Daily digest – That old hopey-changey feeling

What you need to know to navigate today’s most critical debates.

The Hope That Flows From History (NYT)
Christina Romer writes that the Great Depression shows us how the use and misuse of the policy tools at the government’s disposal can determine the strength and speed of a recovery.

White House Debates Fight on Economy (NYT)
The Obama administration is basically at a loss when it comes to economic strategy, but they’re leaning toward curling up into a ball like a frightened armadillo.

How to Win When You’re Unpopular: What Obama Can Learn From Truman (TNR)
While Harry Truman successfully labeled his Republican opponents the Do-Nothing Congress, Boehner and company have perfected the art of mindless opposition.

The new old Obama (WaPo)
Post-2008 Obama seems to dislike getting his hands dirty, but EJ Dionne argues that he’s too competitive to concede 2012 without putting up a serious fight.

The Texas Unmiracle (NYT)
Despite Texas’s supposed immunity to the recession, Paul Krugman writes that all the state’s economy and governor really have going for them is good publicity.

Rick Perry Says Social Security And Medicare Are Unconstitutional (Think Progress)
Then again, Perry thinks secession is constitutional, and we had a bloody civil war to settle that question, so maybe he’s not an authority on these issues.

G.O.P. on Defensive as Analysts Question Party’s Fiscal Policy (NYT)
Now that simply campaigning against the status quo isn’t an option, the GOP is facing a tough critique of its economic policies: to wit, they are total nonsense.

You Want Compromise? Sure You Do (NYT)
Sheryl Gay Stolberg suggests political gridlock is the result of Congress being a little too reflective of the electorate, rather than, say, chasing endless campaign cash.

Blame for financial mess starts with the corporate lobby (WaPo)
Steven Pearlstein argues that CEOs complaining the economy is in shambles should ask themselves why they sunk so much time and money into making it this way.

Who’s Paying the Super-Committee? (The Nation)
With only twelve members of Congress given complete discretion over the country’s finances, it’s never been more convenient for lobbyists to work the refs.

Debt supercommittee lacks diversity (WaPo)
Critics say the committee doesn’t reflect America, but look at the GOP’s choices. Some don’t even part their hair on the same side. And the Democrats brought a girl!

Budget Buster: Pentagon Unable to Account for “Trillions,” Glain Says (Yahoo)
Before Congress starts trimming its budget, the Defense Department may need to take this opportunity to figure out what the hell it’s been spending all its money on.

Obama’s Possible Picks for Fed Board Would Expand Ranks of PhD Economists (Bloomberg)
The President is likely to nominate Jeremy Stein and Richard Clarida to the Fed, both of them PhDs and blessedly free of the albatross that is a Nobel prize in economics.

Federal Reserve Might Not Undertake QE3, And It Might Not Help If They Do (HuffPo)
While the Fed openly acknowledges that the economy is in terrible shape, the primary options it’s considering are to do nothing and to do mostly nothing.

Birth Control Coverage for Everyone? Not So Fast. (MoJo)
Women’s groups are concerned about a “conscience clause” that would allow religious employers to reject coverage for contraception. Meanwhile, Catholic bishops worry it won’t let them meddle with women’s health care as much as they’d like.

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Posted by New Deal 2.0 on Aug 15 2011. Filed under New Deal 2.0, the reading room. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry