Opinion

Thomas Jefferson Street Blog

Wit and wisdom from all sides of the political spectrum.

 
Peter Fenn »
Romney's Bain Experience Wasn't Real American Capitalism May 26, 2012

The debate is on. The Obama forces and the Mitt Romney campaign are dueling back and forth with ads and heated rhetoric about Romney's record at Bain Capital.

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Robert Schlesinger »
Why Is Mitt Romney Embracing Birther Donald Trump? May 25, 2012

So Mitt Romney's newest fundraising effort involves not only appearing with the world's most famous birther, Donald Trump, but also dining with him and a lucky, raffle-winning supporter. OK, I give up: What exactly is Romney thinking?

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Boris Epshteyn »
Does Barack Obama Actually Want to Be Re-Elected? May 25, 2012

In observing the first full month of the 2012 presidential election one question continues to creep up: Does the challenger Mitt Romney simply want the job more than the incumbent President Obama?

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Mary Kate Cary »
3 Reasons Why the Scott Walker Wisconsin Recall Election Matters May 25, 2012

Political junkies are watching the June 5 recall election in Wisconsin very closely, but what about the rest of us? The subject of the recall campaign, Republican Gov. Scott Walker, is ahead in the polls and is looking like he'll survive. Democrats are now doing everything they can to convince voters that there's nothing here to see. But here are three good reasons why the recall election should matter to those of us who live outside of the Badger State:

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Robert Schlesinger »
The Right's Fixation With 'Vetting' Obama May 24, 2012

The Atlantic's Conor Friedersdorf has a devastating vivisection today of Breitbart.com's "The Vetting" series, which purports to give Barack Obama's background the thorough scrubbing that conservatives feel the media failed to before the 2008 elections.

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Brad Bannon »
Voters Tuning Out Flood of 2012 Super PAC, Campaign Ads May 24, 2012

What would happen if the political operatives and political consultants running the presidential campaigns and so called super PACs threw a party and no one came? We may find out this fall.

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Q&A

John Steinbeck's Vietnam

Scholar Thomas Barden collects the famous author's accounts from Vietnam in his new book Steinbeck in Vietnam: Dispatches From the War.

Rep. Keith Ellison: U.S. Must Protect Syria's Innocent

The Minnesota Democrat says the U.N. cease-fire plan in Syria isn't working and the international community must intervene

A Club to Protect the Presidency

Ronald Reagan taught Bill Clinton to salute—and other secrets from the world's most exclusive fraternity

Referendum

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Economic Intelligence

How High Prison Costs Hurt the Economy

Universities and prisons compete for shrinking state budgets. Unless states trim prison costs, tuitions soar, hurting business and jobs.

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Robert Schlesinger

Obama's Mixed-Bag Week

The Obama camp can celebrate Dick Lugar defeat, but should worry about the Scott Walker recall.

Mary Kate Cary

Obama Attacks as Economic Cliff Looms

The president can't afford to talk about the economy, but with a 2013 fiscal time bomb approaching, the rest of us can't afford not to.

Mort Zuckerman

Less Work and Less Reward

Under Barack Obama, unemployment has declined due to a drop in labor participation, not more jobs.

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On Energy

Low Interest Rates Keep Oil Prices High

Could it be that today's monetary policies, coupled with poor domestic energy development plans, are doing more economic harm than good?

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