Jon Huntsman, Your Spear is Still Waiting, David Brooks of the NY Times Feels the Heat, Minnesota Wants to Build $1 Billion Football Stadium After They Pay the Light Bill

And Other News That Requires at Least Some Comment

A new poll in New Hampshire shows Mitt Romney way in front with an impressive 35% of the vote.  Way back in the pack at 2% is former Utah governor Jon Huntsman who is staking the credibility of his campaign on a good showing in that state.  Earlier The Dismal Political Economist compared the Republican Presidential field to the roles in a Shakespearian play, with the bit parts belonging to soldiers with their swords and spears on stage for just a little bit.  Mr. Huntsman, unless you start to do better you and your spear will be onstage with Mr. Santorum and Mr. Cain.

July and August in the year before the Presidential Campaign are the dullest months in the entire cycle, and nowhere is there more evidence of that  fact that making the news is the hiring of Mike Huckabee’s daughter as a campaign adviser by the Pawlenty campaign. Yep, that news ranks right up there with a report the Romney campaign chose Papa John’s over Pizza Hut for the staff dinner last Tuesday.

David Brooks of the NYT has come under criticism for his advocacy for Republicans to accept a small tax hike in return for Democratic agreement to cut spending by a huge amount.  Among the quotes from Politico are these.

Timothy Carney of the Washington Examiner  . . . no Democrats are offering entitlement cuts in exchange for eliminating tax credits

Mr. Carney being ignorant of this story in the NY Times,  Administration Offers Health Care Cuts as Part of Budget Negotiations

At Hot Air, Ed Morrissey picks apart Brooks’s thesis . . .“If we are net borrowing every year, adding to debt, then we will never be in position to fulfill a ‘sacred pledge to pay the money back,’”

Morrissey wrote. “ That’s a rather large flaw in fiscal policy and in Brooks’ logic, which may be one reason why some of these Republicans don’t pay much attention to ‘intellectual authorities’

To Which The Dismal Political Economist can only say to Mr. Morrissey that  if he thinks the national debt will ever be paid off he needs a one way ticket back to reality, (although his comment about some Republicans not paying attention to “intellectual authorities” does seem squarely anchored in the real world.)

Mr. Brooks also comes under fire from the other side

At Daily Kos, Litho calls Brooks “perhaps the very definition of Republican hackitude

Well Mr. Brooks, when you get this much attention from all sides, including the honor of a made up word like "hackitude" (great word, not sure it is used appropriately here) you have to be doing something right with your writing.

In the category “Economics and Politics Are Stranger than Fiction” Department, the state of Minnesota is shut down because the legislature and the Governor cannot agree on a spending plan and/or tax increases to close a budget deficit.  None of this is stopping activity on a new $1billion stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.  Guess who has to come up with a majority of the money

Ramsey County commissioners have proposed using the tax increase to raise $350 million as the county contribution toward the Vikings stadium. The stadium is expected to cost $1 billion, with $407 million coming from the Vikings and $300 million from the state.

Yes, you understand correctly.  $1 billion cost to build the stadium paid for by $300 million from the state (the one that is shut down over a budget) and $350 million from Ramsey (St. Paul) county. 

[Editor's Note:  The Dismal Political Economist did have to check the source twice. Sometimes the level of moronic activity in economics and politics is even too much for him to believe.]

On the shutdown itsself there is this headline, which when juxtaposed  with the Stadium story does not require a comment.

Social services, police, child care providers beg Minn. 'special master' for money in shutdown

 One final note on this story,

Metropolitan Sports Facilities Chair Ted Mondale, Gov. Mark Dayton's lead stadium negotiator, declined comment.

Mr. Mondale may be the only rational person left in the state of Minnesota