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In an earlier post, I noted with approval the comments of Jonathan Chait, Keith Humphreys, and others who have been critical of Drew Westen’s claim that if President Obama had been more forceful in his use of narrative, he could have enacted a much greater proportion of the progressive agenda. But I went on to [...]
Archive for the ‘2011 Democratic Agenda’ Category
August 27th, 2011
Category: 2011 Democratic Agenda, Conservatism, Debt ceiling, Economics, Elections 2010 and 2012, Republican Party, Rhetoric and Framing, Stimulus, Taxation
Keith Humphreys’ thoughtful post called to mind some thoughts I wanted to jot down after re-reading Drew Westen’s NYT piece on Obama and Jonathan Chait’s blistering response to Westen in the New Republic. Westen is surely a primary target of Keith’s scorn, and I agree with both Chait and Keith that Westen grossly exaggerates what [...]
August 10th, 2011
Missouri’s economically-stressed African-American voters put Claire McCaskill over the top in a close 2006 race. She repays her most loyal constituents and her party by opposing UI extension.
June 24th, 2011
Category: 2011 Democratic Agenda, Commerce and its discontents, Corruption in Washington, Democrats in Congress
Senator Chuck Schumer says about the deficit negotiations that “there needs to be revenues in any deal.” Very true. What revenues might those be? Well, the Democrats are talking about a lot of loopholes for the very wealthy. Let me suggest one: treating the investment gains of hedge fund managers — mnay of whom make millions of [...]
May 17th, 2011
Category: 2011 Democratic Agenda, Campaign 2012, Energy and Environment, Health Care, Republican Party
In the last three days, Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts has endorsed Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare, and just today voted against repealing oil company subsidies. That’s more right wing than Susan Collins. Some polls show Brown relatively popular in Massachusetts. A few months of truthful negative ads should put an end to that. [...]
April 5th, 2011
Category: 2011 Democratic Agenda, Affordable Care Act, Health Care, Macroeconomic Policy, Republican Party, Watching Conservatives
Via Sullivan, someone named James C. Capretta says that in light of the Republicans’ attempt to end Medicare: with a Republican plan on the table, the media will surely start to ask Democrats, “Hey, where’s your plan?” This will force them to either come clean with their tax-hike vision, or become the party that pushed the [...]
