Farm Bill Madlibs
The Swine Line
May 28 - 3:02 pm
It was fill-in-the-blank-time for editorial boards across the country to describe the Farm Bill disaster.  Michael G. Franc has this roundup of reactions in NRO Farming Out Principle: “bloated monstrosity” (News-Sentinel of Fort Wayne, Ind.), “outrageous” (Charleston, W. Va., Daily Mail), “absurd” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), “disgraceful” (New York Times), “shameful” (Wisconsin State Journal), “irresponsible” (Houston Chronicle), “maddeningly stupid,

Wednesday's Daily News
Club for Growth
May 28 - 8:51 am
Sorry, no Daily News today. I'll be out of the office until later today.

A Message about the Senate Restaurants and Catering Services
United States Senator Tom Coburn
May 28 - 5:39 am


Groups to Sue EPA over Ozone Rule
OMBWatch Blogs
May 28 - 12:00 am
Yesterday, five environmental groups announced they will file suit against the Environmental Protection Agency over its recent revision to the national air quality standard for ozone, or smog. Although EPA tightened the public health standard, also known as the primary standard, for ozone to 0.075 parts per million (ppm), down from 0.084 ppm, the agency did not go as far as its scientific advisors had recommended. EPA's Clean Air Science Advisory Committee recommended the standard be set somewhere between 0.060 ppm and 0.070 ppm. Other advisory committees and countless independent scientists

Hi (Economist) Mom!
OMBWatch Blogs
May 28 - 12:00 am
I just wanted to alert readers of a new blog we've been reading: EconomistMom - "where analytical rigor meets a mother's intuition." Authored by economist and mom Diane Lim Rogers of the Concord Coalition, the blog's "particular focus [is] on the economics of fiscal responsibility," but Rogers also writes about broader issues. She's been on a roll lately, explaining the trap of the "largest tax increase in history" rhetoric, expressing frustration about the 'extenders' tax cuts, and righteously high-fiving Steven Pearlstein for his column that connects the dots of the various economic woes

Pentagon IG Report Exposes Cost of Contracting
OMBWatch Blogs
May 28 - 12:00 am
The good folks at POGO have come into the possession of one Defense Department Inspector General's report published in March of this year. This report was at the center of a congressional hearing that was commented on by Stan Collender in a blog post (and WaPo story) we flagged yesterday. And according to the report: The rapid growth of the DoD budget since 'FY 2000 leaves the. Department increasingly more vulnerable to the fraud, waste, and, abuse that undermines the Department's mission. At the same time, our ability to adequately cover high-risk areas and Defense priorities has beco

DAILY FISCAL POLICY REPORT -- May 28, 2008
OMBWatch Blogs
May 28 - 12:00 am
Economy -- Consumer Confidence Drops to 16-Year Low: The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households, fellow to its lowest level since October 1992. "Weakening business and job conditions coupled with growing pessimism about the short-term future have further depleted consumers' confidence in the overall state of the economy." Press Release. Government Oversight -- Defense Inspectors Stretched Thin: Pentagon auditors say billions of dollars in military spending is going unchecked because they are having trouble keeping pace with the

Huck Rejects Free-Market Capitalism
Club for Growth
May 27 - 7:11 pm
In an interview last Thursday, Mike Huckabee laid out his vision for the Republican Party: Republicans need to be Republicans. The greatest threat to classic Republicanism is not liberalism; it's this new brand of libertarianism, which is social liberalism and economic conservatism, but it's a heartless, callous, soulless type of economic conservatism because it says "look, we want to cut taxes and eliminate government. If it means that elderly people don't get their Medicare drugs, so be it. If it means little kids go without education and healthcare, so be it." Well, that might be a quote p

The Free Economy
Club for Growth
May 27 - 6:46 pm
I enjoyed this video. Chris Anderson from Wired magazine makes a very sound and concise argument. His last line is the best: "Every industry that becomes digital eventually becomes free." Hat tip to Craig Newmark.

