GOP Ready to Rumble on Health Care
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on August 30th, 2012 11:08 pm by HL
GOP Ready to Rumble on Health Care
Jonathan Tobin, Commentary
When Mitt Romney chose Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate Democrats rejoiced. They were sure that the elevation of the author of the Republican Congress budget plan that called for reform of entitlements like Medicare guaranteed the president’s re-election. They had already been planning to run hard against the Ryan budget no matter who was on the GOP ticket. But having Ryan as their piñata seemed like a dream come true.But tonight at the Republican National Convention, as Ryan got his prime time spot accepting his nomination, the rest of the country began to…
The Fed Can’t Save the Economy
David Smick, The International Economy
Lately it seems the industrialized world’s central bankers are like the actors in themovie Mission Impossible. Officials are being unfairly asked to do the miraculousin covering up for governments’ lack of fiscal and regulatory common sense. Central bank balance sheets, quantitative easing, and zero interest rates have become the new policy tools of choice to try to fix the global economy. The mission may be impossible.The purpose of these new monetary tools is to try to keep long-term interest rates low. The economy’s “animal spirits” will…
A Fireside Chat With a Nation in Crisis
Joel Pollak, Big Government
It's a form of leadership we rarely see. In 2008, Barack Obama impressed pundits with his intellect and rhetoric, but beyond his high-flown hyperbole, much of what he offered was mere sophistry. Obama is a man of words, not ideas–of letters but not leadership, as Ryan pointed out tonight. Ryan's own ideas are not only substantively better but also seem more deeply felt, more passionate and authentic–without trying too hard to be so.Ryan's commitment to ideas includes respect for ideas with which he disagrees–which is different than Obama's skill in reciting (or…
A Very Strange Argument for Mitt Romney
Ezra Klein, Washington Post
The first two nights of the Republican National Convention ended with stirring, rousing speeches. They just weren't stirring, rousing speeches that made much sense as endorsements of Mitt Romney.Chris Christie and Paul Ryan hit the same themes. We have hard choices facing us. We need leaders who won't flinch before those choices. Leaders who won't be deterred by the polls. Leaders who won't compromise their principles. Leaders who won't duck the tough issues. Leaders who won't hide the hard truths.