The Senate votes Wednesday on a measure that would delay the “swipe fee” provisions of the financial re-regulation bill. The vote, which essentially pits bank backers against supporters of retail chains, will be close. But the thing that interests me about it is its sponsor: Democratic Senator Jon Tester of Montana. Tester’s …
obama
As the Economy Sputters, D.C. Loses Its Will to Act
The grim news last week was not new: The American economy is stuck in a rut, with the manufacturing sector sputtering, housing prices falling and job growth too small to keep up with the growing population. We have been reading …
On Deficits and Debt, the Voters Get a Say
I wish our Democratic leaders would make their fiscal case as clearly and fearlessly as Michael Grunwald does.
To recap: Democrats are in favor of short-term deficit spending because they believe it will stimulate desperately needed growth. And they believe that growth, plus higher taxes (plus the one thing Mike doesn’t mention: …
Explaining the House Debt Ceiling Vote Charade
The House of Representatives voted 97-318 against increasing the federal borrowing limit by $2.4 trillion without preconditional spending cuts on Tuesday night. The Republican leadership designed the vote to fail: They used a …
Congressional Silliness Over the Memorial Day Recess
Republicans, it seems, really didn’t want the Senate to break for Memorial Day recess. Really, really, really didn’t want them to. Twenty House Republicans sent their leaders a letter asking them not to approve any adjournment measure sent over by the Senate – the Senate’s adjournment is usually OKed by the House as a matter of …
In the ArenaMideast
Borderline Personalities
There are continuing ruffles and trifles about whether President Obama said anything at all different about the borders of a Palestinian state. Much of it is either meta-talmudic picky (Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post) or poisonously disingenuous (the ever-bilious Charles Krauthammer). Kessler’s gripe is that Obama is the first …
The New DNC Chair Unveils a Tougher Tone
Vowing to help assemble “the most robust, aggressive presidential campaign in history,” Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the new chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, lashed Barack Obama’s Republican opponents in terms the …
Bibi and Barack Meet: So Much for the Fireworks
Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued their icy relationship in front of the cameras Friday after what the President somewhat ruefully called “prolonged” talks, suggesting that Bibi had delivered one of his trademark multi-part lectures on the requirements of Israeli security. The two were correct and diplomatic, …
Obama Struggles to Keep Pace with the Middle East Mess
Listening to the commentary, you might think President Obama’s speech on Thursday was an important moment in Middle East history. It is a “hugely important speech,” said Wolf Blitzer on CNN in the run-up; Obama to …
Jon Huntsman’s Task in New Hampshire
Since returning from China, Jon Huntsman hasn’t done much beyond giving a commencement address, one interview and announcing that his campaign headquarters, should he run, would be based in Orlando, Florida. But he starts his …
Grim Mideast Reality Curtails Obama’s Reformist Vision
In his much-hyped speech on the Middle East scheduled for Thursday, President Barack Obama will argue that the region’s anti-autocratic uprisings and the death of Osama bin Laden have laid a foundation for democratic and …
Will bin Laden Bluster Help Obama Weather Iran Debate in 2012?
There have been innumerable references in the wake of the death of Osama Bin Laden to Barack Obama’s 2007 assertion that he would go into Pakistan to kill the al-Qaeda leader with or without Islamabad’s permission.
What most have forgotten is that the saber-rattling threat was crafted specifically to counter a dovish gaffe.
Redistributing High-Speed Rail Dollars: Still Useful!
President Obama’s high-speed rail program has taken a lot of abuse because it isn’t just funding true high-speed rail; it’s also accelerating and improving service on moderate-speed trains. OK, guilty as charged. The program’s actual name is “High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail.” And now that Obama has redistributed the …