The Nail-Biter that Wasn’t

The Nail-Biter that Wasn’t

It was the nail-biter that wasn’t…not even close.By just after 11,the GOP gave up the ghost. Turns out voters are smart —they knew just what to do.They knew who was for manyand who was for few. The tea party is over,the real work is at hand.And we...
A Plan for the Democratic Party

A Plan for the Democratic Party

Until the votes are cast and counted, no one, no matter how smart or well-connected, can predict with certainty the outcome of the 2012 elections. And yet, Democrats and some Republicans are already forecasting that President Barack Obama will win re-election, and...
How to Safely Scale Down the Fiscal Cliff

How to Safely Scale Down the Fiscal Cliff

Pundits pounced earlier this year when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that the country will face a “massive fiscal cliff” at the beginning of 2013. It seemed we had to extend the Bush tax cuts — or else. Lost in these arguments is what...
Washington, Are You Listening?

Washington, Are You Listening?

Patrick Pylvainen grew up in a small town outside Minneapolis. The Minnesotan college student has seven siblings, so he borrows money for his tuition — Stafford loans from the federal government, plus loans from private banks that require interest payments while...
Steering Clear of the Iceberg Ahead

Steering Clear of the Iceberg Ahead

“Doomsday!” “Taxmageddon!” “Catastrophe!” Next year will begin with both a bang and a whimper unless Congress can escape its apparently hopeless deadlock. Unless our lawmakers get their act together, there will be the equivalent of...