The size of the individual mandate in the health care bill is very modest, especially compared to the cost of health insurance in America. The penalty is whatever is higher $695 a year or 2.5 percent of income and the law also lacks any enforcement mechanism. Given how modest the actual cost of the individual [...]

He’s the least popular man in the Senate with the public: only 24% of Connecticut voters say they’d vote for him again. His sheer bottom-scraping numbers are causing likely opponents to drool at the thought of challenging him. But in the House of Lords, they love him. Politico reports “Senior Democrats” are urging Joe Lieberman to run again

Can someone tell me why the same guy, at the same ratings agency, does a 180 in less than one week, when the deal hasn’t changed an iota? December 7, 2010: Moody’s Says Tax Rates Won’t Lead to U.S. Downgrade By Susanne Walker – Dec 7, 2010 3:15 PM ET Tue Dec 07 20:15:11 GMT [...]

Our long-term deficit problem is due basically to the incredibly high cost of health care if we fixed that we won’t have a long term deficit problem. The reason our health care costs so much is that Congress allows providers to engage in practices that rip off the public and the government. A great example [...]

The majority of Democrats, Republicans and Independents all oppose the proposed cut in the Social Security payroll tax, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll (PDF).  Further, they would not support the overall package if it did NOT have an extension of unemployment benefits. There is good reason for the opposition to cutting the [...]

Today, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson become the first judge to rule that the individual mandate in the new health care reform law is unconstitutional (PDF). Hudson concluded that the individual mandate exceeded Congressional power because the federal government doesn’t have the constitutional authority to compel an individual to purchase a commodity on the [...]

Ever seen the fourth season of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper? Well, you’re about to….

For turn of the century Progressives, Populists and good government reformers, securing the right of direct democracy was often a top goal. Individuals such as Samuel Gompers, Robert La Follette, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Jennings Bryan all advocated for direct democracy through ballot initiatives and referendums. Because of efforts by Progressives, Populists, women’s suffrage advocates, [...]

President Obama seems remarkably proud of himself for the many “concessions” he won from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as part of their deal to extend all the Bush tax cuts for two years. The administration has really tried to spin the “success” of this deal by claiming Obama got $238 billion in spending while the [...]

For most of the year, Washington is overrun with deficit hysteria, but right now is that special, magical time of the year. No I’m not talking about Christmas! I’m talking about the joyous season of the January 1 scheduled end of temporary tax provisions that would increase rates for the ultra wealthy and end select [...]