Staffers in this White House in particular float trial balloons on a continual basis on virtually every issue of importance to gauge public response, and the whole point of that exercise is to actually respond to it rather than not take it seriously. And if that’s the case, and the eligibility age conversation represented a trial balloon, I think we can say it’s been effectively and efficiently popped. Because over the weekend, Dick Durbin, perhaps the closest US Senator to the White House, criticized the idea.

This chart, put together by Michael Linden at the Center for American Progress, shows the Obama Administration’s performance on fiscal policy over his term in office. It shows that spending, taxes and the deficit are all lower, relative to the CBO projections from when the President took office in January 2009. If you’re an economist, [...]

There is perhaps no organization in Washington with a closer relationship to the White House than the Center for American Progress. Its President and CEO, John Podesta, co-chaired President Obama’s transition team, and dozens of former staffers have taken positions in the executive branch. When they put out a report, you can at least guess [...]