Thomas Jefferson Street Blog
Wit and wisdom from all sides of the political spectrum.
At almost 5 a.m. on Saturday morning, the House passed their version of the FY2012 budget. Riding the conservative, Tea Party wave, newly elected Republicans succeeded (for the most part) in slashing spending on hundreds of government departments, agencies, and projects. Although many complained the cuts didn't slice deep enough, all but three Republicans voted in favor of the bill.
more »The standoff between the Wisconsin governor’s office and the state’s public employees is the most recent, and perhaps the ugliest, confrontation stemming from the budget troubles states are experiencing. But do not be fooled into thinking that the demands Gov. Scott Walker is making have anything to do with closing the state’s budget deficit.
more »The author of The Corrections and Freedom went to jail in Washington. He left impressed with the "seriousness" level of conversation, compared to meeting with young people on the other side of the tracks.
more »Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has become an instant conservative darling and national figure with his standoff against his state’s public worker unions. But a new poll suggests his no-compromise, union-busting approach is not playing well in the historically progressive state.
more »Sounding an awful lot like a presidential candidate (“I’m in”), Minnesota GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann came up with a novel solution for the budget crisis: Let Glenn Beck figure it out.
It was one highlight in what the Minnesota Independent (h/t Washington Monthly) describes as “one of her most fiery stump speeches to date,” to a Republican group in South Carolina. Given that her normal standard is flame-thrower it's remarkable the Palmetto State is still standing.
more »More Opinion
- Democrats, Republicans Change Their View on the Patriot Act
- A Week in History: Iwo Jima, Malcolm X, and the 'Miracle on Ice'
- Are Wisconsin Teachers Unfair to Skip School for Protests?
- Is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Right About the Unions?
- In Which City Do You Feel the Least Safe?
- Title IX Enforcement Could Devastate High School Sports
- Women More Likely to Earn a College Degree by Age 23
- Is Obama Taking the Right Approach on Entitlement Reform?
- George H.W. Bush Has Earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Does President Obama's Budget Strike the Right Balance?
- High-Capacity Ammo Clips for Guns Save Lives
- Why Congress Should Ban High-Volume Ammo Clips
- A Week in History: St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the Teddy Bear, and Huck Finn
- The Great Jobs Recession Goes On
- Should Congress Ban High-Capacity Ammo Clips?
- The Evolving Biography and Myths of George Washington
- Should the Government Fund High-Speed Rail?