Lunchtime thoughts: Fresh off his smashing victory in the Florida primary, Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney committed the most delicious of gaffes. To borrow a construct from Michael Kinsley, Romney told the truth. In the process, he wandered into dangerous territory. In an interview this morning with CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Romney said: “I’m not concerned about… Read More
Category Archives: Entitlements
‘An Unhappy Birthday’
My favorite economics writer, Robert Samuelson, has written a terrific but depressing column on the occasion of this nation’s 235th birthday. And it feeds right into the prevailing narrative of this blog. Republicans and Democrats are not getting the job done. As Samuelson sees it, Democrats are “reactionaries” in refusing to face up to the… Read More
A Mob of a Different Color
How bizarre is it when news accounts of rioting in Europe describe the frenzied protesters as an “anti-government mob?” Is that an accurate description? The criminals setting fire to banks and murdering their fellow citizens are public-sector workers. In other words, they’re a “government mob” — plain and simple. I was reminded of that image… Read More
Ignoramus Or Cranky Old Man?
Should former Sen. Alan Simpson be fired from the Deficit Commission for using the T-word? Here’s an excerpt of his recent email to feminist activist Ashley Carson, who basically says Simpson doesn’t know what he’s talking about and that Social Security is healthy and doesn’t contribute to the deficit: And yes, I’ve made some plenty… Read More