US Politics

bfwebster on February 2nd, 2011

Earlier today, a good friend of mine cited the Federal budget surpluses at the end of the Clinton Administration as an argument for higher taxes. I pointed out that if we had the same Federal budget as Clinton did, we’ve have a surplus, too. Then I put together this chart from a spreadsheet downloaded directly [...]

Continue reading about The Clinton budget fallacy

bfwebster on January 27th, 2011

Yes, Dennis Kusinich is suing the House of Representatives Cafeteria for $150,000 because he bit into an unpitted olive: The Cleveland Democratic congressman’s lawsuit seeks $150,000 in damages from companies that operate the Longworth House Office Building’s cafeteria. It says he bought the suspicious sandwich wrap “on or about April 17, 2008,” and eating it caused ”permanent [...]

Continue reading about It’s the pits

bfwebster on November 16th, 2010

Robert Samuelson is, in my opinion, one of the most level-headed and independent business/economics journalists around. I don’t always agree with him — but when I don’t, I strongly consider that I may be wrong. His latest piece can probably be read as another shot across the bow of the stimulus efforts coming from the Fed [...]

Continue reading about Avoiding Japan’s mistakes

bfwebster on November 11th, 2010

If you are interested in politics at all, you should read this post, in which the author (nom de plume “Zombie”) explains just how redistricting works and why the real story of last week’s election is the massive Republican gain in statehouses across the country. What makes things complicated is that not every state is [...]

Continue reading about Gerrymandering 101

bfwebster on September 4th, 2010

Hat tip to Gerard Van der Leun at American Digest. ..bruce w..

Continue reading about Speaking of restoring honor…

bfwebster on June 3rd, 2010

Something to keep in mind as the economy struggles and the government bungles.  ..bruce w..

Continue reading about A note of optimism

…you’ve lost, period: WE UNDERSTAND the administration’s sense of urgency on health-care reform. But what is intended as a final sprint threatens to turn into something unseemly and, more important, contrary to Democrats’ promises of transparency and time for deliberation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Monday that she is leaning toward a parliamentary maneuver [...]

Continue reading about Y’know, when you (as Democrats) have lost the Washington Post…

bfwebster on March 15th, 2010

President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Reid, and Speaker Pelosi seemed determined to bend, twist, and subvert the rules and procedures of government — and possibly the Constitution itself — in order to pass Obamacare, which they seem to see as more important than any of those things. Their “whatever is necessary, the ends justifies the [...]

Continue reading about A reminder for the Democratic leadership

bfwebster on March 15th, 2010

…the folks behind “DemonSheep 2010” have struck again. This is, I think, a better effort, though again overly long, and that image of Barbara Boxer’s floating head may haunt my dreams for a while (and not in a good way). Hat tip to Jim Geraghty’s “Morning Jolt” e-mail from the National Review Online. ..bruce w..

Continue reading about Speaking of being very afraid…

bfwebster on February 14th, 2010

Remember Chris Christie, the Republican who defeated Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey last year? Well, here’s his address to a joint session of the New Jersey legislature about the budget crisis there. I can’t embed the video, so you’ll have to go over and watch it. I have to agree with Hunter Baker’s assessment [...]

Continue reading about The integrity Washington is lacking