bit, the Iraqi security forces — or lack thereof — are the primary element to national stability that keeps American forces on the ground. With this mind, it’d be nice if someone had a clue how many people are actually in said security force and ready to serve. We already […]