http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/ en-us 2011-02-16T17:30:00-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028036.php WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Bahrain: "Tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into Pearl Square here late into the night as Shiite opposition leaders issued assurances they were not being influenced by Tehran and were not interested... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T17:30:00-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028034.php THE NEED FOR PARTISAN COVER.... For all the talk about "entitlements" as the budget fight(s) begins in earnest, it's worth noting that congressional Republicans aren't exactly on the same page. I don't just mean that GOP lawmakers disagree on the... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T16:55:07-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028033.php HOUSE REBUFFS BOEHNER, SCRAPS F-35 JET ENGINE PROGRAM.... Following up on an earlier item, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OhIo) asked for a few billion dollars to build a jet engine for the Pentagon that the Pentagon doesn't want. Today, Boehner's... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T15:55:23-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028030.php GIVING THE GOP'S 'SO BE IT' RESPONSE A CLOSER LOOK.... As House Speaker John Boehner's "so be it" problem continues to percolate, I was glad to see some Republican officials take the time to respond to the concerns. Brad Dayspring,... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T15:05:30-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028029.php A NEW STANDARD FOR 'SERIOUSNESS'.... The political establishment's preoccupation with deficit reduction -- as opposed to, say, job creation -- is annoying enough on its own. What's worse is the presupposed fixes to the nation's fiscal problems. For years, the... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T14:10:41-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028028.php BARBOUR FAILS AN EASY TEST.... A Mississippi group called the Sons of Confederate Veterans is pushing for a state license plate that honors Nathan Bedford Forrest, perhaps best known as the founder of the Ku Klux Klan. By all appearances,... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T13:25:15-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028027.php FLORIDA'S SCOTT JOINS THE ANTI-RAIL CRUSADE.... Historically, leaders in both parties have championed infrastructure and transportation investments. That's obviously no longer the case. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) announced Wednesday that he is sending back $2.4 billion in federal stimulus... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T12:30:04-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028026.php WEDNESDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP.... Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * DNC Chairman and former Gov. Tim Kaine is open to running for the... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T12:00:17-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028025.php LIEBERMAN, COLLINS CHANNEL GIULIANI'S TALKING POINTS.... The quality of the debate over terrorism-related rhetoric hasn't progressed much in recent years. What message should we take away from the Fort Hood massacre, where 13 people were allegedly murdered by radicalized Muslim... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T11:20:33-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028024.php BOEHNER THINKS 'WE'RE BROKE,' BUT CAN AFFORD WASTEFUL SPENDING IN OHIO.... In justifying his support for putting up to a million Americans out of work, on purpose, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said yesterday, "We're broke." It was an odd... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T10:30:31-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028023.php GOP HEALTH CARE PLANS STILL UNPOPULAR.... There were several polls released last month showing fairly consistent results: the Affordable Care Act isn't popular, but the American mainstream wasn't on board with the repeal crusade. Republicans didn't care, and every GOP... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T10:00:45-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028022.php THE LIMITS OF BEING 'PRO-FAMILY'.... The right finds the strangest things to complain about. Rep. Michele Bachmann spoke out Tuesday against First Lady Michelle Obama's reported support of tax breaks for breast pumps. On Laura Ingraham's radio show Tuesday, the... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T09:15:21-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028021.php NOT ALL ENTITLEMENTS ARE CREATED EQUAL.... When policymakers talk about "entitlement reform," they're generally referring to several massive programs: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. When the discussion shifts to long-term fiscal challenges, all three tend to be lumped together. That's... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T08:35:39-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028020.php MILBANK GOES THERE.... It looks like much of the Beltway press was underwhelmed by House Speaker John Boehner's "so be it" problem, but to his credit, the Washington Post's Dana Milbank appreciated the seriousness of this in a terrific column.... Steve Benen 2011-02-16T08:00:23-05:00 http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_02/028017.php TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Bahrain: "Thousands of demonstrators poured into this nation's symbolic center, Pearl Square, late Tuesday in a raucous rally that again demonstrated the power of popular movements that are transforming the political landscape... Steve Benen 2011-02-15T17:30:53-05:00