I’ve flagged the debt-limit negotiations as an obvious arbitrage opportunity for savvy investors who understand Washington Kabuki. Did that seem paranoid? Well, now comes Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota with a resolution barring members of Congress from trying to profit off this particular dance. But the rest of us can still try to exploit the inevitable market mini-panic that will be followed by the inevitable restoration of calm. And honestly, I doubt that McCollum’s 72-hour rule would prevent savvy congressmen from exploiting the written-in-advance nature of this story either.
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Obama’s Persuasive Powers on Gay Marriage Manifest in Maryland
When President Obama endorsed gay marriage earlier this month, the media grappled with two basic political questions: Was his personal “evolution” a case of a politician transparently following a national trend toward accepting same-sex unions (accelerated, perhaps, by his chatty number two), and would it hurt his re-election chances by alienating socially conservative voters like black churchgoers? Sure, there was a recognition that it marked a gratifying moment for gay marriage advocates—as well as some grumbling about the President’s view that it remains a state issue, not a federal one. But by and large, there were few suggestions that one man, even the President, would shift public opinion on the issue or affect public policy. Based on a new Public Policy Polling survey out of Maryland, it seems this possibility was underestimated.
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Cherokee Zero
Apparently, Massachusetts voters don’t mind that Elizabeth Warren foolishly identified herself as a Native American early in her academic career–it was, apparently, a case of family pride and wishful thinking about a Cherokee ancestor. That’s good. Warren may be the best public figure when it comes to explaining the depredations of the financial industry and [...]
