During last night’s Republican debate, Rick Perry, showing remarkable presence of mind when responding to a clip of Ronald Reagan arguing on behalf of higher taxes when coupled with cuts in spending. In his diary, Perry pointed out, Reagan wrote that the Democrats took the tax increases but never delivered on the spending cuts. Of…
The anointing of Mitt, the shiving of Rick
Have you heard? Mitt’s the guy. Chris Christie says so. Ramesh Ponnuru says so. Jennifer Rubin says so.* All the cool kids say so. Mitt’s cool! Well, pretty cool. He hasn’t killed as many people as Rick, but, hey, he was in Massachusetts! Wait til he’s President! Look out! It wasn’t so long ago that…
Daniel Larison, working way too hard
Over at the American Conservative, Daniel Larison is working overtime trying to keep Mitt Romney honest on foreign policy, searching his speeches for errors: “Greg Scoblete finds another untrue statement in Romney’s foreign policy speech from last week,” Dan announces excitedly, in his latest post. Dan, let me save you some trouble. In each Mitt…
The Economist, totally not wanting to offend anybody
The lead editorial in last week’s Economist concludes with the following moan re U.S. politics: “In America the Republicans are guilty of outrageous obstructionism and misleading simplification, while Mr Obama has favoured class warfare over fiscal leadership.” Yes, the Republicans would have blown up the U.S. economy unless President Obama agreed to egregiously counter-productive spending…
PayPal/Facebook Money Guy Peter Thiel, between two plinths
Is this what happens when you have too much money? Over at the National Review, PayPal founder/FaceBook funder Peter Thiel offers a major think piece, which starts off with a quotation from the Book of Revelations and goes on to talk about plinths. We already know, from Dave and Charlie Koch, that right-wing libertarian billionaires…
Jon Hendricks—“In Walked Bud”
John Hendricks & Co (sorry, I don’t know who the “Co” are), with Charlie Rouse (ts), Ben Riley (d), Larry Gales (b), Walter Davis, Jr.(p), circa 1983. Posted by dadazee.
Still totally not the New Yorker
Want award-winning New Yorker-style humor? Go here. If you’re lazy, read this: “Oh, I like Ramblin’ Mondays. It’s Flamenco Tuesdays I can’t stand.” “‘Dylanesque’? ‘Dylany’ would be more than generous.” “Well, I’m screwed. There’s no way I can handle ‘Melancholy Baby’ in b flat.” “He should have left this one entirely to Beyoncé.” “Yes, his…
What if they gave a demonstration and nobody came?
Well, they are coming, slowly and fitfully, to the “Wall Street Sucks” campaign currently underway in lower Manhattan. Even if, like me, you probably disagree with 99 percent of what the “99%” demonstrators have to say, it’s nice to hear someone bitching out loud about Wall Street. For true-blue liberals, of course, the continuing mystery…
Ronald Kessler, totally bending over forwards to be fair
In his book, The Bureau, The Secret History of the FBI, which is not terribly secret, Ronald Kessler tussles with the vexing issue of whether FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and FBI Associate Director Clyde Tolson were, you know, doing it. Tolson, “ruggedly handsome,” according to Ron, joined the FBI in 1928 and was assigned…
Ronald Kessler, totally bending over forwards to be fair
In his book, The Bureau, The Secret History of the FBI, which is not terribly secret, Ronald Kessler tussles with the vexing issue of whether FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and FBI Associate Director Clyde Tolson were, you know, doing it. Tolson, “ruggedly handsome,” according to Ron, joined the FBI in 1928 and was assigned…