Visual source: Newseum
Yet another poll, this one from Fox News:
although generic "someone else" beats Obama 49-44. As far as we can tell, Gov. Generic isn't running, but we hear there'll be a generic bus tour through historic Wall Street (where Paul Revere raised cash from the British to protect the Banks of the Potomac) sometime this summer.
And another reason Romney is the front runner: "How important is it to you that the Republican nominee can beat Barack Obama? Very important 73%" compared to "How important is it to you that the Republican nominee agrees with you on most majorissues?Very important 53%". In any case, don't miss Obama trails Romney ... oh, wait!.
Matthew J Slaughter and Robert Z. Lawrence:
A feud over trade has erupted in Washington, and American workers are caught in the middle. Congressional Republicans (and some Democrats) are threatening to hold up approval of free-trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama if President Obama keeps insisting on renewing expanded benefits under Trade Adjustment Assistance, the main aid program for American workers harmed by foreign trade.
Supporters say the program — which offers retraining, relocation and other benefits to workers who lose their jobs due to competition from imports — offers vital protection. Opponents label it an unaffordable boondoggle. If our country fails to resolve this dispute, our economic future will be bleak.
WaPo/ABC poll: 37% of Americans want to ruin the economy.
A large majority of Americans say the U.S. economy would probably suffer serious harm if Congress fails to give the federal government more borrowing authority. But barely half support raising the government’s debt limit, even if lawmakers also sharply cut spending.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that 55 percent of Democrats and half of Republicans and independents support a debt-limit deal that includes a steep reduction in the size of government. But 37 percent of Republicans, a third of independents and nearly a fifth of Democrats say they are against raising the debt limit, under any circumstances.
If anyone ever wanted to make a case that Washington should ignore polls, this one is it.
Hartford Courant:
Liberals and union members were pleased with Malloy's actions and agenda as he presided over the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana, mandated paid sick leave for service workers, in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants, protections for transgender people, early release of some prisoners, and passage of the largest tax increase in state history, including higher income taxes on the rich.
Those measures were achieved before the session's final hours Wednesday, which lacked the chaos and breakneck pace that had been seen in recent years when the governor and the legislature were from different parties. Bills passed in the final 24 hours this year included the expansion of the University of Connecticut Health Center and the creation of a task force on the use of medical marijuana.
Working with a Democratic-controlled legislature, Malloy pushed through virtually all of his agenda — to the consternation of Republicans and some business leaders.
Contrast with (NY Times):
In just the last few weeks, Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, has signed legislation to require voters to show photo identification cards at the polls and to deregulate elements of the telecommunications industry. And the Republican-dominated Legislature is now in the midst of advancing provisions to expand school vouchers, to allow people to carry concealed weapons, to cut financing for Planned Parenthood and to bar illegal immigrants from paying in-state tuition at Wisconsin’s universities.
Why the urgency? Republicans, who suddenly swept into control of this Capitol in last fall’s elections, face a deadline of sorts. Though the lawmakers insist that their hurry-up offense is just living up to campaign promises, there is a threat looming: They are at risk of losing their newly won majority in the State Senate as early as next month.
EJ Dionne:
I have no particular sympathy for the political views of Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty or Rick Santorum, but at least the three of them are doing the hard work that democratic politics requires. Thus: Palin’s unusual comments about Paul Revere got far more attention than did Pawlenty’s economic speech this week. It fell to policy bloggers such as The Post’s Ezra Klein to take Pawlenty’s ideas apart. Thus: Palin’s bus trip to the New Hampshire seacoast got at least as much attention as Romney’s announcement of a real, live candidacy.
EJ doesn't blame the media [or to be fair, at least as much as me], but I do. They created Palin and Trump. Our political media deserves every brickbat thrown at them.