Daily Archives: April 7, 2011

Drawing the wrong conclusion — or, almost not a facepalm III

Written on April 7, 2011 at 3:46 pm, by

This is from The Nation, courtesy of Donna Martinez at Right Angles: Despite the alarming projections of how the House Republican budget would harm the country, it’s the Democrats who have been on the defensive during the budget debate, principally because President Obama has declined to seriously engage in the discussions or outline an alternativeContinue Reading

Redistricting reform effort moves forward with bipartisan bill

Written on April 7, 2011 at 3:29 pm, by

Sixteen N.C. representatives have signed on to a new bill — House Bill 824 — designed to put a “nonpartisan redistricting process” in place. They plan to promote the idea next week. John Hood has discussed in the recent past the need for redistricting reform.

The ‘job-years’ fiction

Written on April 7, 2011 at 3:22 pm, by

If you haven’t checked it out, you should watch Anthony Greco’s CJTV exclusive on the phoney-baloney numbers used by the state Department of Transportation to justify begging for federal high-speed rail dollars. Short version: As a condition of getting stimulus money from D.C., the Obama administration required states to use the term “job-years” to describeContinue Reading

New at CJO: Perdue, GOP leader debate who’s more jobs-focused

Written on April 7, 2011 at 2:59 pm, by

David Bass’ latest Carolina Journal Online report focuses on contrasting news conferences from Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue and Republican Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger. Both focused on efforts to create jobs in North Carolina.

Hanson on the Libyan precedent

Written on April 7, 2011 at 1:24 pm, by

Victor Davis Hanson argues at National Review Online that the recent campaign in Libya represents new territory for the United States: The abrupt abandonment of hostilities after about two weeks has set an American military precedent. True, the United States once lost a big war in Vietnam. It also decided not to finish a warContinue Reading

Doug Bandow on the folly of military intervention

Written on April 7, 2011 at 1:08 pm, by

JLF friend Doug Bandow has written an excellent Huffington Post piece about the folly of Obama’s intervention in Libya. Like his predecessor, Obama can’t say “no” to either those who demand more government spending or those who believe that American military interventions turn out well.

Gee, when you put it that way, it really does sound like a friggin’ terrible idea

Written on April 7, 2011 at 12:57 pm, by

Headline in the New York Times today: “Rush to Use Crops as Fuel Raises Food Prices and Hunger Fears.” NYT reports: Each year, an ever larger portion of the world’s crops — cassava and corn, sugar and palm oil — is being diverted for biofuels as developed countries pass laws mandating greater use of nonfossilContinue Reading

Can Democrats give a little?

Written on April 7, 2011 at 12:19 pm, by

Live Blog Wells Fargo economist John Silvia says the US is following the road to fiscal ruin set by Greece and Portugal unless government cuts back. Silvia told CNBC that the US must cheap priligy recognize that the moderate economic growth forecast by most economists for the country will fail to generate the tax revenueContinue Reading