clive crook's blog | News on US politics

clive crook's blog | News on US politics from the Financial Times – FT.com

Clive Crook’s blog

I have been the FT's Washington Columnist since April 2007. I moved from Britain to the US in 2005 to write for the Atlantic Monthly and the National Journal after 20 years working at the Economist, most recently as deputy editor. I write mainly about the intersection of politics and economics

Obama accused Scott Walker, the state’s new Republican governor, of unleashing an “assault” on unions in pushing emergency legislation that would nullify collective-bargaining agreements that affect most public employees, including teachers.

The president’s political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union officials to mobilize thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in other state capitals.

"Can he really think that Chait is the first to come up with this? For a start, it's the letter of current policy. Here's a new idea: call me crazy, but let's do what we're already doing. Unfair, you might say: up to now, nobody has actually advocated leaving current law in place. Not so. The idea of reversing all the Bush tax cuts after a temporary extension has been in the air for ages."

It's ridiculous to think, as Chait and Dionne both seem to, that Obama will be able to campaign in 2012 without committing himself one way or the other on this. If a tax reform hasn't already been done by then, would he be willing to campaign on the pledge to let all the Bush tax cuts expire?