"This was the voice of moderation until 13 Sept, 2025"
by hilzoy What is it with these people and their taxes? First Geithner, now Daschle: "Thomas A. Daschle, nominated to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, did not pay more than $128,000 in taxes over three years, a revelation that poses a potential obstacle to his Senate confirmation. The back taxes, … Read more
by publius Let me say that I think Senator Gregg would be an outstanding Commerce Secretary. There are few people in the entire history of mankind I admire more — and I think he'd do an excellent job. Needless to say, I'm thinking only — only — about the welfare of the Commerce Department.
by von UPDATE: I have no illusions about this, but I think it's important to do Division A of the current House package right: More time and debate may not lead to my ideas being adopted, but they will improve the current, Democratic ideas. Since most of Division A won't take effect until after this year, we can afford to wait … Read more
by von So, anyhoo, here's your starter open thread for the weekend. A few thoughts to kick us off: Avatar: The Last Airbender was a pretty damn cool cartoon. It is therefore a bona fide guarantee that M. Night Shyamalan will ruin Avatar with his live-action version. Trust me, it's not Tigh's wife. I am the last … Read more
by Eric Martin For your assorted idiosyncratic pleasures and other odds and ends that don't quite fit anywhere else. The Island of Misfit Threads if you will. With stop motion animation of course. UPDATE: Um, Von's open thread is kind of fancier what with all its plumage, so feel free to ignore this jalopy.
by Eric Martin The first round of provincial elections in Iraq since 2005 are slated for tomorrow, January 31. The always insightful Joost Hilterman of the International Crisis Group has a nice summary of some of the issues in play (the ICG's full report (pdf) can be found here). These elections could lead to major shifts in Iraq's … Read more
by publius A common critique I get in the comments (h/t Brett) is that I ascribe bad faith to Republicans too often. That is, I should acknowledge that most Republicans favor policies because they think those policies will ultimately help people (regardless of their redistributive effects). And that’s a fair critique – the Bush years … Read more
by hilzoy I don't know what to say about this, other than that it's just awful: "Stressed by war and long overseas tours, U.S. soldiers killed themselves last year at the highest rate on record, the toll rising for a fourth straight year and even surpassing the suicide rate among comparable civilians. Army leaders said they … Read more
by publius It’s easy – very easy – to ascribe bad motives to the House GOP’s united opposition to stimulus. And bad motives are certainly part of the picture – but not all of it. It’s just implausible to think that the entire caucus is voting in bad faith. That's why we should also see … Read more
by hilzoy Erick Erickson of RedState has a message for the RedState Strike Force about their latest triumph (and may he enjoy many more victories like this one): "Persevere. And relish victories like we had last night – the House Republicans heard us and stood united against Barack Obama’s socialist stimulus plan." He seems to be … Read more