David Leonhardt offers this assessment of the political perils supposedly facing Democrats on the Bush tax cuts: Read More

The NYT has a great infographic on the top salaries and tax rates of 1941, based on a list compiled at the request of FDR which has been released by the National Archives.

Pay particular attention to No. 4 on the list, one “J.C. Owsley.” The Times has been unable to identify who that is and includes a footnote cautioning that the “names may contain typographical errors by the Treasury.”

Any TPM reader familiar with captains of industry in the early ’40s who might be able to identify who this “J.C. Owsley” is?

Once and future presidential candidate Mike Huckabee sounds the alarm about Hezbollah infiltration across the US-Mexico border.

John McCain is trying to find his way toward a rationale for continuing to oppose the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell even though he’d previously suggested he’s open to repeal in principle and would vote for it if the Pentagon found that it could be done without damaging military readiness. McCain is now arguing that all he cares about are the views of the four service chiefs, especially those of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, rather than the President, the Secretary of Defense or even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Adm. Mullen — arguing in a rather strained fashion that even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is “not directly in charge of the troops.” (See the Goldwater-Nichols Act for more on this point.)

But to make his point McCain says this … Read More

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who Harry Reid put in charge of getting Senate Dems policy and messaging in sync, is pushing hard for a tax plan compromise that would create a new uber-tax bracket for income over $1 million a year. Defining people making $800,000 a year as ‘middle class’ does seem a bit much. But Schumer thinks it will box the Republicans in and there’s some polling data that says he’s right. But Reid, Obama and key Democratic senators aren’t buying it. At least not yet. Brian Beutler has the story.

Anderson Cooper went all UFC on a Republican state representative from Texas who’s a big birther — or was a big birther. After Cooper was done with him, he might have fled to Kenya. Watch.

The congressional emissaries to the tax cut negotations announced by President Obama this morning have been set.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) says the USDA’s black farmer settlement is backdoor “slavery reparations” cooked up by a “very, very urban Senator, Barack Obama.”

Okay, not exactly ‘You Lie!’ But moments after Sec Def Bob Gates called for Congress to repeal DADT this year, Reps. Joe Wilson (R) and Buck McKeon (R) sent out a statement calling for “comprehensive oversight” of the Pentagon’s study showing that repealing DADT won’t damage military readiness.

Wilson, you’ll remember, was immortalized for his “You Lie!” outburst during President Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress last year. McKeon and Wilson will hold key committee chairs on the Armed Services Committee and Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee next year.

Bob Gates’ abilities as a masterful bureaucrat and Washington shapeshifter have rarely been on more public display than in his just-completed press conference. He was expected to unveil a Pentagon review of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell that would clear the way for repeal, but Gates took it a step further with a clarion call to Congress to repeal DADT before the end of the year or else the federal courts might do it by what he called “judicial fiat.”

It was classic Gates: a combination of finesse and sharp elbows. He framed the issue starkly: repeal DADT in an orderly way with enough time for me to implement it, and I can pull this off without jeopardizing our military readiness — or you can leave it to the courts which is “my greatest fear” and which guarantees a disruptive transition that could damage the military.

He offered the choice of stability v. unpredictability, an argument dear to Republican hearts. The topper: What could be worse to leaning congressional Republicans than abdicating their power and control to those dreaded activist judges?

With one big heave, Gates has thrown this issue back into Congress’ lap and tried to box in persuadable Republicans. It’s a remarkable move.