The WSJ reports over the weekend that the Obama/Congressional Stimulus Package will include large amounts of tax cuts. Paul Krugman has already weighed in on his blog about the desirability of some cuts, particularly payroll tax cuts, but overall he feels that the plan goes too far. The biggest concern is the provision that allows corporations to use losses in 2008 to offset previous year's taxes. This would be a windfall for large corporations when it is working people who need the most help. The best way to preserve jobs is to move that money from corporations to state and local governments that will be laying off teachers, public safety workers, child care and health workers as well as public works personnel.

Ben

...to seem upbeat and convincing when you are making things up. Some of the best whoppers were:

1. McCain thinking the bailout bill should include relief for houses in foreclosure.

2. The natural gas pipeline that is not yet approved (let alone built) as a sign of her energy independence.

3. That Obama/Biden had a government run health care plan (it is ok, but not nearly that good).

4. That the surge would work in Afghanistan. Neither she nor McCain have the guts to call for 140,000 US troops in Afghanistan.

5. and the list goes on.

My wife just groaning (facetiously) that McCain was against a green background again. Apparently it is the lawn from something (maybe the White House)? Where is Colbert when we need him...he could help us for the next 45 minutes.

Whether it was Rudy's teeth baring nastiness (well documented by Josh on the homepage), the weird self loathing of Mitt Romney (he hates people from Harvard ...wait he went to Harvard) or the complete snark of Sarah Palin tonight seemed to be sheer hatred by the Republicans. There will be reams of writing tomorrow about the hypocrisy of it all. But can't politics be about anything but trying to drag down the opposition. So much for post-partisan.

Whether it was Rudy's teeth baring nastiness (well documented by Josh on the homepage), the weird self loathing of Mitt Romney (he hates people from Harvard ...wait he went to Harvard) or the complete snark of Sarah Palin tonight seemed to be sheer hatred by the Republicans. There will be reams of writing tomorrow about the hypocrisy of it all. But can't politics be about anything but trying to drag down the opposition. So much for post-partisan.

... you ask who has spoken up for Sarah Palin, but the real question is why hasn't she spoken up for herself? I can not imagine how someone with the confidence of their campaign not appearing on a single Sunday morning show. Will she appear this Sunday to speak for herself?

As far as surrogates go, certainly there will not be any from Alaska. The senior Senator is under indictment, the Junior Senator can't like her much since Palin beat her dad in a Republican Primary. She helped her Lt. Gov. in his race against the Congressman Don Young and she is hated by the State Senate President Lyda Green.

Ben

How many times have they met fac-to-face? This is a very interesting question given that she has only been Governor since Jan 2007 and she was pregnant most of that time. Someone from the press should call the McCain campaign and get a list of meetings.

Not since Gerald Ford's infamous pronouncement during a debate with Jimmy Carter has there been anything as factually incorrect as McCain's statement today that "I believe that it’s not an accident that our hostages came home from Iran when President Reagan was presidentof the United States. He didn’t sit down in a negotiation with the religious extremists in Iran, he made it very clear that those hostages were coming home."

Of course, Reagan was not even innaugurated yet when Secretary of State Warren Christopher negotiated the release of the hostages. But that is only half of it. Reagan was notorious for negotiating with the same Iranian regime that took our hostages to get arms to Iran and Hezballah, so he could illegally support the Contras. 

It is clear that McCain has no idea of history or the subtleties of how to effectively use American influence to bring about increased security for the American people. We must begin organizing now to make sure he does not get the chance to show his ignorance from the Oval Office.

While answering the question on Cuba in tonight's CNN debate it would have been lovely to have heard one of the candidates make the point that an excellent way to show leadership to the Cuban regime would be to extend full rights of participation in our democracy to the US citizens living in Puerto Rico.

Four million US Citizens live in Puerto Rico and they have no voice in the general election for President and no voting representation in Congress. We could show the value of being able to have a voice in one's own country by enfranchising Puerto Rico. Even with its Commonwealth status there is no reason that Puerto Rico should not have two US Senators and the appropriate members of Congress. Obviously this will take an amendment to the constitution, but framing this as part of the establishment of democracy in the Eastern Caribbean is a good start.

Ben