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Signs the Recession is Starting to Break, Obama Administration Gaffes Aside
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2009 Comment (11)By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog.
I'm beginning to hear the welcome sounds of an economy starting to rouse itself out of slumber. I'm not saying it's turned around yet, or anything close to that. I'm just sensing and hoping that bottom may have been struck, or that the slide is starting to slow. We may still be months, if not years, away from economic growth. But the speed of the crash seems to be slowing.
Anecdotally, the few friends I have in real estate say more resale housing contracts are going to closing. A person I met through work whose spouse is employed at a local Ford dealership says 21 cars (new and used) were sold last Saturday, which is a one-day high not reached by that dealership since about two years ago.
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Stock Market Needs Certainty, Not Geithner-esque Waffling
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2009 Comment (4)By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
As yesterday's stock market slipped ever lower—Dow down 250 points, S&P Index down 26, Nasdaq down 53—I thought of something said at a symposium I attended over the weekend marking the 20th anniversary of the first Bush administration. Andy Card, former deputy chief of staff for George H.W. Bush, pointed out that in February of 1989 the Dow jumped to 2250. By the end of that administration, the Dow ended up even stronger at 2700 points. Hard to believe, isn't it? And it wasn't that long ago. Amazing what's happened in just 20 years.
It reminds us that everything is relative. While the first Bush administration had its economic problems, such as the S&L bailout and the budget crisis, times were pretty good for most Americans—and yet the Dow was nowhere near what we're now all used to.
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The Pro-Republican Media Bias in the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Campaigns
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2009 Comment (1053)By John Aloysius Farrell, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
The media is biased—toward Republicans.
A new book by two Indiana University professors states that the coverage from the three TV networks—ABC, CBS and NBC—favored the GOP candidates in the four presidential elections between 1992 and 2004.
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Intellectual Honesty Among the Not So Intellectual House Democrats
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2009 Comment (1)By Michael Barone, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Mickey Kaus endorses writer-and-labor-lawyer Tom Geoghegan for Congress. He's running in the Illinois 5th district special election to succeed Rahm Emanuel. I concur!
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Why the Census Is Important
Tweet Share on Facebook February 23, 2009 Comment (3)By Michael Barone, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
As a footnote to my column on the Census, here is Peter Baker's good piece on why the Census is important to politicians.
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12 Fun Facts on the State of the Union Address for the Obama Speech to Congress
Tweet Share on Facebook February 23, 2009 Comment (9)By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
I know, I know President Obama isn't giving a "State of the Union" address this week; he's simply speaking to a joint session of Congress about the state of our Union. That's clear, right?
With that important distinction out of the way, here are some firsts and other bits of trivia about State of the Union speeches (or whatever we want to call them):
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No Supreme Court Term Limits—Even With Partisan Justices Like Scalia and Thomas
Tweet Share on Facebook February 23, 2009 Comment (112)By John Aloysius Farrell, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
I have always thought that term limits were stupid. Or, perhaps more accurately, that the underlying assumption of the term limits movement was that Americans are stupid—and can't be trusted to conduct the necessary political house-cleaning at the polls.
Then there was the coincidence that, as the Republicans got to majority status over the last few decades, conservatives lost interest in the notion of limiting terms—an idea they promoted so enthusiastically when Democrats were in power.
Now that the Dems are back, we'll no doubt be seeing a rebirth of the movement over on the Right. But before we do, I want to register my opposition to a new term limits proposal—for Supreme Court justices—that would benefit the Left.
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Rick Santelli Rant on Unjust Democrat Bailouts Hit the Nail on the Head
Tweet Share on Facebook February 23, 2009 Comment (62)By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Late last week we saw CNBC's Rick Santelli ranting on the floor of the Chicago commodities exchange about the various bailout measures being promoted by the administration and Democrats in Congress. Since then, the video of his rant has been downloaded more than half a million times on YouTube.
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Michigan Voters Favor Auto Bailout for Chrysler, GM in Poll, Unlike Rest of Nation
Tweet Share on Facebook February 23, 2009 Comment (12)By Michael Barone, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Not surprisingly Michigan voters tend to favor government loans to General Motors and Chrysler. But only by a 52-36 percent margin; I would have thought it would be higher. On this, Michigan is out of step with the nation, which is 44-33 percent against the loans.
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The Drinking Age Debate: Time to Go From 21 to 18, But It's Not an Easy Call
Tweet Share on Facebook February 23, 2009 Comment (111)By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
60 Minutes had an interesting piece last night looking at the debate over whether or not to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18. I guess I must be getting old as I viewed the scenes of college students trying to drink themselves to death with bemusement rather than the enthusiasm I would have undoubtedly exhibited at their age (and for several years thereafter).
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