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Brad Johnson at the Wonk Room went through and compared the leaked Kerry-Graham-Lieberman Clean Energy Bil to the Waxman-Markey version passed by the House and President Obama's proposed plan. more »

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The CBO now says health reform will cut the Federal deficit by $138 billion That's a win for the bill's backers, and should make it tougher for self-described 'fiscal conservatives' in the Democratic Party to vote against this bill. (No, let's re-frame that as a positive statement: It will make it easier for Conservadems to embrace this bill.) Now what's left is a battle between two clear political philosophies on the left and right: The principled but pragmatic progressivism embodied by Dennis Kucinich, or the nihilistic fury and self-interest that's best represented by Ann Coulter. Since both Coulder and Kucinich had a lot to say about health reform this week, it's worth taking a moment to compare and contrast their philosophies. more »

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China's currency manipulation is a worldwide problem, not just a job-killer here.

U.S. Ambassador Calls China’s Currency Stance ‘a Real Concern’, more »

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Not long ago, the most prominent supporters of the public option were touting it as essential for healthcare reform. more »

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When President Obama asked a group of senior executives for suggestions on streamlining government, it's unlikely that any of them suggested layers of new bureaucracy, vague marching orders, or management by committee. Yet Sen. more »

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Wage theft has become more common in the downturn, the best the country's top economic policy makers can say about the job situation is that they don't "expect substantial further declines in unemployment thi more »

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The Chinese currency manipulation issue continues to make news.

Economist Paul Krugman lays out the stakes,

China is in effect imposing an anti-stimulus of that magnitude — which plausibly means 1.5 percent of GDP. This is not a small issue.

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What personality types rule America today as the chosen representatives of the super-rich?

The intellectuals - who like sitting still and being quiet anyway, so don't mind that patriotism today is judged by how many hours you can spend at a desk. Throw any kind of academic work at them and pay them enough, and they won't pay attention to what you're doing with the world. more »

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English schoolchildren know more about the politics of power than American academics.

A servant drops a plate. Her mistress has her beaten.
A servant is sixteen and pretty. Her master assaults her.

The politics of power tells us that this is the fate of the servant. There is nothing she can do, save dream of being rescued by a prince, or a knight in shining armor. more »

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The healers cannot heal.
The fighters cannot fight.
The leaders cannot lead.
The artists cannot breathe.
The teachers cannot teach.

The only acceptable profession is that of the working class.

The upper crust has lost its self-control.
It is their right to control the worker bees.
But they've conspired to turn us all into worker bees. more »

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Would you turn your child over for a Flapperwoozlejackspit?

Not if you didn't know what it was, right?

I wish parents would stop entrusting their children to total strangers to do God-knows-what with.

When was the last time you sat through a high-school class?

I did it last month. I wanted to hit myself in the head with a hammer. more »

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Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., unveiled his latest financial reform proposal on Monday, and the stakes for the new legislation couldn’t be higher. more »

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China argues that some American companies will suffer if China stops subsidizing manufacturing and adjusts their currency to market levels. They're right. more »

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WRECKONOMICS
COURTESY :WALL STREET OF AMERICA
LEADERSHIP VIA CONSERVATIVE POLICIES
THANKS TO RONALD REAGAN AND G W BUSH

From 1946 to 1980 the period was known as the GREAT MIDDLE CLASS YEARS
Each President worked to reduce the Debt from WWII.
In 1980 Debt was less than 1000 Billion and Government Spending was 600 Billion per year.

Reagan boastful Cut Taxes plus Cut the size of Governmen more »

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Eighteen former members of the Federal Reserve’s Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) strongly endorsed the idea of an independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency in a letter released last week . Draft legislation released yesterday by Sen. Chris Dodd would instead place the CFPA in the Fed, an idea that the former CAC members specifically rejected.

The letter says that "The Federal Reserve has its hands full with responsibilities relating to safety and soundness and monetary policy." It singles the Fed out for special criticism in its handling of consumer issues under both Democratic and Republican administrations: "In 1994 Congress gave the Federal Reserve the power to outlaw unfair and deceptive practices in the mortgage market. The Federal Reserve waited until 2008 to issue their rule, long after the problem had become a crisis and after the market had collapsed. During that time, we and other consumer protection experts issued reams of comment and testimony calling on them to exercise their authority to protect consumers."

The full text of the letter is below: more »

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