Constructing Religious Building Violates Freedom of Religion, Special Election Will Test Republicans, Sarah Palin on the Debt Ceiling, . . .

And Short Takes on the Political News

Obscure Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain is saying that with respect to construction of a Mosque in Tennessee "It is an infringement and an abuse of our freedom of religion," he said. "And I don't agree with what's happening, because this isn't an innocent mosque." Mr. Cain’s comments confirm a long held theory of The Dismal Political Economists, namely that while Conservatives say they adore the Constitution, many haven’t actually read it and those that have really don't understand it.

A Special Election in Nevada will take place in a Congressional District that has never elected a Democrat since it was created in 1980.  Apparently the Republican is “running a controversial ad that imagined a world in which Chinese troops march on the Capitol grounds because the U.S. could not pay its debts.”  The report in Roll Call does not say whether or not the Chinese Troops attack Congressional Republicans for not raising the debt ceiling, wich is what would cause the U. S. to be unable to pay its debt, but that is kind of implied, isn’t it?

Finally, after keeping The Dismal Political Economist and others in almost unbearable suspense,  former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin weighed in on the debt ceiling crisis,  “If I were in Congress, I would not vote to incur more debt,” she asserted. But she also said, “We cannot default.” But then she also said: “We cannot afford to retreat right now.”

The Fact Checker for the Washington Post says about her statement, she has a fundamental misunderstanding of the debt limit.  Gee, you think?

The inability of Republicans to declare victory in the budget/deficit/debt ceiling negotiations is amply illustrated by these statements by right wing editorialist Kimberly Strassel in the Wall Street Journal

Republicans took a flyer on the debt debate, betting that the high stakes gave them enough leverage to force Mr. Obama to accede to spending cuts. It was bold. It was a potential shot at serious spending reform. It hasn't worked.

Mr Obama took the $1.5 trillion in cuts that were an agreed upon number in the talks between VP Biden and the Republicans, and raised the number to $3.2 billion in spending cuts and $800 billion in tax increases, a 4 to 1 ratio of cuts to tax increases.  He agreed to put cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid on the table. 

No Ms. Strassel and Republicans, It Worked, it worked great! It just didn’t work for you because Conservatives cannot accept victory unless it is 100% victory.  A 99% victory would not even be good enough.  Of course, the fact that Republicans could not accept a win has so far kept the country from having to endure a huge loss.  Rigid ideology sometimes does have its place.

The AP reports that the debt of the Newt Gingrich campaign is now over $1 million.

The former House speaker's campaign raised $2.1 million since he got into the race earlier this year. But he spent $1.8 million, and listed $1.03 million in debt, including more than $100,000 in legal fees.

and the report also said

He scaled back his spending, flying commercial airlines rather than taking corporate jets.

Darn, darn.  The Dismal Political Economist flies commercial instead of private jets, and now in addition to suffering delays, bad weather, possible crashes, being stuck on the runway and bad food, he now has worry about getting a seat assignment next to Newt Gingrich!  Just how bad can air travel get?