Monday’s open enrollment deadline for ObamaCare, which, with its subsidies and tax credits, represents the largest expansion of government, is a good time to assess the total scale of government in the US. Appreciating the full scope of the US
Late last week, the Illinois House Revenue Committee approved a plan to impose a tax surcharge on residents earning more than $1 million a year. The measure, backed by Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan (pictured) would affect around 14,000 individuals
The political fallout from the disastrous ObamaCare rollout has Obama and Democrats scrambling to dust-off their 2006 playbook and make a minimum wage hike central to their election efforts this Fall. While Democrats now express great moral urgency, remember that
Ever since the economy failed to return to strong economic growth following the federal stimulus and action by the Federal Reserve, liberal commentators have insisted that government “austerity” is to blame and has acted like a brake on potential economic growth.
Earlier this year, Congress finally wrapped up work on a new Farm Bill after years of contentious negotiations. Ultimately, Congress agreed to trim a modest $8.6 billion in spending on the food stamp program over the next ten years. The
On March 13th, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority unanimously voted to award Sony Corporation a $1.6 million tax credit to move 50 jobs from Manhattan to New Jersey. Erin Gold, a spokesman for the Authority, said the credit would
I love primaries. The first campaign I managed was a primary, decades ago. With most districts, and many states, firmly in either the “red” or “blue” camp, primaries are an important mechanism for voters to ensure that their elected officials
Having recently placed West Virginia Democrat Rep. Nick Rahall on its “endangered list,” the House Majority PAC, an arm of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is out with a new ad touting Rahall’s support of the state’s vital coal industry.
On Wednesday, NBC/WSJ released its latest poll of the nation’s political environment. The poll found that Obama’s approval rating had dropped to 41%, the lowest of his presidency. Given recent political developments, that is noteworthy, but hardly surprising. The poll
On Monday, the Utah House of Representatives approved legislation allowing the state to hold presidential nominating primaries a week before any other state. If approved by the Senate and Governor, Utah would move head of New Hampshire, and possibly Iowa,
On Tuesday, voters in Florida’s 13th District will select a replacement for the late GOP Rep. Bill Young, who represented the St. Petersburg-based district for decades. Democrats secured their top recruit, Alex Sink, former financial officer for the state, who
(National Harbor, MD) — Kentucky Senator Rand Paul won the CPAC Presidential Straw Poll for the second year in a row. The support he received from 31% of voters was almost three times the support of his nearest rival, Texas
Friday’s report from the Labor Department that the economy added 175,000 jobs in February was better than economists expected. After two very weak reports in December and January, expectations had been lowered for job creation in the month. While the
On Friday, the Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities jumped to 14.3% in February. This is a 16% increase over last year, when the unemployment rate for the disabled was just 12.3%. This spike in
On Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy gained 175,000 jobs in February, roughly on pace with population growth. In a worrying trend, though, the Department also reported that the average number of hours worked fell for the month. Production
On Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy gained 175,000 jobs in February. The consensus among economists had been for a 149,000 increase in jobs for the month. The unemployment rate ticked up a notch to 6.7%. In January, the
National payroll firm ADP reported Wednesday that just 139,000 private sector jobs were added in February. The number was below economists’ forecast of 155,000. ADP also revised downward its estimate of new private sector jobs in January, falling to 127,000
North Carolina Freshman Senator Kay Hagan is one of the most vulnerable Senators running for reelection this year. Her challenge to winning reelection is evidenced by a new poll from Elon University showing that just one-third of Tarheel voters approve
In the five years that Obama has been President, the Senate Democrats have produced only one budget resolution. During Obama’s presidency, the government has been funded by a series of “continuing resolutions” which simply extend all current government programs, preventing
The Commerce Department announced Friday that its revised estimate of GDP growth in the 4th Quarter was revised down to 2.4% annual growth. Initial estimates had put GDP growth at 3.2%. Economists had expected a downward revision to 2.5%, making
Democrats have been heavy favorites to capture the seat of the late Rep. Bill Young (R-FL) in a special election on March 11th. Their nominee, Alex Sink, lost a close race for Governor in 2010 and has both high name
The trouble with being an actor is that you have to remember your lines. The trouble with being a political actor is that that you have to make the new lines fit with all the other lines you’ve delivered in
One of the more persistent myths of modern politics is that Democrats are swimming against a torrent of money supporting Republicans. In the media narrative, nefarious business and monied interests subvert the democratic process by deploying millions against Democrats progressives.
Last week, the Democrat controlled House in West Virginia passed legislation raising the state’s minimum wage to $8.75 an hour, $1.50 higher than the federal minimum wage. The action is part of a nation-wide effort by Democrats to make a
President Obama’s FY 2105 budget will drop the one concession he had made to Republicans on entitlement reform. Under pressure from Congressional Democrats, Obama’s budget will not contain a proposal called “chained CPI” which changes the calculation of cost-of-living increases
