Yeah, Bipartisanship Isn't About To Break Out
Brian Beutler has this right:Ever since he became speaker, Boehner has been reluctant to forge coalitions with Democrats, particularly when Democrats end up controlling the policy and supplying the...
View ArticleWhat Mattered This Week?
The confirmations. I think I said this before, but put aside the drama (and real importance) of the Senate rules fight: the nominations at stake, especially those three DC Circuit picks, are quite...
View ArticleSunday Question for Conservatives
What's the general consensus of neutral experts going to be by, oh, the end of March on how the ACA is working? Series of disasters? Surprisingly successful, given the fiasco in October? Too soon to...
View ArticleSunday Question for Liberals
Same question, plus a bit more. What's the general consensus of neutral experts going to be by, oh, the end of March on how the ACA is working? Series of disasters? Surprisingly successful, given the...
View ArticleRead Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Steven Bochco, 70.I'm traveling and in meetings early this week, so posting may be sporadic, but that's no excuse for skipping the good stuff:1. I mostly blame the mainstream...
View ArticleBlame Obamacare/Disappearing Obamacare
Kevin Drum notes that everyone is blaming Obamacare for things that would happen anyway, and that the incentive structure calls for this to continue, for a while at least. Sam Baker had a longer, and...
View ArticleGlitch Gloating? Good
I'm not sure whether it was in response to my earlier item or not, but Andrew Sprung tweets:So constructive to have all hands in a major political party poised to highlight & gloat over every...
View ArticleRead Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Bob Ojeda, 56. Mainly because he always reminds me of Blue Sox hero Steve Olin, who would have been 48 now. Sad. Also, because in the 30+ years I've known her, my wife really cared...
View ArticleRead Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Alan Rudolph, 70.Travel day yesterday, so I hardly saw any good stuff, but there are these:1. Andrew Sprung, as usual, listens to Obama better than most of us.2. Keith Bentele and...
View ArticleRead Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Tim Reid, 69.I keep thinking that some blogging will happen, but it doesn't seem to be (here; regular posts at PP all week). With any luck, this won't be the third day in a row with...
View ArticleOnce More on Judicial Strategic Retirements
I one of those who have been writing for quite a while that if Breyer and Ginsburg care primarily about advancing the positions they've fought for on the Court, the best thing for them to do is to...
View ArticleElsewhere
I know there hasn't been much here lately, but I've been busy as usual over at PP, plus a bit at Greg's place.I'm really skeptical about the "Obamacare rollout hurt Obama's approval ratings" story. It...
View ArticleHousekeeping
Well, this is a big one.I've accepted a position as political blogger for Bloomberg View. I'm consolidating all my stuff over there. Yup, after four plus years, I'll be your Plain Blogger no more.Or at...
View ArticleWhat Mattered This Week?
Sure, why not do this one?Let's see...I'll go with the nominations that made it through the Senate. Yes, there was some foot-dragging that successfully delayed others, but nothing that's really a big...
View ArticleSunday Question for Everyone
What's a gift you would like to give to a politician you like? This is for sincere, not sarcastic, gifts, but creative ones if you can think of them.
View ArticleWhat Mattered This Week?
Okay, I know, I'm a day late, and I'm not sure if any of you are around anyway, and even worse I've really been on full vacation this week and can't even suggest anything...but let's do What Mattered...
View ArticleSunday Question for Everyone
What's a realistic policy outcome you are particularly hoping for in 2014?
View ArticleFriday Baseball Post
It's Hall of Fame time. Can't miss this one.As we all know, this year's ballot for the real voters is unlike any normal one: instead of being about which marginal guys deserve to be in, it's about...
View ArticleWhat Mattered This Week?
Last time here before the big move...I'm certainly on board with Greg Sargent's comments this week that the spin over the first few days of ACA exchange plans kicking in doesn't matter.As far as what...
View ArticleSunday Question for Conservatives
Looking back on the first session of Congress -- who is your rookie of the year? Who is the best of those newly elected in 2012?
View ArticleSunday Question for Liberals
Same one that I did for conservatives: who was your rookie of the year for the first session of Congress? Of those first elected in 2012, who impressed you?(Fine. I know you all are going to say...
View ArticleMoving Day
Yes, boxes are being packed and unpacked at Plain Blog world headquarters today for the big move...well, figuratively at least. But in fact the big day is tomorrow.Bloomberg View is here. And they...
View ArticleLooking For Me? I'm Over At Bloomberg View
First post is up:Will Scandal Cost Christie the Invisible Primary?Yes, I got "party actors" and who they are into my first post...just worked out that way. More to come!Again, my general page over...
View ArticleRecently at Bloomberg View
I suppose I'll start a new post, and update it throughout the week, with links to current posts over there. As always with these, I may or may not update here in a timely way; your best bet is just to...
View ArticleRelaunching Comments
Not sure if anyone is still looking over here, but just in case: I'm doing what I think of as a relaunch of comments over at Bloomberg today. I'm going to begin zapping, pretty aggressively at first.If...
View Article
