ALARM CLOCK

Wake up losers.

In The Middle Of Tonight

Redundancy

You've probably seen this.

GOP staffer can't take it any more.

If not, read the whole thing.

If, thread.

Overnight

For those who need to rock just a little bit more.

Late Night

La resistance lives on.

Tuesday Evening

Rock on.

City Car

I've never been very optimistic that these types of things would ever catch on in the urban hellholes of the US. Basically they need to be really cheap, way below what an entry level 'real car' costs, as well as meeting whatever requirements for them to be street legal.

Happy Hour Thread

enjoy

It's Always Morning In America

I've been thinking about the Politico article since it came out. If we look at the Scariest Chart ever, which admittedly contains some revisions which make things look a little bit worse than they did at the time, it's obvious that there was just never any reason for any confidence that the recovery was here.

Benen's graph might make this a bit more clear. Basically we had two ok but not awesome months and one good month in summer of 2010 (aka Recovery Summer) and then 3 ok but not awesome months this past Spring...and from that, everyone thought we could declare victory and go home.

Changing World

I don't have a perfect memory of my upbringing, but I do know that a 10-year-old on a bike wouldn't have raised any eyebrows back then in my neighborhood. When you were 10 you were supposed to do things like ride your goddamn bike. I had some freedom to wander around alone, or at least with my brother (2 years older) at age 6-7, and definitely at age 10, free roaming around the neighborhood, on foot or bike, was normal...

Wanker of the Day

Bill Keller.

Attempting To Board The Mothership

Funny

Insanity Everywhere

Plan A is destroying the economy, so...stick with it!

George Osborne has signalled that the government would stick to its hardline deficit reduction strategy despite being forced to revise down his growth forecasts for the economy following the slowdown of recent months.

Lunch Thread

enjoy

Everybody Knows

There are several decades long narratives in American politics which people (with a perpetual Villager assist) have long internalized. Democrats are pacifist wimps who want to give all your money to undeserving poor people. Republicans love to cut taxes and to cut government spending. Democratic political consultants seem to be forever trying to fight against these narratives, without seeming to understand that it's very difficult to dislodge them. The problem that arises is that if you start beating the deficit drum, then you haven't made voters "trust you" on the deficit, you've made the case to voters that they should elect the Republicans who will be better on this very important issue.

Of course enlightened Eschaton blog readers know that Republicans are full of shit on spending and to a lesser extent taxes, but David Gregory is never going to explain that to the rest of the country. If you make the case that Republican issues are important, you're making the case for...Republicans.

But it's brilliant politics!!!

Substance And Politics

Various people have tried to reassure me that the deficit two step is getting the politics right.

Public pessimism about the direction of the country has jumped to its highest level in nearly three years, erasing the sense of hope that followed President Obama’s inauguration and pushing his approval ratings to a record low, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

More than 60 percent of those surveyed say they disapprove of the way the president is handling the economy and, what has become issue No. 1, the stagnant jobs situation. Just 43 percent now approve of the job he is doing overall, a new career low; 53 percent disapprove, a new high.

I guess The Village has now officially decided that the jobs issue "has become issue No. 1" even though, you know, it's been issue No. 1 for years now.

Democracy Is Not The Problem

European leaders weren't elected to bail out banks and punish their population, the Euro and the economic/political integration of Europe was always an elite project with marginal public support, and while here in the US the tea partiers squawk about spending, they don't actually care about it.

It's Always Sunny

It's a little better than I expected, but economists are an optimistic lot.

This Tomato

The 7-Year-Old loves Neko. We had to gently break it to her that the actual lyric is not "this tomato loves you." Good kid.

Time After Time

Rock on.