Archive
America's Greediest: The 2009 Top Ten
Who deserves to sit on this year's list of our most avaricious? We could pick ten eminently deserving greedy straight from any big bank on Wall Street. But why spoil all the fun? Has picking a year’s greediest “top ten” ever been easier? We don't...
The Senate Health Bill: The Price of Everything
Our new piece on the politics and policy of the Senate's health reform deal is up at The Huffington Post, and it addresses the excise tax at several points: "if you take that new revenue, add the unfair tax on higher-cost benefit plans (studies demonstrate its...
Pass the Best Health Reform Bill - And Keep Fighting for More Reform.
Here's my position. In these final days of the health care fight, progressives should work hard to improve the health reform bill in the Senate and in the conference with the (better) House bill. But we should support the passage of the best bill we can get - and then...
We're Not Switzerland (expanded)
The pro-Senate health bill contingent keeps trotting out the example of Switzerland to buttress their arguments. Here's a quick recap of why the comparison doesn't work: First or all, Switzerland is a wealthier country: OECD figures show that the median...
Washington Post Analysis Strikes at the Excise Tax
Business columnist and Fortune Senior Editor Allan Sloan just wrote a piece in the Washington Post about the excise tax. It's smart, cogent, and well-written. (Translation: Wish I'd written it.) By using the work of Henry J. Aaron, a highly respected health economist,...
Progressive Breakfast: The Hunt for Health Care Reform Votes
The saga of health care reform continues with a hunt for votes. Next up to call the shots on health care, after Sen. Joe Lieberman, is Ben Nelson(D-AR). After rejecting an abortion compromise, word is that Ben Nelson may join a Republican filibuster. Steve Benen at...
Progressive Breakfast - 12/18/2009
The saga of health care reform continues with a hunt for votes. Next up to call the shots on health care, after Sen. Joe Lieberman, is Ben Nelson(D-AR). After rejecting an abortion compromise, word is that Ben Nelson may join a Republican filibuster. Steve Benen at...
Jobs: White House Manufacturing Policy Document and Meeting
This week the Obama administration came out with a new policy paper, "Framework for Revitalizing American Manufacturing" to coincide with a White House meeting with manufacturers. At the meeting, Vice President Biden ... announced administration support for a $5...
Is Truth the Next Casualty in the White House Health Campaign?
Many of us admire the wealth of talent on display in the White House, so it's disappointing when there is a breakdown in the accuracy or completeness of information being put forward by members of this Administration. Take Jason Furman, the Deputy Director of the...
The Window or the Stairs: Kill the Mandate, Or Kill the Bill?
Recent developments in the health care reform debate debacle saga remind me of a a scene — actually more like a repeated gag — from one of my favorite movies, Keenan Ivory Waynans' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. I'll explain why at the end of this post, but first I want to...
