Month: January 2008
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Yet more McCain supply-side “straight talk”
Jon Chait catches the latest supply-side flim-flam from John McCain: Mr. McCain proclaimed himself a believer in the notion that cutting taxes increases revenue for the government by spurring economic growth. “Don’t listen to this siren song about cutting taxes,” Mr. McCain told supporters gathered here under a tent in a driving rain. “Every time
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The Republican presidential supply-siders
Rudy Giuliani “When I became mayor of New York City, things were out of control. I lowered taxes, I reduced the growth of government, made government more accountable, and New York City boomed. I would do these things for America because I know they work. I know that reducing taxes produces more revenues. Democrats don’t
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A test of the “RATS” effect
Do you remember the controversy over the Bush campaign’s negative ad in 2000 that flashed the word “RATS”? It seemed like a silly issue, but I just came across a paper in which Joel Weinberger and Drew Westen (the newfound Democratic strategy guru) find that a subliminal stimulus in the word “RATS” is flashed “increased
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When tax families attack!
Paul Krugman notes the return of “tax families” in a White House fact sheet on the president’s views on economic stimulus: While passing a new growth package is our most pressing economic priority, Congress needs to turn next to the most important economic priority for our country – making sure the tax relief that is
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Demand for Bloomberg surges!
Eight days after launch, the Draft Bloomberg petition is up to 1971 signatures! And I thought Unity ’08 (35,000 members in eight months and 124,000 members at the time of its hiatus) was a debacle… PS Only 14 percent of the public has a favorable view of Bloomberg according to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal
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Matthew Yglesias reads McCain’s mind
Matthew Yglesias is usually pretty careful, but this McCain riff is Dowd-level mind reading — time to break out the swami: After all, throughout all his flipping and flopping and back again of the past ten years, the “cares about people in economic pain” persona is one he’s never tried on. And I think he’s
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Worrying too much about debates
Based on his performance in last night’s slugfest (which I skipped but caught up on this morning), Josh Marshall worries about Barack Obama’s ability to defend himself in the general election: One observation stands out to me from this debate. Hillary can be relentless and like a sledgehammer delivering tendentious but probably effective attacks. But
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Rudy Giuliani’s obsession with payback
It’s a good thing Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign is collapsing. In addition to his contempt for democratic checks and balances and crazy foreign policy advisers, he has a shameful record of using the powers of government to punish his political enemies, as the New York Times reports today: Rudolph W. Giuliani likens himself to a
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Mitt Romney makes America cringe
Things that make me uncomfortable — Mitt Romney dropping some hip-hop knowledge in Florida: Mitt Romney, whose 1950s manner and celebratory drink of choice call to mind a milkshake man more than a rap singer, gave a shout out Monday that left no doubt that he had spent little time listening to hip-hop. Mr. Romney,
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Dog bites man: Earmarks will continue
This has to be one of the most mundane political headlines ever: “Earmarks Seen Likely to Continue”. Yes. For me, it’s right up there with Michael Kinsley’s favorites “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative” and “Debate Goes on Over the Nature of Reality.”