Kausfiles

Will Krugman Thank the Centrists?

Mickey Kaus — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:11:00 GMT

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Special Fratricidal Edition

Mickey Kaus — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:24:00 GMT

I apologize for the dropped posts (now back ). Slate 's new blogging system is cr ... undergoing continuous improvement! Lucky I'm not the type to let that sort of thing drive me crazy ... If anyone notices any other missing posts, please let me know. ... Meanwhile, Andrew Sullivan's bellicose and bullying "New Orwell" era archives magically reappear at the very moment they come in handy for him. Funny how that happens! ... 6:46 P.M.

Turning Over the Rock

Mickey Kaus — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:31:00 GMT

Robert Rector and Katherine Bradley note that the anti-welfare-reform provisions in the stimulus bill aren't as bad as I'd feared. They're worse . They attempt replicate the fiscal mechanics of the old welfare (AFDC) "entitlement," but with a bigger incentive to welfare expansion:

The Money Liberal Conspiracy At Work

Mickey Kaus — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:14:00 GMT

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

It's OK to have opinions!

Mickey Kaus — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:07:00 GMT

Marc Ambinder tells us what he really thinks about TARP II:

Boehner Squawks

Mickey Kaus — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:23:00 GMT

Monday, February 9, 2009

kf Goes In the Tank

Mickey Kaus — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:04:00 GMT

I saw my friend and Slate contributor Tom Geoghegan speak in L.A. at a fundraiser for his Congressional run.** He wasn't as good as I expected. He was much better. The joy of Geoghegan is that he usually has a big interesting new theory, often a (dare I say it) contrarian one. He can be earnest, but that's soon subverted by a fleeting isn't-this-all-absurd smile. What I didn't expect is that he'd be tightly focused--paring his pitch down to three points. You can hear them here . At least two of them aren't things you'll find in the official Ambitious Dem Playbook.. ... Plus he's able to disagree with his audience in an agreeable way, a non-trivial gift ... Plus he only mentioned "card check" once. ... P.S.: Katha Pollitt got it right, I think, when she said that Geoghegan could be the next Paul Wellstone--meaning a left-liberal who's liked and respected by those to his right (i.e.,everyone). ... Reminder: Geoghegan is pro-union but he's well aware of the deficiencies of "interest group liberalism." ...
**-- I gave $250. ... 1:59 A.M.
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Versa Mystery Solved

Mickey Kaus — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:38:00 GMT

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Hello? GOPs? Your favorite wedge issue is coming back.

Mickey Kaus — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 21:32:00 GMT

Shouldn't Republicans be making more of a fuss about the provision in the stimulus bill-- both House and Senate versions, apparently --that spends $2-3 billion to the states for "temporary welfare payments"? I initially thought Charles Hurt of the N.Y. Post was being alarmist when he suggested the provision would "drastically undo two decades of welfare reforms." The essence of the 1996 reform was ending the individual legal entitlement to AFDC (cash aid to single mothers, basically) and replacing it with state-run programs that, in theory, require recipients to enter the work force. The stimulus bill doesn't rip up that basic deal, as I understand it. But it is part of a larger liberal campaign ** to use the recession to weaken work requirements and let millions of non-working single mothers back on the welfare rolls . Specifically, it would apparently reward states that expand their welfare caseloads --even if the increase is only the product of loosened work requirements rather than a worsening local economy.

Tomorrow's CW Today

Mickey Kaus — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:38:00 GMT

Thursday, February 5, 2009