WE Blog » Phillip Brownlee

It’s the stupidity about the economy

Phillip Brownlee — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:02:45 +0000

It’s not “the economy, stupid,” that is souring voters, as former President Clinton’s campaign staff used to say. “It’s the stupidity about the economy in Washington and on Wall Street that’s driving most voters berserk,” wrote Forbes columnist Dan Gerstein. He contended that rather than focusing on fixing the financial system and getting Americans back to work, Democrats are fixated on making history with the health care bill while Republicans “seem equally obsessed with making health care a political albatross for the Democrats.” Gerstein noted how the big debate recently was whether abortion coverage would be banned in the health care bill. “I don’t mean to belittle the seriousness of the issue,” he wrote, “but is abortion coverage really a pressing priority when unemployment is at its highest rate in 25 years and many experts are warning that another crippling financial collapse is in the offing?”

Goldman Sachs ‘apology’ hollow

Phillip Brownlee — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:59:15 +0000

Lloyd Blankfein, chairman and chief executive of Goldman Sachs, issued an apology of sorts last week for his firm’s role in the subprime mortgage crisis. The investment bank also announced a $500 million program to invest in small businesses. But as McClatchy Newspapers reported, $500 million is only 2.5 percent of the $20 billion in bonuses that Goldman is expected to pay its employees next month. And a New York Times editorial noted that Blankfein never said exactly what he was sorry for or to whom he was apologizing. If Goldman is really sorry, the editorial said, it should make a multibillion-dollar donation to the federal Bureau of the Public Debt.

Health care reform would save state money

Phillip Brownlee — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:04:41 +0000

Some GOP governors blasted health care reform last week, saying that it would result in crippling costs to states. But an analysis released last week by the Kansas Health Policy Authority concluded that the proposed reforms could save Kansas up to $50 million per year. The net savings would come in part from shifting some Kansans out of Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and into a private insurance market. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the reform bills could extend coverage to up to 240,000 uninsured Kansans.

Pro-con on Obama’s China visit

Phillip Brownlee — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:49 +0000

From the start, President Obama dispensed with China-bashing and declared the need for a strong bilateral relationship with China to tackle the many problems that confront the world, not least the economic downturn, climate change, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. His two Chinese-American Cabinet members, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, were among the first high-ranking officials to visit Beijing and begin the dialogue on collaboration. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s first trip after taking office was to China. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has also made an official visit, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has been to China more than once. Obama’s actions have brought results. China’s Premier Wen Jiabao went to North Korea and came back to report that Pyongyang was ready to re-enter the six-party talks, subject to the United States being willing to conduct direct bilateral discussions. This is a refreshing change from the unilateral approach of the Bush administration. — George Koo, New America Media

Creating jobs for Americans is President Obama’s top priority. Yet he left China with little to show in further opening the world’s fastest-growing economy to greater U.S. imports. Perhaps Obama’s three-day visit at least created enough good will with Beijing’s tight-lipped leaders to later achieve his goal of reducing China’s blatant discrimination against foreign firms. The president promised last September that the United States “cannot go back to an era where the Chinese . . . just are selling everything to us.” More than three-quarters of the $400 billion in trade between the countries is one-way from China. But as old China hands like to say, “You don’t change China; China changes you.” And Obama seems to have fallen for many of the Communist Party’s old excuses for selective protectionism. Even boosting U.S. exports by 1 percent to a country with 1.3 billion people would create close to 200,000 American jobs. — Christian Science Monitor editorial

Bad timing on mammogram recommendation

Phillip Brownlee — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:49 +0000

There may be good science behind a federal task force recommendation that women in their 40s don’t need annual mammograms, but it was bad timing for the Obama administration. Coming in the midst of the heated debate about health care reform, the recommendation became instant fodder for those claiming that the government is going to ration health care and get between patients and their doctors. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius responded Wednesday that the task force does “not set federal policy and they don’t determine what services are covered by the federal government.” But that’s unlikely to quell concerns.

