deficit spending

It came as a welcome change of pace yesterday when President Barack Obama took the inaugural podium, looked the country in the eye and warned that surviving two wars and this dismal economy will require sacrifices from Americans that transcend trips to the mall.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is [...]

Rising unemployment is creating greater demand for Medicaid, while home values and consumer spending are down, leaving less revenue for states to fund such safety-net programs. Many expect the situation to grow worse.

On Nov. 21, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sent letters to Detroit’s Big Three automakers indicating that Congress would consider a Detroit bailout “provided that you submit a credible restructuring plan that results in a viable industry … while protecting taxpayer investments.”
Writing in The Washington Post yesterday, Robert [...]

We wrote recently that Democrats could have a tough time passing their big-ticket priorities next year because some freshman members — many of whom represent moderate districts — will likely join the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition in opposing deficit spending.
Scrap that.

The party increased margins in both the House and Senate on Nov. 4. But many gains came in conservative-leaning districts, where a preference for a balanced budget could frustrate congressional leaders’ ambitious spending plans. Republicans, meanwhile, vow to unite to thwart Democratic goals. And President-elect Obama may have ideas of his own.