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Political Commentary

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March 18, 2009

The AIG Outrage By Lawrence Kudlow

This whole AIG fiasco -- where the entire political class is suddenly screaming over bonuses paid to derivative traders in AIG’s financial-products division -- is just a complete farce. What it really shows is how the government has completely bungled the AIG takeover.

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March 17, 2009

Comparing Approval Ratings From Different Polling Firms An Analysis By Scott Rasmussen

A number of polling firms routinely measure the president’s job approval ratings. Generally, they all show a similar trend even when the specific numbers are different.

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March 17, 2009

Obama on the Economy: Both Sides Now By Debra J. Saunders

How the tables have turned. In September 2008, when GOP presidential nominee John McCain said "the fundamentals of our economy are strong," unemployment was 6.1 percent, the credit crunch had yet to reach the point that prompted President George W. Bush to propose a bailout, and Team Obama proclaimed that an out-of-touch McCain "just doesn't get it" on the economy.

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March 17, 2009

GOP's Sliding Scale for Self-Discipline By Froma Harrop

In his essay "Why the GOP Can't Win With Minorities," conservative scholar Shelby Steele almost nails the half-question in the title. An African-American, Steele contrasts the "moral activism" of liberals with conservative calls for personal discipline.

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March 15, 2009

The Drug War Body Count By Debra J. Saunders

"The war on drugs is a failure," Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Cesar Gaviria and Ernesto Zedillo -- the former presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico -- wrote in the Wall Street Journal last month. "Prohibitionist policies based on eradication, interdiction and criminalization … simply haven't worked," they wrote.

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March 14, 2009

A Shotgun-Marriage Proposal By Lawrence Kudlow

Is it really necessary for taxpayers to spend another dime on the TARP? We’ve already committed $700 billion, half of which was spent under Pres. Bush and half of which is coming under Pres. Obama. And now, as we wait with baited breath for Treasury-man Tim Geithner’s detailed plan to purchase bank toxic assets, the TARP could rise by another $1 trillion or more.

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March 14, 2009

Criticism Shows Obama Is Losing Focus By Michael Barone

We've been hearing a lot of criticism of Barack Obama in recent days from pro-Obama corners -- from celebrity investor Warren Buffett, from moderate conservative columnist David Brooks, from one of the Democratic Party's deepest thinkers, William Galston -- all along the same lines.

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March 13, 2009

When Is a Plea Bargain Not a Plea Bargain? By Susan Estrich

Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty in federal district court in New York to all 11 counts against him, waiving his right to an indictment, avoiding the humiliation of a trial, and depriving his victims and the public of what might have been a public course in how Ponzi schemes work, and how even sophisticated investors can be played for dupes.

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March 13, 2009

From Frozen Minds, A 'Spending Freeze' By Joe Conason

If President Barack Obama's response to the economic crisis is imperfect, as he acknowledges, and if the Congressional Democrats leave much to be desired as well, then Americans can at least be thankful that the nation's fate has not been consigned to the frozen minds on the other side of the aisle.

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March 12, 2009

The Energy Tax Cut Mustard Seed By Lawrence Kudlow

Crumbling energy prices have created a profoundly positive tax cut effect for U.S. consumers across-the-board.

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March 12, 2009

Statehouse Rock: Part One of Three By Larry J. Sabato

Every midterm year, the lion's share of the attention seems to go to the U.S. Senate and House contests at the national level, even though the governorships are arguably more important.

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March 12, 2009

Richard Allen Davis: Safe on Death Row By Debra J. Saunders

When a jury found Richard Allen Davis guilty of the murder of Petaluma's 12-year-old Polly Klaas in 1996, Davis puckered his lips and extended a middle finger to TV cameras.

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March 12, 2009

Obama Takes a Dive on Earmarks By Froma Harrop

President Obama has vowed to curb the number of earmarks, also known as pork, in future spending bills.

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March 11, 2009

March 7 By Susan Estrich

It has a way of sneaking up on me, like the unhappy anniversary it is. Who knew?

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March 11, 2009

Obama Leverages His Political Risk in First 50 Days By Tony Blankley

Many of the media are following the convention of assessing President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office.

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March 10, 2009

Don't Surrender to Recession Stress By Froma Harrop

Do recessions make people sicker? Some studies say yes, some say no. The better question might be, "How is this recession affecting health?" Not in a good way, comes the answer. This recession -- depression? -- seems different. This recession is messing with our heads.

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March 10, 2009

Get Limbaugh By Debra J. Saunders

I have known Rush Limbaugh since his old radio days in Sacramento, before he became a GOP god. I've disagreed with him over the years. Last year I took on his bashing of Republican moderates and criticized Limbaugh and other talk-radio hosts when they were too harsh on not-yet GOP nominee John McCain. I've never apologized and we're still friends.

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March 8, 2009

A Mud Fight of Civil Rights By Debra J. Saunders

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron George looked none too comfortable Thursday morning as he heard oral arguments for and against California's ban on same-sex marriage.

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March 7, 2009

Crushing Those Animal Spirits By Michael Barone

"Animal spirits," said John Maynard Keynes, are the essential spring of capitalism. We depend on the animal spirits of investors, high earners and entrepreneurs for a growing economy.

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March 6, 2009

The Real World of Gay Marriage By Susan Estrich

In an ideal world, gay marriage would be won at the ballot box. Voters would recognize that they have absolutely nothing to lose by allowing their fellow citizens the same rights to marry that heterosexual men and women now enjoy. Even many prominent conservatives (say, Sarah Palin) have come to recognize that it is wrong, heartless even, to deny gay couples the right to sign up for health benefits or to make critical medical decisions for their partners.