Revolving Door Study Finds Pentagon Contractors at the Turnstiles
Sunlight Foundation Feeds Blended
May 27 - 5:15 pm
Via IEC Journal comes word of this Government Accountability Office report written up in this Government Executive article by Elizabeth Newell on the post-employment trends of 400 top former Defense Department officials  all of whom were subject to a one-year ban on lobbying their old colleagues. Newell offers this staggering finding: Approximately 65 percent of those former officials were employed by one of seven contractors: Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC); Northrop Grumman Corp.; Lockheed Martin Corp.; Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.; L3 Communications Holding Inc.; General

NetSquared Year 3
Sunlight Foundation Feeds Blended
May 27 - 5:15 pm
Im in San Jose for the early part of this week, attending the NetSquared Conference. Four of our grantees are finalists here (out of 21 total projects) and its exciting to watch each of them present and to see the crowds very positive reaction. Follow the minute by minute conference action as updated by N2Y3 attendees, bloggers and vloggers. What's happening at N2Y3 will be updated by their dedicated bloggers and vloggers (tagged n2y3media). These posts will be unedited so a well balanced perspective is ensured. Watch interviews with attendees on the NetSquared blip.tv

The No Whine Zone
The Swine Line
May 27 - 5:02 pm
The ongoing battle by the Boeing Corporation to try to overturn the Air Force's decision to award a $35 billion tanker refueling contract to Northrop Grumman has led to an evaluation of the entire procurement appeals process.  A May 23 article by Richard Lardner, an Associated Press reporter, cited efforts by both Congress and the

Clyburn’s “Monuments to Me”
The Swine Line
May 27 - 4:49 pm
Here's an interesting article from South Carolina's The State newspaper on Rep. James E. Clyburn's (D-S.C.) many "Monuments to Me." Living Memorials: ‘Clyburn’ here, there, everywhere In the state capital, you can work on your golf swing at the James E. Clyburn Golf Center — admiring the life-size bronze statue of Clyburn as you enter — or

Regulating the Fun Out of Life
Club for Growth
May 27 - 3:32 pm
A woman was told by her city council that her 2 ft. tall rubber paddling pool needed a lifeguard. And insurance! An amusement park is confiscating PDAs (i.e. Blackberry, Treo) to force parents to have fun with their kids. (Granted this isn't a government mandate, but it's a dumb idea that will surely backfire.)

Most Important Regulation of the Year'
Club for Growth
May 27 - 3:31 pm
A revolution may be in the making on ways to get and act on new information through the use of prediction markets. Two important events slipped by practically unnoticed in the last few weeks. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission asked for comments (pdf) May 7 on prediction markets. After the comment period closes July 7, hopefully the Commission will publish useful guidance to allow these markets to flourish. “What public purpose is served in the oversight of these markets and what differentiates these markets from pure gambling outside the CFTC’s jurisdiction'” asked CFTC Act

New TV Ad on Climate Bill
Club for Growth
May 27 - 2:58 pm
Club for Growth Unveils Ad Campaign to Combat Economy Crushing Climate Change Legislation Calls Legislation another Mammoth Washington Exercise in Wealth Redistribution at the Expense of Consumers and Taxpayers Washington - Today, the Club for Growth unveiled a four-state television and radio ad campaign, highlighting the inordinate costs imposed and dubious global benefits gained by pending cap-and-trade legislation, America's Climate Security Act. The ad also urges Senators in those states to oppose the bill (radio ad can be heard here). Next week, the Senate is scheduled to consider leg

The FCC Fixes a Problem That Doesn’t Exist
The Swine Line
May 27 - 12:47 pm
It probably won't take much to convince people that the federal government is out of touch.  But, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may have just reached a new height, or low. The FCC has just ordered cable companies to lease channels to for-profit programmers for free in most cases. Why would the FCC want to offer

Tuesday's Daily News
Club for Growth
May 27 - 10:58 am
THE DAILY NEWS Club for Growth Hits Senators on Climate Bill - Jim Kuhnhenn, AP Climate Reality Bites - Wall Street Journal Editorial $3.80 Gas Too Low' Washington Thinks So - Ben Lieberman, Salt Lake Trib Senate Votes Show GOP Power Vacuum - Bresnahan & Rogers, The Politico Republicans Are in Denial - Senator Tom Coburn, Wall Street Journal The Winning Agenda - Richard Rahn, Cato Institute McCain's Mixed Market Message - Deroy Murdock, New York Post America's Hottest Investor - Jon Birger, Fortune The Singapore Model for Healthcare - Rowan Callick, American.com Carbon Americans vs. Ethanol A

Global Warming Costs: State-by-State Analysis
Club for Growth
May 27 - 9:47 am
Next week, the Senate will be debating the Lieberman-Warner Climate bill that, if put into law, would drastically increase taxes and regulations. The Club is running TV ads in various states to educate people about its anti-growth effects on the economy (more on this later). Also, the Heritage Foundation has a great state-by-state breakdown of how much the bill will cost.

A Club Member's Op-Ed
Club for Growth
May 27 - 9:44 am
Club member Travis Walker has a short op-ed in the Terre Haute Tribune Star, entitled "Increase supply to lower oil costs."