Points of Interest 6/28/2011

Sign it, already. #sharedsacrifice

Reads:

Almost a regular Joe.

"The debate between shrill free traders and strident protectionists has become utterly irrelevant."

"In-market production or national champions? This is the kind of debate we should be having -- not the tired old debate between academic free traders and nostalgic protectionists. It is certain that transnational production, in some form, is here to stay -- and it is just as certain that nation-states, democratic or otherwise, will use their power to shape the pattern of transitional production by global corporations to advance their own domestic and foreign policy goals, at the expense of the free market, if necessary."

"A line has to be drawn somewhere; it should have been drawn last fall; but to concede now would effectively mean the end of the presidency."

"Indeed, in Texas’ case..."

"...Republicans have dominated state government for years, and never felt the need to cut off Planned Parenthood. The preventive health care organization hasn’t changed; its mission hasn’t changed; and its menu of health services hasn’t changed. The only thing that has changed is the radicalism of Republican Party."

"That's why they don't want state insurance commissioners having any more regulatory authority than they currently do, which is really precious little."

"In fact, access to justice – like access to elected office, let alone a pundit's perch – is becoming a perk just for the rich and powerful."

"America's unique hatred of finance reform."

"A lot of sunlight hits tall office buildings, only to go to waste."

"Relative to national economic trends, states that increased spending enjoyed on average:

• 0.2 percentage point decrease in the unemployment rate
• 1.4 percent increase in private employment
• 0.5 percent real economic growth since the start of the recession

In contrast, states that cut spending saw on average

• 1 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate
• 2.1 percent loss of private employment
• 2.9 percent real economic contraction relative to the national economic trend"

"In fact, they are just as wrong about this as they are about the relationship between marginal tax rates and overall economic growth."

"In the past 60 years, job growth has actually been greater in years when the top income tax rate was much higher than it is now."

"...the congressional GOP has decided it’s against their own ideas about helping the economy, which necessarily raises some awkward questions about their motivations."

"Again, what we’re seeing here are the limits of fact-checking..."

"...something we rediscover every cycle. Candidates, party committees and outside groups make false claims. Media fact-checkers go to work and debunk the claims. The candidates and groups go right on making them anyway. Reporters stop pointing out that they’re false."