jerusalem The President’s press conference happened in the middle of the night here, so I’ve just been catching up–here’s a video of it–and I must say, this was a very impressive performance. And more: it represents a regaining of the initiative after a week of Republican/media chipping away at the stimulus bill. Despite a steady [...]

The Other Klein argues today that it should be abolished: The filibuster is the right to unlimited debate. It has instead become the refuge of those who could not win the last electoral argument, but seek to win the next one. The prime use of the filibuster now is to keep the majority party from [...]

Up to now, President Obama’s staff has mostly dodged questions about what role the White House will play in the conference committee negotiations between the House and the Senate over the stimulus bill.  On the flight out to Elkhart, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked if the White House wants a person in the [...]

As I watch the coverage of his return to Elkhart as President of the United States, I am struck by how much has changed since candidate Obama made a surprise visit there last May.

Here’s one that seems perfect for Swampland commenters: The Curious Capitalist’s “Rename the TARP” Contest. Justin writes: I’ve already endorsed money manager Bob Andres’s proposal to change TARP’s name to BARF (for Bank Assistance Relief Fund). But somehow I don’t think that’s what Treasury’s looking for. They need something positive. Hmmm. How about SNAZZY (Stimulating [...]

Veterans of past flights aboard Air Force One with President Bush got good news and bad news Monday, as President Obama took the plane on his second cross-country jaunt for a town hall in Elkhart, Ind. The good news: Unlike Bush, Obama and his staff gave reporters lots to do on the flight. Obama himself, [...]

After I posted that scary chart from Nancy Pelosi’s office last Friday, a number of Swampland commenters asked for a broader historical perspective–and one that measures the slump in percentage terms, rather than raw job-loss numbers. They ask, and Justin delivers, with the able assistance of TIME.com graphics wizard Feilding Cage. Here are comparisons to [...]

Both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have stories today saying the Obama Administration is planning to overhaul the bank bailout program to bring in private investors to work alongside the federal government. This sounds like an idea that I first heard floated last year by Warren Buffett, in a presentation he made [...]

Jerusalem I’ve just arrived here in Israel for the Tuesday elections after a foggy and slightly mind-bending weekend at the Munich Security Conference–an event which, in recent years, has been marked by tense confrontations between the U.S. and Russia. Two years ago, Vladimir Putin used the opportunity to slam U.S. policy in Iraq; for its [...]