- The Economic Policy Institute has completed their evaluation of President Obama's new budget. As with all budgets, there are good things and bad things. Cuts to programs like the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program are indefensible in my book. At all costs, no matter what our financial situation, we need to help and protect the poor. I really have a problem understanding how we can afford tax cuts for the rich, which do not create jobs, and we can't afford to help the poor get through the winter. Read more of their analysis here and here.
- Representative Paul Broun of Georgia (Republican) held a town hall event this week in which one of his constituents asked "who is going to shoot President Obama?" The congressman ignored the question and moved on but is that enough? Later, the congressman's office got in touch with the "appropriate authorities." I'm still not sure that that's enough. That man needed to be denounced right there, right then. Suppose it was 2003 and President Bush was in office. The amount of scorn that would've been heaped on this man for suggesting that President Bush should be assassinated would have been overwhelming. Security would've had to escort the man out of the room because the crowd would have tried to physically harm him. I'm sorry, but the congressman's response was weak, tepid and unpatriotic. This is the president of the United States. Whether the congressman agrees with him or not, threats against our president's life should not be tolerated!
- Governor Scott Walker is been in the news for the past 10 days. He is by far the most prominent Republican at this point in time. He stood strong against the unions. He's been publicly humiliated by giving an interview to someone he thought was David Koch. Last night, the Wisconsin State assembly passed Scott Walker's draconian budget bill in a surprise vote but the Senate does not have a quorum so it's unclear what this means.
- Is Scott Walker is standing against jobs? It appears that he is. He shutting down several clean energy initiatives which would add hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in the state of Wisconsin.
- Are the state union workers overpaid as Fox news and Scott Walker said they were? Sure doesn't appear to be that way.
- The state of the health care reform law seems to have confused Americans. Yet another federal judge has declared it constitutional. With the daily back-and-forth, Americans have become confused. A new poll suggests a fifth of Americans believe that the healthcare law has been repealed. It hasn't. HCR is still alive...at least for now.
Click to Enlarge
- The NFL owners in the NFL Players Association continue to head down the wrong road. For the most part, I hate when millionaires are arguing with millionaires. As far as I'm concerned, this is not about the high-paid football players. Instead, it's about those guys who play football for a couple of years and are then discarded like a used handkerchief. They are 24 years old. Yes, they've made over half a million bucks over the last several years, but now they're flat broke. In my mind, the negotiations are about these guys. The game of football will be hurt if there is a work stoppage.
- China has dropped the death penalty for some economic crimes.
- Unrest in the Middle East continues. No one's quite sure who's in charge of Libya. Oil prices are rising because of the uncertainty of Libya's oil. My good friend, Brian Katulis, from the Center for American Progress, has written an excellent summary of what's going on in the Middle East. President Obama and his administration have to perform a balancing act. We need to support the protesters, the people, and stay vigilant against possible terrorist threats. This is an outstanding article.
