You aren't getting a cent from me Kevin. Your blog has become a pathetic mesh of Obama cheerleading and cat blogging.

Well at least the cat blogging is entertaining.

You aren't getting a cent from me Kevin. Your blog has become a pathetic mesh of Obama cheerleading and cat blogging.

Who do you think you're fooling, aside from yourself? There's one post a week on cats, which at the very least provides a nice bookmark to cap off the weak of blogging, even if you don't care for cats.

Also, Kevin and been studiously avoiding the Democratic primaries. They barely outnumber his posts on his cats. I don't blame him. No matter what he posts on either Democratic candidate, he risks offending half of his readership. Most of these posts have been fairly neutral, despite the fact that, in my opinion, Hillary Clinton has run one of the most incompetent, vicious, hypocritical and dishonest campaigns by a Democrat in ages.

You should be thankful Kevin doesn't go after Hillary like she deserves - like he goes after Republicans.

Not so many comments here Kevin. Maybe you need to put up the picture of Inkblot humping the thermometer. Didn't that get you a home-run in the last fund raiser?

You forgot, Jon:

It's actually a pathetic mesh of Amy Sullivan, links to neo-centrist blank check trader (that's what "free" trade is) economists, too much time obsessing about National Review, sniping at people who call him out for too much Amy Sullivan or Megan McArdle, and too many posts where Kevin becomes a squish and doesn't actually take a stand.

Augustus, whatever transparent act that Kevin tries to maintain is offset by rabid and foaming comments like yours including the above: "Hillary Clinton has run one of the most incompetent, vicious, hypocritical and dishonest campaigns by a Democrat in ages." I wonder if you were in a coma in 2004?

Kevin's Obama cheerleading is not so much in what he says to defend Obama (he doesn't really have much to say about him), but the facts and evidence he conveniently leaves out in much of his opinions and arguments against Clinton. And his attack of McCain's health plan today made my head hurt from the dissonance.

To sum up, my biggest problem with Kevin's blog in the last couple of months is this equation: 2+2=5, where 5 = Obama.

Why do you bother to read Kevin's blog, if you're then going to inform him proudly you're not going to contribute to Washington Monthly as you feel he is so terrible?

Andrea, because I used to read this blog on a daily basis and appreciated Kevin's original, leveled and evidence-based analysis, but in the last 3 months this place has completely collapsed on its own incoherence. It's like someone replaced Kevin's brain with one of his fur ball cats.

I come back to see if things have gotten better, but it's still a spiraling descent, and the cats just further reinforce the furry vapidness of this place now.

Since this is about money and a rather open post, I figure I'd put it here.
The unofficial official recession
Which links to this article from Kevin Phillips Hard numbers: The economy is worse than you know

Which basically states that Washington has been debasing its official statistics. Jes effin lovely!

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." -Mark Twain

Hard numbers: The economy is worse than you know

Instead of pointing fingers at what raises your ire, Jon, how about listing things you'd like to see discussed.

Wuhds, wuhds, wuhds. Masses and masses of wuhds.

You'll get not one penny from me until you stop saying things that I disagree with, or that I agree with but my opinion is more strongly held than your maddeningly calm tone of voice implies.

And what's with the cats? We want guns, and tanks, and jet planes dropping bombs. Friday Bomb-blogging. Has a ring to it, huh? You need something new to top the competition's turd-blogging.

Ban anyone that makes fun of me. You know who I mean.

I think my five bucks will be well worth your trouble.

I like Kevin's work, but reading the above, I am reminded of a line by R.L. Stevenson (I looked it up to get the quote right--thank god for Google) about Walt Whitman, before getting down to Whitman's good points, he addresses his critics, mostly agreeing with them and ending with, "to appreciate his works is not a condition necessary to salvation; and I would not disinherit a son upon the question, nor even think much the worse of a critic, for I should always have an idea what he meant."

I like Kevin's work, but reading the above, I am reminded of a paragraph by R.L. Stevenson In the opening paragraph of a 9000-word essay on Walt Whitman’s poetry, he addressed Whitman’s critics, saying “Of late years the name of Walt Whitman has been a good deal bandied about in books and magazines. It has become familiar both in good and ill repute. His works have been largely bespattered with praise by his admirers, and cruelly mauled and mangled by irreverent enemies. Now, whether his poetry is good or bad as poetry, is a matter that may admit of a difference of opinion without alienating those who differ. We could not keep the peace with a man who should put forward claims to taste and yet depreciate the choruses in SAMSON AGONISTES; but, I think, we may shake hands with one who sees no more in Walt Whitman’s volume, from a literary point of view, than a farrago of incompetent essays in a wrong direction. That may not be at all our own opinion. We may think that, when a work contains many unforgettable phrases, it cannot be altogether devoid of literary merit. We may even see passages of a high poetry here and there among its eccentric contents. But when all is said, Walt Whitman is neither a Milton nor a Shakespeare; to appreciate his works is not a condition necessary to salvation; and I would not disinherit a son upon the question, nor even think much the worse of a critic, for I should always have an idea what he meant.”

Yeah, sometimes Kevin seems a little namby-pamby, but that beats the posturing that marks so many blogs. He is reasonable, by which I mean he can be swayed by evidence and reasoning, and that is a rare and commendable quality in the blogosphere. I like the charts and the sensible economic approach. It helps that I agree with the stands he takes and the trend of his politics, though I do wish sometimes he would pound on the table about an issue he feels strongly about.

I think now of Dukakis, when he was asked what he would do if his wife were raped, he should have answered that he would want to reach down the guy’s throat and rip out his heart, but he hoped calmer people would restrain him, but he gave an emotionless correct--but wrong--answer. Sometimes, Kevin, we like to see a little spark, and not only reasonable liberal policy. I don’t mean full-bore Kos partisanship, just some occasional passion. The cat blogging is fun, and your Friday something innovation has spread throughout the blogosphere.

When all is counted up, it’s still one of the only two blogs I never skip, this and Josh Marshall.