Interesting tidbit from a HuffPo chat with Axelrod*:

A student of history and a onetime political reporter, Axelrod expressed curiosity and even some optimism about the tea party, suggesting that Obama could work with them on matters such as a ban on spending earmarks and on winding down the war in Afghanistan.

This comes at a …

Paul Krugman really hates the deficit commission’s report working proposals:

If you’re sincerely worried about the US fiscal future — and there’s good reason to be — you don’t propose a plan that involves large cuts in income taxes. Even if those cuts are offset by supposed elimination of tax breaks elsewhere, balancing the

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In Washington, when problems can’t be solved they are given to bipartisan blue-ribbon panels. Then a report is produced that is long, complicated and boring. And the problems generally remain.

Today, the co-chairs of the bipartisan deficit commission put forward a draft proposal with a thesis that no one will like: “The Solution Is …

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9GNuW4-JTY&fs=1&hl=en_US]

I wrote yesterday about the collapse of all institutions of authority in America, especially the press. Well, here is another example of why. All day yesterday, cable news viewers–and online clickers–were treated to reports like the one above. Those who tuned into …

When the president is away, White House aides do not get to play—especially after President Obama took a “shellacking” by the American people. And so as President Obama tours Asia—repeating parts of a post-drubbing tour that Bill Clinton embarked on in 1994–they have been plotting various scenarios for the great showdown that …

Yes, Democrats beat back enough Republicans to maintain official control of the U.S. Senate. But Gerry Seib notes that if you take a closer look at who’s left in the chamber and what their incentives will be, Democrats hardly look to be in the driver’s seat:

Among the Senate Democrats, 23 will face re-election in just two years, and,

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“I don’t think it’s in our society’s best interest to expend energy in repealing the law.”

—David Cordani, the CEO of Cigna, the fifth largest health insurance company in the U.S., commenting on Republican pledges to repeal the Affordable Care Act

Of course, health insurance companies got something very important out of health …

Via Stars and Stripes, the GWOT meets Dilbert:

Ladies and Gentleman,

The individuals you see in full PPE and the individuals you see in “Arabic attire” armed with AK-47’s, pistols and IEDs are role players and/or USAG-K reaction force personnel who are conducting TRAINING. Please stop calling the German Police, Military

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