Hey all, I just snagged a writing gig at The Daily and I am so excited I could bust!

First, I have to thank Anthony De Rosa (Soup), who recommended me. Anthony’s been invaluable with his encouragement, advice and overall generosity. Anthony, I can’t thank you enough.

Second, Matt Cerrone of the incredibly successful MetsBlog. Matt has been awesome. He believed in me and brought me over to run SNY’s Tumblr, which was a huge confidence boost and I know helped me land this gig. Matt, I’ll always be in your debt. 

Third, and MOST important, is my grammar geek girl and love of my life, Rebecca (PPG). She’s my whole world. Flat-out, this just would not be happening without her. I love you, baby. 

Last, but not least, are you guys. Thanks for the follows, reblogs, likes, and all that Tumblr stuff you do. Seriously, your support has been fantastic! And greatly appreciated. Now, go out there and do your ‘Mutt duty, subscribe to The Daily  today!

It’s all about the Benjamins, Barney

“Here’s the debate we’re gonna have [next year]. I think these people [Republicans] underestimate the support Americans have for our coming together to build roads and keep desperately poor people from starvation and providing decent health [care] and research. And doing a whole lot of things that can only be done if we do them together.

Here’s the choice America is gonna have: We can raise taxes on income above $250,000, and what we’re saying is, for every $1,000 you make over $250,000, we wanna tax you $30 more. If you make $500,000 you’ll pay another $7,500.

I do not believe that will deter anybody from doing anything that is not economically productive. And if we’re gonna save these people $30 on a $1,000 [leave the Bush tax-cuts in place for the top earners] then we’re gonna have to cut environmental clean-up, and we’re not gonna have as many cops and firefighters on the streets. That’ll be the debate next year… That’s the way we’ll put it to people.” - Rep. Barney Frank on MSNBC

This is clearly a winner for the Dems: aggressively campaign on a progressive agenda, like Rep. Frank is calling for. If sold in the right way, the American people would eat it up. Then, with that mandate from the electorate, enact said policies. Sounds relatively simple, right? The problem? Corruption. Cushy private sector jobs will not be waiting for those who manage their political careers like that. A seat on the board of Halliburton will not be waiting if they happen to lose reelection or retire. A high-paying lobbyist gig will not be offered. Cynical, I know. But when winning strategies like the one Rep. Frank is espousing are not used, then what other conclusion am I left?

High-res Never Thought I’d Say This But, “I Miss You NY Post” I know, I know, it’s online. But it’s different when you actually buy the NY Post everyday. You see, being a NY sports fan, you purchase the tabloids on a daily basis — The Post and The Daily News. The NY Times, well honestly, that was for Sundays. Of course I don’t speak for everyone but working on the trading floor (NYMEX) where (ahem) smart people work, you’d think, as an outsider, that all you’d see is the WSJ and the NYTimes scattered about. Well, you’d be wrong. But I no longer live in NY, and so I read everything online and I never go to the NY Post for real news. I mean, I didn’t in the past and why in the world would I now? But, because I’d purchase it for the sports section or pick one up in a trading ring I’d get to see this everyday. The NY Post doesn’t just save it’s “Headless Body Found In Topless Bar” headlines for the front page. Oh, no, you get priceless gems like this everyday. And I miss it.

Never Thought I’d Say This But, “I Miss You NY Post”

I know, I know, it’s online. But it’s different when you actually buy the NY Post everyday. You see, being a NY sports fan, you purchase the tabloids on a daily basis — The Post and The Daily News. The NY Times, well honestly, that was for Sundays. Of course I don’t speak for everyone but working on the trading floor (NYMEX) where (ahem) smart people work, you’d think, as an outsider, that all you’d see is the WSJ and the NYTimes scattered about. Well, you’d be wrong. But I no longer live in NY, and so I read everything online and I never go to the NY Post for real news. I mean, I didn’t in the past and why in the world would I now? But, because I’d purchase it for the sports section or pick one up in a trading ring I’d get to see this everyday. The NY Post doesn’t just save it’s “Headless Body Found In Topless Bar” headlines for the front page. Oh, no, you get priceless gems like this everyday. And I miss it.

