Three years ago, in the famous Kelo decision, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the power of the “takings clause” in the Constitution to allow municipalities to condemn private property and give it over to private developers so long as the action provided appreciable benefits to the community. Thanks to Kelo, if a city argues that [...]

Some surprising data here, but what’s not surprising is that the economy is at the very top of the priority list. And that has to be good news for Obama since he has such a wide lead.
Energy, Gas Prices - extremely important to 51%
Obama - 47%
McCain - 28%
Economy - extremely important to 49%
Obama - 48%
McCain [...]

Remember my post today about McCain’s $5,000 a car tax break giveaway to the auto manufacturers who make and sell zero-carbon emissions cars?
If so, do you recall how I said it was a bad idea, and that he should instead be proposing giving consumers tax breaks because incenting consumption is the only way we [...]

In a recent interview with John McCain, Fortune magazine began with the question: what do you think is the gravest long-term threat to the U.S. economy? McCain could have answered such a question in any number of ways, but this is what he said:
Well, I would think that the absolute gravest threat is the struggle [...]

Obama - 49%
McCain - 43%
Obama holds steady and McCain gains one since yesterday
The 5 day:
06/23/2008: McCain - 43%, Obama - 49%
06/22/2008: McCain - 42%, Obama - 49%
06/21/2008: McCain - 43%, Obama - 48%
06/20/2008: McCain - 44%, Obama - 48%
06/19/2008: McCain - 45%, Obama - 48%
Some demographic info shows why Obama’s in the lead…
Currently, Obama [...]

From 69.1% in 2005 to 67.8% this year, which is the biggest decline in two decades.
NY Times explains the human costs:
For many minority and lower-income families who viewed homeownership as a stepping stone to building wealth and passing it on to their children, the transition from owning to renting has been the unraveling of a [...]

He’ll be accused of offering the typical Democratic tax and spend plans, but with the housing market tanking because of free market loopholes and the prices of basic goods skyrocketing due in part of out of control war spending, I’m thinking the middle class would appreciate some fiscal attention refocused on their needs.
From the AP:
Speaking [...]

I think yes. McCain thinks no.
First, his side…

Now, mine…
Once again it appears that McCain is trying to reframe the goal of the surge by saying it’s a success because fewer troops are getting killed. And while he’s correct that casualty rates are dropping, our men and women are still dying at an average of 1 [...]

The WSJ reports that some savvy homeowners are buying new homes in the same neighborhood that are far cheaper, and then walking away from their old homes and letting them fall into foreclosure.
The practice is called buy and bail, and while some call it fraud, I call it just desserts for the mortgage companies.
As one [...]

Folks, $4 gas isn’t going away any time soon.
From the AP:
NEW YORK (AP) - Oil prices made their biggest single-day leap ever Friday—clearing $139, dragging the Dow Jones industrials down nearly 400 points and raising the once-unthinkable prospect of $150 oil and even higher gas prices by the Fourth of July.
The meteoric rise of nearly [...]

Gee, I wonder why…
CEO Rick Wagoner said Tuesday before the automaker’s annual meeting in Delaware the plants to be closed are in Oshawa, Ontario; Moraine, Ohio; Janesville, Wis.; and Toluca, Mexico. He also said the iconic Hummer brand will be reviewed and potentially sold or revamped.
Wagoner said the GM board has approved production of a [...]

A new Rasmussen Poll shows that John McCain is more trusted than Barack Obama on the economy. 47% trust McCain compared to 41% trusting Obama. McCain also edges Obama on Iraq (49% to 37%) and on general national security 53% to 31%.
So, what does this tell us? Well, as we already know, McCain’s strength is [...]

I doubt many people other than political junkies will find this interesting, but American Public Media’s show Marketplace (if you listen to NPR, you’ll know it) has just launched Budget Hero, a game where you can set the budget priorities and see how it stacks up against reality. What’s nice about this is it lists [...]

In March 2007, I wrote about the Peak Oil theory and posted a pretty alarming video. And now that we’re seeing record gas prices, the whispers of peak oil are surfacing once again.
So, here’s the video that outlines the theory…

Then, here’s a post from the Prometheus: The Science Policy Weblog about the topic and how [...]

How do they explain their record profits? Good planning? Price gouging? Lucky breaks?
First CBS has this report…

I like that…the reason their profits are so big is because their companies are so big? I guess we all should just start building bigger companies then, yeah?
Then from the AP, and note how one of them talks about [...]

Here in Kansas City, MO, the gas prices are nearing $3.70 a gallon. And with news like this, I’m guessing we’ll see $4.00 very soon.
From AP:
The June contract for light, sweet crude traded as high as $129.58 on the New York Mercantile Exchange before settling back to $129.12, up $2.07. The imminent expiration of the [...]

The “Oracle of Omaha” (or “Sage” as noted below) is putting his considerable economic gravitas behind the Democratic candidate.
From the AFP:
Buffett told a press conference here Monday he had offered support to both Obama and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton but that since it appeared Obama would win the party’s nomination, “I will be very happy [...]

Although I agree with the stimulus, if for no other reason to start paying down people’s personal debt, I think this is pretty damn funny.
By the way, I think this represents Ron Paul’s official stance. :-)

One bit of good “moderate” news that’s going to come out of the 2008 campaign, climate change is at the forefront of both agendas.
From The Examiner:
“John McCain is going to be doing more of these themed tours of America, and one of them is going to be on energy and global climate change. It could [...]