Monthly Archives: August 2009

Laying the Groundwork for VAT?

August 3, 2009 – 10:58 am

Earlier this summer, a friend who keeps his ear to the ground on these things told me he’d heard that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, during his trip to China, told Chinese officials concerned about rising US deficits that the Administration is gearing up to propose a value-added tax targeted specifically to debt reduction following the […]

By Ed Walsh (WHWG) | Posted in Congress, Presidency | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

The Making of the Cairo Speech

August 2, 2009 – 9:11 am

Interesting piece by Christi Parsons in the LA Times, describing the drafting process for President Obama’s landmark speech in Cairo this past June.  Here’s how it begins: “Reporting from Washington — He sat with his legs crossed in an armchair in the Oval Office, his brow furrowed. Aides clustered on the couches around him. They […]

By Vinca LaFleur (WWW) | Posted in General | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Pelosi Delivers Stark Contrast on Health Care

August 1, 2009 – 10:52 am

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to take a strikingly aggressive tone against insurance companies — you know, the entities that make reliable health care available to a couple hundred million Americans. Politico reports: “The glory days are coming to an end for the health insurance industry in our country,” Pelosi told reporters Friday afternoon. “This is […]

By Ed Walsh (WHWG) | Posted in Congress | Tagged , , | Comments (2)