14 | February | 2012

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

America the Progressive, part III

Nick Schulz | February 14, 2012, 4:59 pm

Jim, good point re: the size of government in the United States being larger than most people think. I’d add (since this is a hobby horse of mine) that the U.S. tax system is even more progressive than most people … read more >

Economics, Regulation

Cue the scaremongers!

Kenneth P. Green | February 14, 2012, 4:22 pm

Courtesy of ABC, a bucket of cold water for Valentine’s Day: Lipsticks, Perfumes May Be Hazardous to Health Beware of lipstick-stained lips before puckering up this Valentine’s Day. They could be covered in lead. Reuters first reported that a new … read more >

Carpe Diem

Auto Affordability is the Highest Since 2009 and Will Boost Car Sales in 2012: Great Time to Buy

Mark J. Perry | February 14, 2012, 3:56 pm

From Comerica Bank: “The purchase and financing of an average-priced new vehicle took 23.1 weeks of median family income in the fourth quarter of 2011, the best affordability reading since the third quarter of 2009. Consumers on average spent $1,050 … read more >

Economics

Will the U.S. become as statist as Europe? Actually, we’re already there

James Pethokoukis | February 14, 2012, 3:54 pm

Here’s Mitt Romney talking about President Obama the other day: “It is clear that he’d like to make us more like Europe, more like a European social-welfare state.” Well, if that’s true, it won’t take much of an effort to … read more >

Carpe Diem

Natural Gas Boom Energizing The Chemical Industry

Mark J. Perry | February 14, 2012, 3:19 pm

From National Public Radio: “U.S. chemical companies are the latest beneficiaries of the nation’s natural gas drilling boom. Long focused on cheap gas sources elsewhere in the world, companies are now looking to expand here. A surplus of natural gas … read more >

Carpe Diem

Santorum Is Now Leading Romney in the Polls, But Romney Is Still Way Ahead on Intrade: 4.5-to-1

Mark J. Perry | February 14, 2012, 3:06 pm

The most recent Real Clear Politics polling average is showing Santorum (30.2%) with a 1.6% lead over Romney (28.6%), while the Intrade odds aren’t even close: Romney’s odds are 75.5% and Santorum is at 16.5% (see chart above), meaning that … read more >

Economics

U.S. sugar policy cost American consumers almost $4 billion last year

Mark J. Perry | February 14, 2012, 2:33 pm

In an article today on American.com titled “Bitter Sweet: How Big Sugar Robs You,” Michael Wohlgenant and Vincent Smith provide some timely Valentine’s Day commentary and report that: For decades, sugar beet and sugar cane farmers and processors have been … read more >

Economics

A devastating take-down of Obama’s budget

Marc Thiessen | February 14, 2012, 1:40 pm

All the more so because it comes not from conservative critics of the president, but from Andrew Taylor of the Associated Press: Taking a pass on reining in government growth, President Obama unveiled a record $3.8 trillion election-year budget plan … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

While Obama slashes defense, China doubles its military budget

Marc Thiessen | February 14, 2012, 1:12 pm

Mackenzie has a great post explaining how the Obama administration is slashing defense spending to fund domestic spending—including a 50 percent increase in the transportation budget. As she correctly notes, “President Obama’s latest defense budget proposal does not adequately resource … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Asia

Rekindling the Sino-American romance on Valentine’s Day?

Michael Mazza | February 14, 2012, 11:00 am

It is perhaps fitting that Xi Jinping, China’s current vice president and likely next paramount leader, is in Washington on Valentine’s Day for meetings with President Obama and Vice President Biden. It’s an opportunity for Washington and Beijing to rekindle … read more >

The Uses of Scandal
One of the greatest uses of scandal is to vividly demonstrate what new laws are needed and to create the political conditions to get them enacted. […]
Lean In… to Government?
Sheryl Sandberg's runaway best-selling book Lean In has managed to offend both the Left and the Right. Sandberg touts female hard-headedness, yet also calls for an elaborate government- and employer-supplied support system for women. […]
Are American Voters Racist?
Racial prejudice plays a very small role in American politics, but a highly disciplined sense of self-interest on the part of one group may play a very large role in the way the federal government functions. […]
The Perpetual Passion for Paper
Paper is becoming less important in some respects, but its strengths — prestige, utility, permanence, and security — are more essential than ever. […]