- Washington’s debt ceiling hysterics have gotten the public’s attention; 82% now say failing to raise would cause economic harm.
- Steve Gandel extrapolates from the Congressional Budget Office’s numbers on what sweeping deficit reduction could do to growth:
[CBO’s] Elmendorf estimates that the deal would likely slow the economy by as much as 0.6% in each of the next three years. Again, there is no science to translating GDP growth into jobs. But 0.1% of GDP growth usually translates into the economy adding around 5,000 jobs, and visa versa. So that means a debt ceiling deal of the size Elmendorf is talking about could cost the economy as much as just over a million jobs during the next three years.
- Bachmann is now solidly in the no. 2 position in national polling. Pawlenty has slipped all the way down to 2%, also known as Huntsman territory.
- Political scientist studies the electoral consequences of nuttiness.
- Allen West shoots off furious tirade to DNC chair (and, technically, his congresswoman) Debbie Wasserman Schultz, CCs his own leadership and staff.
- Two Pakistani-Americans on the ISI’s payroll charged with unregistered lobbying in the form of donations to U.S. politicians.
- Minnesota gets its hard won budget.
- Who voted for Cut, Cap and Balance.
- Ex-Rep. Pete Hoekstra will run for Senate.
- And I can’t figure out why this paper Huntsman campaign flier would include Facebook and Twitter buttons.