Obama Will Have Last Laugh Before the midterm elections, early fall 2010, President Obama sent clear signals that he would concede his campaign promise and go ahead and extend the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000 a year. A broken promise that, at the time, some thought unforgivable. The consensus opinion from Democratic politicians and pundits alike was that Obama had shown his cards too early, left himself with no leverage. Obama stated back in 2009,  “You don’t raise taxes in a recession. We haven’t raised taxes in a recession.” And now he was throwing the left, his own, under the bus. And for what? Few gave him the benefit of the doubt even though he passed, with the 2009 Stimulus, a package that included tax-cuts for 95% of working families. Part of the frustration with the President was that this was taking place during a lame duck session, a time most observers freely admit is tough to pass any sort of meaningful legislation. Some felt that since the Democrats controlled the House, Senate and the Oval office, a stronger, more aggressive president would have been able to push through a progressive agenda.  So, the knives were out. Like now, the president was taking criticism from both sides. The GOP, although it was well known that they’d get the Bush tax-cuts extension, still seemed heartless to some. On Nov 18, 2010, House Republicans blocked a bill that would have extended long-term unemployment benefits. Despite the criticism, the President extended the Bush tax cuts. Some, certainly not many, gave him a pass, asserting that this is what we should expect from him. As Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) explained to Politico: “What you are seeing now is what he always wanted to be. In his heart, he’s a pragmatist, not an ideologue, and he’s a lot more personally comfortable with being able to engage Republicans and not be as divisive.” But after months of being told how Obama was getting his clocked cleaned, what other legislation did Obama pass during the 2010 lame duck session?  Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: The repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military.  START: Nuclear-arms reduction agreement with Russia.  Health bill for 9/11 first responders.  A food safety bill.  Middle-class tax cuts.  Extension of jobless benefits Child nutrition bill. “Nobody expected it to be this productive,” said NPR White House correspondent Ari Shapiro. Fast forward to today. Both sides are unhappy, angry, up in arms with what the President is supposedly proposing. Sound familiar? I can’t help harkening back to late fall, early winter 2010 while I watch this debt ceiling debacle drone on and on. But, when it was reported that the individual mandate was being discussed, that the individual mandate from the Affordable Care Act had crept into these negotiations? This was my moment of clarity. It’s Speaker of the House John Boehner who appears to be getting his clock cleaned this time. And unlike Obama during the 2010 lame duck session, I don’t think there’s a way out for him. I’m more certain now that President Obama will be laughing last when this debt ceiling ordeal is finally over. Boehner is in salvage mode. He wants something, anything that will placate the Tea Party folks. No matter if it’s hollow and meaningless. It has been widely reported that the individual mandate will be close to impossible to enforce, nor does the Obama Administration wish to enforce it. It’s equivalent to jaywalking — everyone gets away with it. This seems like a pure fluff, no substance ploy. Boehner is trying to come away with a bone to toss to Rep. Cantor, who can then run back to his Tea Party constituents and say, “Lookie here. Lookie what I got!!” Bottom line: it may be unwise to underestimate this president. Don’t be surprised if we see him play this game – strike some kind of deal that looks, on the face of it, like a huge Republican victory. For example: give up the individual mandate. But then we come to find out, in the fine print, was it huge after all?… Umm, not so much.

Obama Will Have Last Laugh

Before the midterm elections, early fall 2010, President Obama sent clear signals that he would concede his campaign promise and go ahead and extend the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000 a year. A broken promise that, at the time, some thought unforgivable.

The consensus opinion from Democratic politicians and pundits alike was that Obama had shown his cards too early, left himself with no leverage. Obama stated back in 2009,  “You don’t raise taxes in a recession. We haven’t raised taxes in a recession.” And now he was throwing the left, his own, under the bus. And for what? Few gave him the benefit of the doubt even though he passed, with the 2009 Stimulus, a package that included tax-cuts for 95% of working families.

Part of the frustration with the President was that this was taking place during a lame duck session, a time most observers freely admit is tough to pass any sort of meaningful legislation. Some felt that since the Democrats controlled the House, Senate and the Oval office, a stronger, more aggressive president would have been able to push through a progressive agenda. 

So, the knives were out. Like now, the president was taking criticism from both sides. The GOP, although it was well known that they’d get the Bush tax-cuts extension, still seemed heartless to some. On Nov 18, 2010, House Republicans blocked a bill that would have extended long-term unemployment benefits.

Despite the criticism, the President extended the Bush tax cuts. Some, certainly not many, gave him a pass, asserting that this is what we should expect from him. As Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) explained to Politico:

“What you are seeing now is what he always wanted to be. In his heart, he’s a pragmatist, not an ideologue, and he’s a lot more personally comfortable with being able to engage Republicans and not be as divisive.”

But after months of being told how Obama was getting his clocked cleaned, what other legislation did Obama pass during the 2010 lame duck session? 

  • Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: The repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military. 
  • START: Nuclear-arms reduction agreement with Russia. 
  • Health bill for 9/11 first responders. 
  • A food safety bill. 
  • Middle-class tax cuts. 
  • Extension of jobless benefits
  • Child nutrition bill.

“Nobody expected it to be this productive,” said NPR White House correspondent Ari Shapiro.

Fast forward to today. Both sides are unhappy, angry, up in arms with what the President is supposedly proposing. Sound familiar? I can’t help harkening back to late fall, early winter 2010 while I watch this debt ceiling debacle drone on and on. But, when it was reported that the individual mandate was being discussed, that the individual mandate from the Affordable Care Act had crept into these negotiations? This was my moment of clarity.

It’s Speaker of the House John Boehner who appears to be getting his clock cleaned this time. And unlike Obama during the 2010 lame duck session, I don’t think there’s a way out for him. I’m more certain now that President Obama will be laughing last when this debt ceiling ordeal is finally over. Boehner is in salvage mode. He wants something, anything that will placate the Tea Party folks. No matter if it’s hollow and meaningless. It has been widely reported that the individual mandate will be close to impossible to enforce, nor does the Obama Administration wish to enforce it. It’s equivalent to jaywalking — everyone gets away with it. This seems like a pure fluff, no substance ploy. Boehner is trying to come away with a bone to toss to Rep. Cantor, who can then run back to his Tea Party constituents and say, “Lookie here. Lookie what I got!!”

Bottom line: it may be unwise to underestimate this president. Don’t be surprised if we see him play this game – strike some kind of deal that looks, on the face of it, like a huge Republican victory. For example: give up the individual mandate. But then we come to find out, in the fine print, was it huge after all?… Umm, not so much.