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The NYT story on President Obama’s plan to bring in some new staff mentions how new people are more in touch with what’s going on in the country. I am not sure that is true for people like David Plouffe, who is wired 24/7 into the White House whether he is living in Chicago or [...]
Archive for December, 2010
December 23rd, 2010
We have met Dr. Kissinger, and he is us.
December 23rd, 2010
Category: Uncategorized
He does think long prison terms for simple possession are a terrible idea. So they are. They’re also pretty rare. But even an arrest and a night or two in jail waiting to see a judge is expensive and harmful. The case for getting rid of possession as a crime seems strong: there’s simply no [...]
December 23rd, 2010
Category: Campaign 2012
I didn’t post about this photo gallery in the Washington Post when it came out a few weeks ago because I assumed there was an editing error that the newspaper would eventually notice and correct. But I checked back just now and saw that the caption of the first photo is the same, so I [...]
December 23rd, 2010
Category: Affordable Care Act
My latest Kaiser Health News essay on long-term care insurance: a huge unresolved issue in health reform.
December 23rd, 2010
Category: Uncategorized
You don’t have to go all the way to Russia to find American support for a totalitarian regime. “Movement” conservatism, at its foundation, was all about maintaining a system of violent racial oppression in the South. Conservatives, who like to tar liberals as supporters of Communism, still haven’t dealt with that simple fact.
December 23rd, 2010
Category: The Dysfunctional Senate
All the returning Democratic Senators sign a letter calling for filibuster reform.
December 23rd, 2010
Category: Popular Culture
If you are of a certain age, this brief clip of Fred Foy, who passed away today, is priceless. The announcement begins at the 1:00 mark: And with the word “Indian” starting to be reclaimed by Native Americans, it’s even less politically incorrect than it was 10 years ago..
December 22nd, 2010
Printer cartridges and safety razor blades, move over: this year’s Ramsey pricing award winner is the Nespresso coffee system…and these guys don’t even have the good grace to give you a break on the initial purchase that puts the tapeworm’s head in your wallet. Making espresso-family drinks at home has always been something of a [...]
December 22nd, 2010
In seasonable praise of candlelight