Jonathan Chait here, filling in while Josh and the future Mrs. Talking Points Memo prepare for their upcoming nuptials. A brief introduction is in order. Iâm a senior editor (which actually means staff writer) for the New Republic. I also write an op-ed column for the Los Angeles Times which appears every Friday.
Josh previously expressed his hope that my TNR cover story on the need to defeat privatization could be made free to non-subscribers. Well, hereâs a free link. I hope those of you who donât read TNR will consider doing so. Electronic subscriptions cost a mere $29.95 a year, print subscriptions a bit more.
My one previous blogging experience came in late 2003/early 2004, when I spent a few months writing an anti-Howard Dean blog (Diary of a Dean-o-phobe) for the TNR website. Perhaps some who hold this view were among those who wrote in urging that the blog â or, in some cases, I personally — meet an untimely demise.
I should let you know upfront that some of you may consider me one of those annoying pseudo-liberal sellouts. I did passionately argue in favor of the Iraq War. It seemed like a stronger case at the time, before we knew that Saddam Hussein was enduring international isolation, crippling sanctions, and ultimately full-out invasion by the strongest military power in world history all for the purpose of concealing non-existent weapons programs. (Come to think of it, my jihad against Howard Dean also seemed stronger before I knew that the alternative would be John Kerry. I still say Dean would have been worse.)
Anyway, it so happens that Iâm also obsessed with Social Security privatization. So those of you who feel you havenât gotten enough of that topic from this site, there will be more. Much more! If I get intoxicated with power, or hard up for material, I may even splinter the Fainthearted Faction and the Conscience Caucus into new sub-factions of my own creation. Hopefully it wonât come to that.
