King Politics

If Pres. Obama does sign meaningful health care reform into law, critics and supporters will have to reexamine the Obama strategy. He allowed a deeply flawed Congress to lead the way in crafting legislation, yet he insisted on guiding the legislation by setting out certain parameters he wanted to see the finished product have. If this strategy works, it would make sense to see it replicated on financial regulation and immigration reform - two big domestic issues on the backburner.

Labels: Barack Obama, Congress

Thomas Cooley, dean of NYU's Stern School of Business, writing for Forbes, correctly notes that Obama few good choice to make in regards to the federal government's fiscal picture. Cooley says the most reasonable, but least likely solution is for Obama to renege on his pledge to raise taxes on those making less than $250,000. Unfortunately, for Obama, he's governing Americans. These people - I've met a few - can't stand bad news and they can't stand to bear the thought that we actually pay too little for services rendered by government.

Labels: Barack Obama, Taxes

Colin Powell says it is a legitimate threat.

Labels: Black America

Well gamblers in Detroit do. Turns out that casinos in the Wolverine State are doing quite well in the economy. First, I have to admit that I had no idea that Michigan had casinos. Second, it seems counterintuitive. You would think that during a recession people would penny-pinch. In reality, people that might be a bit down on their luck are more inclined to look for a big, quick, easy payday. Third, casino gambling has some benefits - an estimated $189 million in taxes from casinos went to the City of Detroit. You can do a lot of good with that money, but you wonder if that money is less productive with the government than if people simply paid off debts instead. Then again, it's free choice. C'est la vie.

Labels: Gambling, Michigan

One hundred things restaurant staffers should never do. Parts 1 and 2.

Labels: Miscellaneous

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) unveiled plans for sweeping new regulatory powers to give the feds power to limit the potential havoc a few very large companies can play on America's financial system. The proposals would do this by "consolidating bank agencies, creating a consumer financial protection agency and imposing new restraints on exotic financial instruments and credit rating agencies." I imagine this will be met by stiff resistance from Republicans insisting that the proper solution to last year's financial crisis is free companies from burdensome regulations and new government agencies - even if they are designed to protect consumers from noxious loans. Finally, Dodds might suffer from poor timing. After health care reform, Americans might tire of additional government meddling.

Labels: Chris Dodds, Financial Regulation

Divorce has consequences!?!? (WSJ) No shit, you say. Good point, I respond. Seriously, I'm happily married, but I couldn't help but find this article fascinating.

Turns out many judges and many states are beginning a rethink of how we force one spouse to financially support the other years and decades past their date of separation. To be sure, this discussion does not affect child support. We want parents to remain financially responsible for their progeny even if the love (or lust) that produced said offspring has long since vanquished.

Questions arise when (most often) a husband continues to pay money to a his former wife who has since remarried or perhaps even makes more than husband #1. Is this fair? Some don't think so, like the folks at Massachusetts Alimony Reform.

At the same time, this isn't an issue that I imagine most state legislatures are eager to embrace. It'd be easy to be seen as anti-woman or as anti-family. I can hear the attacks now, "You make divorce cheap and easy. You hate families. You're a bin Laden loving liberal." Now that I think about it, screw men.

Labels: Miscellaneous

I'll parse this topic in full detail shortly, but for now, listen to the podcast below from The Economist on Centrist Democrats. It is critical to understand these folks, but because it is them, not Olympia Snowe that watered down the recent health care bill that passed the House. For a map of Democrats, many of them centrists, that rejected the House health care bill, go here. For more detail on the apostates, including which represent districts that voted for McCain, go here.

Labels: Democratic Party

A different reading on last week's elections is that Democrats in Washington have overreached to the left (Newsweek), mollifying liberals, yet pushing away the middle. Perhaps. Still, that shouldn't excuse the right from acknowledging the occasional good that can come from socialized health care. The real problem, unmentioned in the aforementioned Newsweek article is the role of the economy. As long as unemployment is near 10%, which it will be for awhile, Democrats are in trouble.

Labels: Democratic Party, Elections, GOP, Health Care, Unemployment

Even in South Korea. I learned a lot in this little article explaining the mixed racial signals found in South Korea. The culture is at once obsessed with learning the English language, but distrustful of foreigners. They need foreign workers, have a population that is expected to decline, yet are not prepared for the inevitable change that will bring to their society.

Labels: Race, South Korea

You know those catchy FreeCreditReport.com commercials with the dudes singing? Turns out the government hates that site because it lures people into buying unnecessary service.

Should we sentence teens to life in prison? I don't know what you think, but I'm a bit of a hard-ass when it comes to violent, teen criminals (i.e. the Richmond, CA rape). This is especially true when they do something deliberate and malicious. More than that, many of these so-called "super-predators" are exceedingly rough because they assume they'll get off lightly because they are young. They are smart enough to know what they're doing; they should pay the time for the crime.

Maine said no to gay marriage, while Washington state said yes to everything but marriage. Now, gay activists consider what to do next. Tough call. Keep working for rights and hope that people recognize the inherent discrimination in not allowing gays to marry.

If you're a surfer in the San Francisco Bay area, watch out. Turns out Great White sharks loiter near the shore much more often than previously thought. Personally, I get along well with sharks. I stay out of their ocean, they stay out of my home.

If you're reading this on Saturday, check to see if the House actually conducted a rare weekend vote on health care reform.

Predictably, the Wall Street Journal has a piece on the dysfunctional Democratic Party coalition.

Cassye Cook says green jobs can help blacks work their way of the recession. That would be handy because right now black unemployment is 15.7%.

Labels: Animals, Credit, Criminal Justice, Democratic Party, Gay Rights, Health Care, Unemployment

Turns out uninsured children are more likely to die when they have an illness requiring hospitalization. Examining 23 million cases from 1988-2005 Johns Hopkins researchers found that all else being equal a lack of insurance was the best predictor of death. Makes it all the more stunning that Michael Steele continues to insist we don't need health care reform.

Labels: Health Care, Michael Steele

In its fight in the War on Drugs, the DEA is cracking down on prescription drug theft and abuse in nursing homes. Many legal narcotics and painkillers are finding their way to people who abuse them. The problem though, is the DEA requires an extra-layer of bureaucracy which has the net effect of delaying needed drugs to patients with legitimate needs.

Labels: Drugs

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has hit a rough patch. The free-enterprise advocacy group has seen its ranks dwindle slightly because of its obstinance on climate-change legislation. For sure, there are plenty of detractors, such as esteemed scientist Karl Rove who says cap-and-trade doesn't make sense. The Euro's, of course, are well ahead of us on this regard. Here is how they regulate greenhouse gases. American companies like Apple and Nike though are ditching the Chamber over its backward-looking policies.

So, what happens next? Look for an all-out assault as the Chamber continues to assail efforts to help Mother Earth.

Labels: Business

Go here for the results of 10 key races from yesterday's election. Here is CNN's take on the day here. The Washington Post sees the governor's race as a shot across Obama's bow. But, New York's 23rd surprisingly went to the Democrats. Perhaps, the Conservative Party lost because of Palin's exclusionary influence.

Analysis
In New Jersey, voters had grown tired of John Corzine and a corrupt public sector. In Virginia, the party not in the White House has won the last nine gubernatorial elections. In New York, voters were smartly distrustful of a third-party candidate who didn't even live in the district and knew very little about local issues. Let's not read too much into the November, 2009 elections.

Labels: Barack Obama, Elections, New Jersey, New York, Sarah Palin, Virginia