Pete Spiliakos

Yeah, I know Jindal has endorsed Perry.  But he just won a crushing reelection in Louisiana.  He has a record as a spending cutter who can maintain core government services.  He know health care policy.  He is conversant on national issues.  He is a competent and energetic . . . . Continue Reading »

  1. Carl is right that we aren’t talking enough about the courts and that a second Obama term would make it very likely that we will have a decisive liberal Supreme Court majority with who-knows-what ability to make future conservative electoral victories fruitless to a large degree. 2. . . . . Continue Reading »

So Ron Paul has released his plan to cut one trillion from the budget and balance the budget in three years.  Well, I don’t like it.  Here is a nonexhaustive list of reasons why, 1.  Ron Paul cuts 2013 Medicaid spending to a level 30% lower than the Ryan  budget (and . . . . Continue Reading »

It hasn’t shown up in the polls yet, but Cain is melting right in front of us.  For those keeping score, the simple and transparent 9-9-9 plan is now a 9-9-9 plan except when it is a 9-0-9 plan except when it is a 9-0-9 plan with a special empowerment zone discount.  Oh, and it is . . . . Continue Reading »

I was gonna do longish post about Ron Paul and Herman Cain, but I don’t have the energy today, so a few thoughts about Romney on Tuesday, Romney really prepares for debates.  He and his staff try to anticipate questions and his answers are sharp and hard.  Just listen to him talk . . . . Continue Reading »

 More on Thursday, 1. Romney beat down Perry every time they clashed. But Romney’s evident dislike of, and contempt for, Perry was unattractive (I think.) Romney came out on top despite fierce criticism - though he got some dings. He isn’t my guy. My guys aren’t running, but . . . . Continue Reading »

 So Stephen Moore is suggesting that Cain should (will?) drop the 9% sales tax in his plan and replace it with a 9% payroll tax. So we are having a discussion about enormous changes to our tax system during an era of slow growth and enormous budgets. The discussion seems to have a acquired an . . . . Continue Reading »

The Cain boom is in its final weeks.  National Review has found the frame for attacking the 9-9-9 plan.  It is a 9% VAT + a 9% sales tax + a 9% income tax.  Now I don’t think that National Review editorials move a decisive number of votes, but the argument that Cain is going to . . . . Continue Reading »

So Cain has said he would balance the budget in his first year as President.  He has also promised not to cut Medicare or Social Security in the first year.  He also suggested that he would prefer to keep more troops in Iraq and Afghanistan than President Obama would prefer.  So . . . . Continue Reading »

Unlike the current tax code, the 9-9-9 plan doesn’t allow businesses to deduct employee wages from their tax liabilities.  Doesn’t this amount to a hidden 9% payroll tax (though without some of the payroll taxes’ distorting effects?)  If I’m wrong I’ll . . . . Continue Reading »