Unlike the Presidential candidates, at least Swampland is talking about Social Security. Social Security is not a “poor, little, teeny-tiny” program. It takes almost 15 percent of our income and is a $12 trillion unfunded liability. Right now, we receive a paltry single digit rate of return on Social Security, and our children will …
Does Iowa Matter?
Of course not: “Gilmore Will Join Candidates Bypassing Iowa Straw Poll”
Of course, Gilmore doesn’t either, so…
UPDATE: Oh, Sean, joking, dear, joking…
Two Editorials
Two Editorials
[Michael Kinsley joins us with a thought that he'd rather not hold for print]
Newspaper editorials don’t get much attention these days, and most are written as if they don’t even want attention. But there were two screaming for attention yesterday.
An extraordinarily vindictive editorial in The New York Times not only …
Obama v. Graham
More heated debate on the Hill, when Lindsey Graham got all clutch-pearls over an amendment offered by Obama:
It would undercut ”everybody over here who’s walked the plank and told our base, ‘You’re wrong,”’ Graham said. ”So when you’re out on the campaign trail, my friend, tell them about why we can’t come together. This is
…
Innovation: Touchstone of Internet and Economic Growth
Innovation improves our lives. This season, I was able to watch my Dallas Stars, whose games are only on local television, from any computer that has an internet connection and hardly missed a game. Technology is one issue area that should be of particular interest to Swampland readers. It has been an issue I have followed my entire …
THE SECOND COMING OF THE STICK
Panda-huggers, rejoice.
The Awesomeness of Legislating
As you might guess, I’ve been watching C-SPAN’s coverage of the immigration debate. It’s been fairly typically, uhm, sedate, but I just saw Trent Lott give a particularly impassioned speech on behalf of… well, not for or against the bill itself, but against the cloture vote, as it would prevent that august body from, I quote, …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Armey Decoded
Dick: Seems to me, reading you this week, that although you’ve left public office, you’re still infected with political blather, Frank Luntz-style. For example, the word “Ownership.” That tested really well in focus groups, but what does it mean? The 47 million people who don’t have health insurance–the vast majority of them hardworking …
Nulling It Over
Yes, this really is my father, posting in the comments section of Swampland:
“The set of purple horses is a null set. The set of Dick Armey’s intelligent insights is a null set. That’s two null sets. Not just one.”
In set theory, two sets are the same if they contain the same elements. The two sets you describe have the same elements
…
In the ArenaUncategorized
Politics Lost
Jeez, I’m going to miss the Iowa straw poll. I mean, has there ever been a cheesier event in the history of American politics? I have such fond memories of this G.O.P. fundraiser–like the 2000 event, when the busloads of Steve Forbes “supporters” started rolling in: hundred of illegal immigrants culled from the local packing plants, …
My Response: It is About Ownership
Joe Klein says this about healthcare, “there are enormous economic inefficiencies in the current system. It hurts the international competitiveness of American companies. It causes people to stay in jobs they don’t like; it makes it less attractive for them to strike out on their own as entrepreneurs.” I agree 100 percent. But …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Latest Column
In which the pros and cons of the blogosphere are discussed.
More Thoughts on Ames, and the Value of Nothing
If all the other front-runners decide to skip Ames and leave the dog-and-pony show to Romney, it’ll be interesting to see how the campaign spins whatever results come of it. They’ll likely win, but it could be close to meaningless for them — and could give those who do even marginally well despite not participating (i.e., not shipping …
