The NY Times delivers a smile when they seek expert commentary on Obama's proposed welfare reform giving states more flexibility in setting work requirements. This appears at the end of the report:
Peter B. Edelman, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center and director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality and Public Policy, called Republican opposition to the waivers “totally ridiculous.”
“This is an advisory that is all about making it easier to get a job, which I thought is what the Republicans wanted,” Mr. Edelman said. “To say that this is somehow against the concept of TANF is bizarre, because what we have here are restrictions that Congress enacted that, on the ground, make it harder to get from here to there.”
In addition to his role at Georgetown, Mr. Edelman was one of the Clinton Administration officials who famously resigned in 1998 to protest Clinton's signing of the 1996 welfare reform. One of his many grievances was the work requirement.
Dylan Matthews of the WaPo, writing at Ezra Klein's blog, demonstrates an alternative way to introduce Mr. Edelman:
Peter Edelman, who served as assistant secretary of HHS under Clinton until he resigned in protest over the signing of welfare reform, tells me...
That doesn't seem so hard, but it was too tricky for the Times.
I love Chick Fil-A, Jane.
I loved hearing about it from my niece. They have a very strict policy of who they will sell franchises to and I think it is limited to people who share the same religious values. I really hope someone doesn't try and sue and interfere with that. Everyone knows how pro-gay marriage I am, but I am equally as pro the "right" to be against gay marriage. (not that I think it is a right on either side, but you get my point.)
Posted by: Jane - talk is cheap! | July 19, 2012 at 08:58 PM
Well, Jane, evidently Chick Fil-A's being against gay marriage certainly has not hurt their sales--at least in my area.
Posted by: sailor | July 19, 2012 at 09:00 PM
with much to think about.
Like would the tooth fairy leave him something for his loose tooth about to come out?
Would he remember how to spell "cup" in next day's spelling bee?
Posted by: Sara | July 19, 2012 at 09:00 PM
Sailor:
I don't give a fig what happens to Obama as long as I never have to hear his droning voice again.
Posted by: Sara | July 19, 2012 at 09:02 PM
Chick-Fil-A Is one of the best companies ever in the world. Great food. wonderful service. Great scholarship program. They take in folks who can't be hired elsewhere, respect them, are generous to them and those employees respond to the company's fair dealing by doing a great job and being very nice to the customers. I wish we had one here.
Posted by: Clarice | July 19, 2012 at 09:14 PM
We have a daughter in New York in the city who races to the Chick-Fil-A in our neighborhood whenever she comes to visit. There is a "pretend" Chick-Fil-A at The New School which "doesn't quite cut it." Not the real thing.
Posted by: sailor | July 19, 2012 at 09:21 PM
Um, I didn't know we were still living in 1894. Corporations did not send call centers to India in 1894. CEO's did not secure multimillion dollar bonuses after stripping workers of their retirements in 1894. If a company treated the public or workers poorly, the community did not support that company. (the silent voice of market forces). But that does not apply to a global economy, but worked very well in 1894. Just my opinion.
If that quote was any dumber it would be part of Margaret Cho's standup act.
Posted by: Captain Hate | July 19, 2012 at 09:27 PM
Do not miss CFA lemonade. It is the closest thing to home made money can buy. I buy it by the gallon and dilute it 1/4 cup to 12-16 oz of seltzer or soda water. Trader Joe's is the best buy for soda water at .79/liter.
Posted by: Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet | July 19, 2012 at 09:46 PM
Darn... I've got to go by CFA in the morning to collect some swag giveaways for a golf tournament this weekend and now I know I'm gonna have to get some chicknminis and a lemonade, too. Darn.
Posted by: Stephanie | July 19, 2012 at 09:50 PM
One of the reasons that I am esp. enthusiastic is that the next GOP President is going to have a major job on his hand fixing, and hopefully massively downsizing, the federal government. Some 5% of GDP has been added to the federal government since the Dems retook Congress in 2006. All that "stimulus" money was essentially added to the baseline, and seems almost sacrosanct now, despite never having been there until 4 or so years ago.
There are now a bunch of badly operating agencies and departments, with little money going where it should. We were shocked the other day when meeting with the SBA to discover that they had been mandated to make reports on the newly enacted AIA patent statutes, and had no money to do so. That sort of thing. TSA continues to grow, with no increase in security or end in sight. Interior and EPA seem determined to eliminate all non-Green energy production in this country, despite the fact that we may have the reserves to be a major exporter of petroleum products. NASA seems more interested in outreach to the Muslim community than in getting back into space. Justice? Most corrupt in our lifetimes. Etc.
And, I don't see anyone else on the horizon who has a chance of doing anything else about all these issues.
Posted by: Bruce | July 19, 2012 at 10:09 PM
Sailor:
I don't give a fig what happens to Obama as long as I never have to hear his droning voice again.
Posted by: Sara | July 19, 2012 at 09:02 PM
we'll all be hearing from him for the next 30 years or so. He'll never miss an opportunity to run down this country at the most (in)opportune moments. hope I'm wrong but there is substantial precedent.
Posted by: Chris | July 19, 2012 at 11:25 PM
Romney On Obama: It Wasn't A Gaffe, It Was His Ideology (Video).
Posted by: Sara | July 20, 2012 at 12:59 AM