Which of These Banks Was 2010s Most Shameless Corporate Outlaw

Bankers. The red carpet’s still being rolled out for them in Washington, but if there’s a stain on it they’ll pout for days. Jason Linkins documents the latest set of cheap white whines from very wealthy white men. (Discrimination lawsuits are a routine part of their legal troubles, too.) This time they’re upset because nobody […]

Samuelson on Social Security An Artifact From A Strange Year

Historians of the future will look back on this year as a turning point in the drive to dismantle a popular, self-funded program by convincing people that it’s a “big government” initiative that “costs too much.” Ours will be remembered as a time when superstition ruled the land, just as it did in ancient Europe […]

Dictionary Please Wall Streets Wallison Doubles Down on Doublespeak

Peter J. Wallison has a bright future … as a surrealist author.. He and the other Republicans on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission tried to undermine that group’s work by attempting to ban phrases like “Wall Street” from its final report. Now he’s trying to rebut news reports about their behavior. His response is a […]

Its About Social Security and the New Deal Not Barack Obama

The Democratic base seems to have coalesced around two opposing realities: Either President Obama is inept – if not an enemy of all things good and true – or he’s doing the best any human being could possibly do. Both of these seemingly opposing positions lead to the same outcome. They encourage inaction, either through […]

Negotiating Against America Why Obama Shouldnt Listen to David Brooks

Uh-oh. David Brooks is offering the President advice again. Since we’re told that Brooks is one of President Obama’s favorite columnists, there’s always the chance that his latest idea will gain traction in the White House. Brooks is smart, and he’s a good salesman, so his ideas may resonate with a lot of other powerful […]

Destruction for the (Hell) Cash of It The Republican Saboteurs Playbook

(This is the second in a two-part response to the attempted Republican sabotage of the Federal Crisis Inquiry Commission. Part One is here.) sabotage [ˈsæbəˌtɑːʒ] n. 1. the deliberate destruction, disruption, or damage of equipment, a public service, etc., as by enemy agents, dissatisfied employees, etc. 2. any similar action or behaviour. – Collins English […]

Republican Fifth Column Strikes Financial Commission Are YOU Next

A sleeper cell of four Republicans struck the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission this week, escalating what had been previously been a campaign of covert obstruction into an overt act of sabotage. That act should be seen for what it is: A “denial of service attack” on bipartisan cooperation and public deliberation, designed to destroy the […]

A Quarter Of A Million Little Pieces Pete Peterson & the Washington Post Have a New Fiscal James Frey

Right-wing billionaire Pete Peterson continues to use the Washington Post as an outlet for deceptive anti-tax and anti-government propaganda. His “Fiscal Times” is a factory for churning out James Frey-like mendacity, which the Post then deceptively packages and distributes as “journalism.” For those of you who have forgotten, James Frey’s deception, in his book A […]

Blind Trust Holders Sham Operation and Obamas Wall Street Justice

Here’s something the administration may want to take to heart: Trust is a lot like money. If you spend more than you earn, it could be gone when you need it the most. Consider the Attorney General’s highly-touted announcement of a “crackdown” on financial fraud. Americans have been waiting for this ever since bank crimes […]