Actual defense spending far higher than conventionally reported figures, says analyst

Just when you thought the conversation over government spending had moved firmly from the executive branch to the legislative, Christopher Hellman, a military spending analyst with progressive think tank the National Priorities Project, comes in with a fresh take on President Obama’s budget proposal.

Harvard Economist: Obama’s Tax Cut Not Likely to Help Economy

Too late to slip into this morning’s story on the tax cuts being floated as part of President-elect Barack Obama’s stimulus plan, Harvard economist Martin Feldstein emails to add his name to the growing list of skeptics. Workers given a $500 payroll-tax credit, Feldstein writes, will likely use it More…

How Not to Pass a Defense Bill

The House Financial Services Committee, on Sept. 24, grilled Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson Jr. about the $700-billion financial bailout plan. The high-profile hearing signaled that lawmakers were not going to pass just any rescue bill before recessing to campaign.

But that same day, More…