Moran correct about Cuba

Phillip Brownlee — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:44:42 +0000

The campaign of Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, looked childish and desperate in sending out an e-mail falsely claiming that Senate rival Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, had been endorsed by the Communist Party USA. But as Washburn University political science professor Robert Beatty hoped, perhaps the incident may lead to an intelligent discussion about U.S. policy. Perhaps — though probably not. As Moran correctly argues, decades of U.S. embargoes haven’t brought an end to communist rule in Cuba and actually may have helped prop it up. Lifting some trade and travel bans to Cuba would benefit Kansas farmers and could help spread democracy.

Opinions still mixed about health reform

Phillip Brownlee — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:03:22 +0000

The public is evenly divided on the proposed health care reforms, with 49 percent opposed and 48 percent supportive, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. The public also doubts that the reform will help control costs, with 56 percent saying that overall health care costs will go up. But 66 percent support requiring all large employers to provide health insurance coverage or face fines, and 53 percent support a public insurance option (72 percent support one limited to those who lack access to coverage).
The public still favors President Obama over Republicans in handling the economy (52 to 37 percent) and health care (50 to 37 percent), though the gaps have narrowed some during the year. And 61 percent of those surveyed think that GOP leaders mainly criticize Obama’s proposals without offering alternatives.

Roberts, Brownback now for filibusters?

Phillip Brownlee — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:04:57 +0000

In 2003, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., made a principled argument against filibustering judicial nominations. “We are really changing the constitutional design of what it takes to basically nominate and approve any judge,” he said. In 2005, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., also correctly argued that “all of the president’s nominees — both now and in the future — deserve a fair up or down vote.” So shouldn’t that mean that they both were among the 10 GOP lawmakers who voted Tuesday to end the filibuster of President Obama’s nomination of U.S. District Judge David Hamilton (in photo)? It should, but they weren’t.
Native Kansan and Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., hopes that lawmakers from both parties will finally declare a truce in their partisan fights over judicial nominations, thus ending such hypocrisy. “The Hamilton nomination would be a good time to do that,” he said. But apparently not for Roberts and Brownback.

Lobbyists helped write Jenkins’ statement

Phillip Brownlee — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:21:11 +0000

Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka, was one of nearly four dozen Republican and Democratic House members who submitted statements into the official record about health care reform that were written, in whole or in part, by lobbyists for a biotechnology company, the New York Times reported. Jenkins and Reps. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, and Lee Terry, R-Neb., used nearly identical words in criticizing the health care reform bill, but each also said: “I do believe the sections relating to the creation of a market for biosimilar products is one area of the bill that strikes the appropriate balance in providing lower cost options.” So not only do lobbyists help write bills, they help write what lawmakers say.

UPDATE: Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., also submitted text written by lobbyists.

Praeger backs ending subsidy to private insurers

Phillip Brownlee — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:03:26 +0000

Kansas’ GOP members of Congress oppose cutting billions of dollars in federal subsidies to privately run Medicare Advantage plans as a way to help pay for health care reform. But Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger says the cuts make sense. “When Congress is looking for savings, this is a very appropriate place to look,” Praeger told the Kansas Health Institute News Service. “I mean, keep in mind, Advantage plans are supposed to be costing less, not more.” Praeger said the private plans currently cost 13 to 14 percent more than traditional Medicare.

Pro-con: Is the recession over?

Phillip Brownlee — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:03:00 +0000

Officially, the Great Recession is over, at least for the United States. The economy recorded 3.5 percent annual growth for the third quarter of 2009. Fortunately, the administration of then-President Bush recognized the severity of the crisis and provided emergency financing for U.S. banks teetering on the brink of insolvency. Those efforts were followed up by the stimulus measures passed by his successor, President Obama. A $787 billion package is still percolating through the U.S. economy, providing a much-needed boost for spending as demand evaporated. Additional measures found some success, such as the Cash for Clunkers program, which encouraged consumers to trade in old cars for newer, more fuel-efficient models, and a federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers that helped revive a housing market whose implosion had set off the global crisis. Orders for durable goods rose 22.3 percent in the third quarter. That number was eclipsed by the 23.4 percent rise in housing sales, spurred by an $8,000 tax credit. The result was 3.5 percent growth, a return to the average rate recorded over the past 80 years. — Japan Times editorial, iStockAnalyst.com

