Wednesday’s News Roundup
I’m simply running around like a chicken…you know the rest.
From Political Animal:
- Escalation in Libya: “In a sudden, sharp escalation of NATO’s air campaign over Libya, warplanes dropped more than 50 bombs on targets in Tripoli on Tuesday, obliterating large areas of Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya command compound.” (Ed. note – I thought that we weren’t targetting Gaddafi? I’m just askin’.)
- Congress won’t act, and the Fed doesn’t want to: “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke conceded that the economic recovery is ‘frustratingly slow’ for millions of unemployed Americans, but threw cold water on the notion that the central bank can be a cure-all for the economy’s ills.”
- On the other hand, Bernanke expects stronger growth in the second half of 2011, as Japan recovers and gas prices come down. (Ed note: I truly get uncomfortable when the Fed Chairman has to hope that gas prices will stabilize.)
- President Obama believes the economy has to “accelerate,” but he rejected the notion of a double-dip recession.
- Pelosi wants an investigation into the Weiner controversy: “In a letter to Ethics Committee Chairman Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, Pelosi (D-Calif.) said an investigation of Weiner is needed due to ‘inappropriate’ conduct. “ (Others have called for Weiner to stepdown including me.)
- I hope this doesn’t mean the end of the White House White Board: “Austan Goolsbee, a longtime adviser to President Obama and the only economist left on his core economic team, plans to leave as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers by September after a year in the job to return to the University of Chicago.”
- The story of the Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit, which is now closing, is just heartbreaking. Austerity in America. (ed note: This is more than sad. It is poke in the eye of those Americans who have made a mistake and are trying to get back on the right track.)
- The Washington Post fact-checker said President Obama exaggerated a bit in his recent remarks about the auto industry. Given the details, I’m glad the White House fact-checked the fact-checker.
- Figuring out how much college costs should be much easier.
- Andy Sabl has a smart post about why the right offers mixed messages on Europe: “It’s all about the secularism.”
- Yes, Lieberman can get even worse: “Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) plans to attend a Glenn Beck rally in Jerusalem.”
- On a related note, Glenn Beck plans to charge his minions $5 to $10 a month to watch his online network, which will be the exclusive home of his talk show. Prediction: this will end badly.
- And George W. Bush’s $2.5 trillion in tax cuts were launched exactly 10 years ago today. One of these days, they’re bound to deliver the rewards Republicans promised at the time, right?