CARTAS LIBERALES

Warren Buffett's Secretary Speaks

By BRENT BAKER

From the Media Research Center
The secretary speaks," ABC fill-in anchor David Muir excitedly teased at the top of Wednesday's World News, "billionaire investor Warren Buffett and his secretary, who pays a much-higher tax rate than him. He says not fair. She's now at the center of a huge debate. What does she think? An ABC News exclusive." Muir promised that "tonight we hear from the secretary for the first time," but she merely got to utter one sentence as ABC used her as a poster girl to hike taxes.

Buffett Tax Folly

Newt's Post-Florida Depression

$5 Trillion and Change

Obama's four years have seen the four highest deficits since 1946.

The political strategy behind Obamanomics was always simple: Call for "stimulus" to rescue the economy, run up the debt with the biggest spending blitz in 60 years, and then when the deficit explodes call for higher taxes. The Congressional Budget Office annual review released yesterday shows this is all on track.
CBO reports that annual spending over the Obama era has climbed to a projected $3.6 trillion this fiscal year from $2.98 trillion in fiscal 2008, or more than 20%. The government spending burden has averaged 24% of GDP, up from an average of about 20%. This doesn't include the $2 trillion tab for ObamaCare.
All of this has increased the federal debt by about $5 trillion in a mere four years. Thanks to higher revenues, the federal deficit will decline to $1.08 trillion in 2012, or 7% of GDP. But that is still the highest deficit since 1946—except for the previous three years. In other words, the four years of the Obama's Presidency will mark the four highest years in spending and deficits as a share of the economy since Harry Truman sat in the Oval Office.

Enlarge Image

EPA And don't forget the national debt held by the public—the kind we have to pay back. On President Obama's watch, CBO says public debt will climb this year to 72.5% of the economy from 40.3% in 2008. This isn't as high as Italy or Greece, but it's rising fast toward the 90% level that begins to debilitate an economy.
We pause from this gloom for some good news: Despite the abuse they've taken, House Republicans have made some fiscal progress. CBO estimates that overall federal spending in 2012 will grow by only $3 billion, or less than 1%, which compares with double digit increases during the Obama-Pelosi years. Republicans have also tried to reform entitlements, but Democrats wanted a $1 trillion tax hike ransom for even modest cuts, which was wisely rejected.

After crushing Gingrich, can he make his campaign a cause?

With his resounding comeback win in Florida Tuesday, what have we learned about Mitt Romney? He can take a punch. He's shown the discipline, tenacity and organization to dismantle a vulnerable opponent. What we still don't know is whether the one-time, and now once again, GOP front-runner can make a convincing case for his own candidacy.
The Florida Republican primary race was a thing of beauty only if you like the Ultimate Fighting Championship on cable. Knocked back after his South Carolina defeat, Mr. Romney and his team came out swinging, kicking and clawing at Newt Gingrich. He delivered the blows himself and without apology in debates, and he unleashed his attack ads and surrogates to do the rest of the dirty work.

Enlarge Image

Getty Images

Mitt Romney after Tuesday night's primary in Tampa, Fla.

Soros Sits Out Obama’s Super-PAC Money Race Beside Big Democratic Givers. By Hans Nichols -

George Soros, the billionaire investor who bankrolled Democratic groups during George W. Bush’s presidency and then indicated in 2010 that his giving days were over, is back.
He just isn’t giving to the political action committee working to re-elect President Barack Obama.
Soros is joined by million-dollar donors such as film producer Stephen Bing and auto insurer Peter Lewis in not contributing to Priorities USA, a group founded by former White House aides to help return Obama to the White House. The pro- Obama organization raised $1.2 million in the second half of 2011, bringing its yearly total to $4.4 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Why the Early U.S. Didn't Go the Way of the Euro: Echoes

We usually don't think of the U.S. as a monetary union, but early in its history it essentially was. Unlike the crisis-wracked euro zone, the dollar zone survived its first few decades without a major crisis, providing the fragile young republic with a period of relative stability during which it began to congeal culturally, economically, politically and militarily.

Mexico’s Democracy Needs Justice System to Match: Enrique Krauze

By Enrique Krauze

Mexican culture doesn’t have much room for fiction about criminal investigations or the solving of crimes by the police.
There have been some significant crime novels, notably the series written by Paco Ignacio Taibo II starring the private detective, Hector Belascoaran Shayne. But investigative victories by the police? The mere idea of a Mexican Hercule Poirot sounds unreal. This isn’t much of a mystery, either, considering the nature, in general at least, of the Mexican police and its procedures.

Illustration by Bloomberg View

In a Florida Republican primary notable for the bleakness of its attacks, one event offered a singular ray of hope. Speaking to a Hispanic group in Miami, Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, took a tentative step toward reclaiming his party’s pro-immigrant legacy.

Gingrich Says He Will Continue Race Against Romney After Florida. By Lisa Lerer and Michael C. Bender

Mitt Romney prepared for victory in the Republican presidential primary in Florida (BEESFL) today, as Newt Gingrich, trailing in public opinion polls, vowed to wage a prolonged fight for the nomination.
“You can sense that it’s coming our way,” Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, told reporters on his campaign plane yesterday. “It’s getting better and better every day.”
With Romney surging in Florida (NFSEFL), Gingrich told reporters in Orlando today he will continue campaigning until June or July, “unless Romney drops out sooner.”
Gingrich has started to lay out a strategy for the seven contests next month as aides pointed to national surveys showing their candidate in the lead as proof that he could still win the nomination.
“We are going to go all the way to the convention,” Gingrich told a crowd of about 200 at the Renaissance Airport Hotel in Orlando yesterday. “We are going to win in Tampa. And we are going to be the nominee with your help.”

Romney Set to Gain in Next Races as Money Flows

By John McCormick -

Enlarge image

Ann and Mitt Romney after his acceptance speech on Jan. 31, 2012. Photographer: Linda Davidson/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Romney Sees Surge in Wall Street Donations

Play Video

Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- In the fourth quarter last year, eight of the 10 biggest donors to Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, co-founder of the Boston-based private equity fund Bain Capital LLC, worked for banks and investment funds, according to data compiled by Bloomberg based on Federal Election Commission information released yesterday. Peter Cook reports on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack." (Source: Bloomberg)

Romney `General Election IPO' Speech, Dowd Says

Play Video

Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Matthew Dowd, Bloomberg political analyst and former chief campaign strategist for George W. Bush, talks about the results of the Florida primary and outlook for the Republican presidential race. He speaks with Scarlet Fu and Adam Johnson on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack." (Source: Bloomberg)

Enlarge image

Mitt Romney supporters at the convention center in Tampa, Florida on Jan. 31, 2012. Photographer: Linda Davidson/The Washington Post/Getty Images

TERRORIST IDENTIFICATION CHART

Posted by Ricardo Valenzuela at 11:38 PM 0 comments

CARTAS LIBERALES

Páginas

01 febrero, 2012