The recession is over, we are told. The Commerce Department announced that the economy grew in the third quarter of 2009 by 3.5 percent. Great, huh? Maybe not. About half that growth came from the Cash for Clunkers program, which transferred into the third quarter auto sales that would have occurred later. The tax credit of $8,000 for first-time homebuyers stimulated some house sales. Most of the effect of the $787 billion stimulus package has already been felt. “There were few signs in the new data,” wrote the Washington Post’s Neil Irwin, “that the private sector will be able to sustain that growth once the government pulls back.” No one has much confidence that unemployment will decline significantly any time soon — or that the policies of the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders will stimulate the creation of new jobs. Higher tax rates on high earners, which will take effect next year, will certainly not create jobs. — Michael Barone, the Washington Examiner

Deforestation a bigger problem than planes, trains, automobiles

Phillip Brownlee — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:01:05 +0000

The amount of carbon dioxide that all the cars, trucks, planes, trains and ships in the world collectively emit into the atmosphere is “actually less than the carbon emissions every year that result from the chopping down and clearing of tropical forests in places like Brazil, Indonesia and the Congo,” columnist Thomas Friedman wrote. “We are now losing a tropical forest the size of New York State every year, and the carbon that releases into the atmosphere now accounts for roughly 17 percent of all global emissions contributing to climate change.”

Palin telling her side of the story

Phillip Brownlee — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:13:42 +0000

Sarah Palin has begun media promotion for her book, which complains about the media. She taped an appearance on “Oprah” in which she says she knew that her interview with Katie Couric went badly (though her book accuses Couric of “badgering” her). She’s also doing a Barbara Walters interview. Palin reportedly complains in the book about how she was handled by the McCain campaign. She also said that she was stuck with a $50,000 legal bill related to vetting as a vice president candidate, but the McCain campaign said it had no knowledge of that and didn’t think it happened.

Ambassador warns against more troops

Phillip Brownlee — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:02:51 +0000

Critics have complained that President Obama is “dithering” on deciding whether to send more troops to Afghanistan. But two classified cables sent to Washington, D.C., by the U.S. ambassador in Kabul illustrate how the decision isn’t as simple as some portray it. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, a retired three-star general who commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2006-07, warned against sending more troops until Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government becomes less corrupt and more competent, the Washington Post reported. The success of a surge in troops depends on a partnership with the Afghan government, and U.S. diplomats say they have seen little sign that Karzai plans to deal with corruption and other management problems.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that the United States has limited options in dealing with Karzai.

Deporting illegals in Kansas’ prisons could help but may not work

Phillip Brownlee — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:19:45 +0000

The Kansas Department of Corrections could help its budget problems if it could deport nearly 300 inmates who are potentially illegal immigrants. But doing so either isn’t possible because of a lack of extradition agreements or may not be effective. Corrections Secretary Roger Werholtz told a joint House-Senate committee Tuesday that about 80 of 293 inmates who were born in other countries and may be illegal immigrants might be eligible for deportation, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported. But deportation may not guarantee that inmates would remain in prison in their home countries. If inmates are freed, they could return to the United States, which might endanger public safety, Werholtz said. The inmates in question come from 28 different countries, though most (200) are from Mexico.

GOP now leading on 2010 generic ballot

Phillip Brownlee — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:41:10 +0000

Republicans have moved ahead of Democrats, 48 to 44 percent, among registered voters on the latest Gallup survey question asking: “If the election was held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for in your congressional district?” Last month, Republicans trailed by 2 percentage points. The gain came from independent voters, who favored GOP candidates by 22 points.

No regrets by GOP lawmaker who voted for health care bill

Phillip Brownlee — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:39:42 +0000

Rep. Joseph Cao, R-La., the sole House Republican to vote for the health reform bill, said he has been getting some “pretty nasty responses” from people upset with his vote. “From downright racist remarks just to hate speech, you name it, we have it,” Cao told the New York Times. But he has no regrets about his vote, saying that it was “based on my own conscience that people should have health care.” Cao, who represents a Democratic-leaning district, said that “we have to go beyond partisan politics” and do what is “right for America.”

