The Washington Post delivered a hit piece today on Rep. Mike Ross and his Blue Dog Coalition, accusing the Blue Dogs of being in the pockets of health insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

The article covers newsworthy items, all of which are ”fair game.” It would be unfair, however, to suggest that the Blue Dogs are any more beholden to their respective special interests than are “progressive” Democrats to their special interests, or Republicans are to theirs, for that matter.| MORE ›

The New York Times reports that gross domestic product — the key indicator of national economic health — fell by 1% in the second quarter of 2009. In a striking departure from its pattern of exaggerating the downside interpretation of all economic news during the previous eight years, the Times is spinning this as great news because the decline is “less than expected”.| MORE ›

…according to IRS data reported by the Tax Foundation.

Of course, this will do nothing to quiet the legions of haters who seem to believe that “the rich” (a faceless and dehumanized group of villians like the “Legion of Doom” from Saturday-morning cartoons) are the cause of all that is wrong in the world.| MORE ›

Breaking news: Senator Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut) has told the Hartford Courant that he has early-stage prostate cancer. We will update this post later today.

Sen. Dodd ran for president last year, but was retired from the race early on. He was and is loved by the Democratic Party’s base, but was and is criticized by blogs such as PoliGazette for his liberal views. Our thoughts and prayers are nonetheless with him. We hope and pray he succeeds in beating this terrible disease.

Sgt.| MORE ›

Megan McArdle presents a provocative point that challenges one of the central assumptions of the growing ranks of self-righteous “healthy lifestyle” enforcers. Specifically, McArdle questions whether at least some of the focus on “obesity” as a threat to the health care system confuses correlation with causality. She also highlights the way in which the condemnation of obesity takes a dangerously moralistic tone that becomes linked to public policy through the invocation of health care costs under a government-controlled health care system: (more…)

National Journal continues to ask ‘leading bloggers’ what they think of ‘the news of the day.’ The latest poll was published today. The questions we answered: “Are moderate Democrats helping or hurting their re-election prospects by resisting President Obama’s legislative agenda?” and “Should the 111th Congress increase the gasoline tax to fund a six-year highway bill?”

The second question is, of course, purely ideological.| MORE ›

The emerging meme used to target moderate “Blue Dog” Democrats for their dissent from liberal orthodoxy on health care reform is that they are beholden to the health insurance industry. One does not need to look far through the left-leaning blogosphere to see these marching orders being carried out.| MORE ›

In a short, direct article Scott Hodge debunks one of the radical left’s essential talking points, namely that the American rich don’t pay enough taxes to support their poorer countrymen. On the contrary, the U.S. system is more liberal than any other country in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):| MORE ›

Some Democrats in Congress want to swing the big bat of the federal government to force states to ban texting while driving.

Of course, texting while driving can be dangerous. Advocates of the laws banning it cite studies that claim texting can rival drunkenness in the amount that it slows drivers’ reflexes. And they don’t want to stop with just banning texting. Some want to ban use of cell phones while driving entirely, even when drivers use hands-free sets. Can’t be too safe, ya know.| MORE ›