Anne Applebaum Wants the GOP to Act Like the GOP

In this tightly constructed Op-Ed, Anne Applebaum reminds Republicans of the profligate spending of the Bush Administration (and Republican Congress), and the comparatively responsible fiscal policies of the Clinton Administration. 

Republicans need not only talk about fiscal responsibility, they must be fiscally responsible. 

I'm Dead, And I Vote!

As part of its promise to review each federal departmental budget 'line by line', the Obama Administration announced today that it will no longer be sending checks out to 20,000 dead people. The action is expected to save an estimated $180 million.

No word yet on whether ACORN Communities United will challenge the new policy on the grounds that it violates the Voter Registration Act.

Reason On The President's Fiscal Responsibility Commission

We didn't spend as much time on this last night on the radio show as I would have liked--but no big deal as Reason online has a nice discussion here for us.

Presidential Commission On Debt

President Obama's Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform gets underway tomorrow, a body of 18 members, 12 of whom come from the US Congress. Though it seems to me the natural debt reduction commission IS the US Congress, the pragmatist in me realizes that sometimes you need a "splinter" group to go off and look really hard at hard problems. The members have "pledged" to take initiatives agreed on by 14 of 18 members forward in Congress.

It sounds as if both spending cuts and tax increases are on the table. Republicans would be advised to ensure that a third option--tax reform--is on the lips of all its members, as shifting from an income-based taxation system to a consumption-based system is ultimately the smart, long play for the Party (and the country).

The Commission will make its initial report in December of this year (after the 2010 Elections, natch).