State decisions add to jail population

Phillip Brownlee — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:38:50 +0000

One challenge to reducing — or even stabilizing — the Sedgwick County Jail population is that decisions at the state level can work against those efforts. For example, Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Davis said last week that state courts will have to close their doors for one week each month beginning in February if the Legislature doesn’t restore $8 million to the judiciary budget. If that happens, it could slow trials and hearings and increase the time some inmates stay in the jail. The state also is increasing the penalties for repeat drunken driving starting next July, which could result in an annual increase of about 3,700 bed days in the jail. State cuts to some mental health services and to programs aimed at helping parolees integrate into society also may lead to more inmates.

No justifying Tiller’s murder

Phillip Brownlee — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:14:12 +0000

Given that there are eyewitnesses to the murder of George Tiller, maybe Scott Roeder doesn’t have much to lose by confessing and saying that he plans to use the “necessity defense” at his upcoming trial, claiming that he killed Tiller to prevent a greater harm. But local pro-life groups reject Roeder’s claim that the murder was justifiable, and his public defender says that the “necessity defense” isn’t even allowed in Kansas.

Veterans shouldn’t live without care, hope

Phillip Brownlee — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:03:58 +0000

On this Veterans Day, it’s troubling that new estimates show the number of homeless veterans in Kansas has been increasing, as is the case nationally. There were 712 homeless vets in Kansas in 2008, up from 689 in 2007 and 601 in 2006, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. To its credit, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is launching a comprehensive plan to end homelessness among veterans that includes expanded support services and help with education, jobs, health care and housing. Local efforts to combat chronic homelessness should also help veterans get off the street and into stable housing. As Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said last week, “Those who have served this nation as veterans should never find themselves on the streets, living without care and without hope.”

Sensitivity no favor to other Muslim soldiers

Phillip Brownlee — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:13 +0000

“There’s a difference between sensitivity and stupidity,” columnist Eugene Robinson wrote about the U.S. Army’s caution in intervening against Maj. Nidal Hasan (in photo), the alleged Fort Hood shooter. The Army reportedly didn’t deal aggressively with Hasan’s erratic behavior and anti-American comments at least partly because it was being sensitive to his Muslim faith. But this failure to act was no favor to other Muslim soldiers, whose loyalty some are now questioning as a result of last week’s shooting. It was “unfair to the thousands of Muslims who have served in the military, and continue to do so, with honor and distinction,” Robinson wrote.

Open thread 11/10

Phillip Brownlee — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:03:29 +0000

Help small businesses hire again

Phillip Brownlee — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:02:54 +0000

“In order to ensure that today’s tentative recovery becomes a lasting expansion, the government must now make it a priority to deal with employment — particularly among small businesses,” economist Mark Zandi wrote in a New York Times commentary. He noted that businesses with fewer than 20 employees generated 40 percent of the job growth in the last economic expansion. Zandi recommends that policymakers empower the Small Business Administration to provide more credit, extend provisions in the current stimulus bill that allow money-losing firms to receive refunds of taxes paid on profits earned in previous years, and promote work-share programs.

Will Dunham pack arena?

Phillip Brownlee — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:01:27 +0000

A March 12 performance by comedic ventriloquist Jeff Dunham at Intrust Bank Arena seems out of place among concerts by Brad Paisley, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, and George Strait and Reba McEntire — something that would seem more suited to a smaller venue. But a New York Times Magazine profile of Dunham said that “he has recently achieved a surreal, ventriloquial megacelebrity and has had no problem finding enough Jeff Dunham fans to pack an arena wherever he goes.” It also reported that, “in the past year, he has played 150 shows and grossed $38 million in ticket sales, far more than any other comic.”

Koch foundations provide ‘money behind the movement’

Phillip Brownlee — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:36:11 +0000

The liberal group Media Matters has launched a Web site that tracks the major financial backers of conservative activist groups, the “money behind the movement.” Listed at the top of the site, conservativetransparency.org, are foundations controlled by the Koch family. It reports that these foundations have contributed millions of dollars to the Cato Institute and Americans for Prosperity, “as well as to other influential conservative think tanks, advocacy groups, media organizations, academic institutes and legal organizations, thus participating in every level of the policy process.”