Paying for Health Reform

Lawmakers want to be sure that health care reform -- if it happens -- won't worsen the deficit over the next ten years. That's laudable, but it's not enough. There's a risk that reform could be paid for over ten years, yet still worsen our long-run budget crisis. Policymakers should therefore focus on the long-run trajectory of new spending and offsets, not just the 10-year budget scores.

Every Gay Wedding Should Be Pink and Green

It has been demonstrated repeatedly, tolerance is good for business. To win the battle over legalizing same-sex marriage then focus on the potential power that socially tolerant public policies could have on America's financial bottom line. Going pro-gay means going pro-greenbacks.

Iran: 'Beware the People Weeping'

I've held off on what is going on in Iran because some things needed to become clearer. The power of technology in the hands of the people changes the dynamics tremendously. I would imagine that the information from Iran is simultaneously inspiring people and frightening power-mongers around the world. The ability to get pictures and video out means that authoritarian approaches can not easily choke off information flow.

I Kicked Out Fox News

One of the great perks of living in DC is that, when you decide to host an informative Health Care House Party for OFA, you sometimes find a national correspondent from Fox News showing up at your doorstep and have the sublime pleasure of turning them away.

U.S. Obligation to Freed Gitmo Detainees

By Tom Parker, Policy Director, (Counter) Terrorism and Human Rights Four Uighur former Guantanamo inmates are now in Bermuda, other detainees have been released to France, Chad, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Hungary, Italy and Palau appear to have joined the ranks of countries prepared to accept detainees cleared for release. The pace of releases finally seems to be picking up and that is a cause for optimism.

The Firing of Gerald Walpin

The conservative media and blogosphere think they have an explosive story on their hands. President Obama did not "illegally" fire Walpin. To fire an IG, according to the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008, the president must inform Congress 30 days before terminating the IG's employment as well as provide Congress with a reason for doing so. Obama suspended Walpin with pay and informed him that he would be terminated after 30 days. Obama wrote Congress to inform them of this decision and supplied his reasoning for doing so.

I Just Canceled My Health Insurance Policy

If you are healthy and have no dependents I'd urge you to do the same. My kids are raised and are not dependent on me. I'll wait for the public option. If Congress won't give us a public plan, I'll have to go crawling back to the private insurers. But if enough of us can just go four or five months without insurance, our cancellations in the coming weeks could create a movement.

Where Rugged Individualism Fails

With the slight dip in President Obama's approval rating, I can't help but lament the nature of public opinion. The only sure-fire way to boost Presidential Approval is to declare war, win decisive victories, or make a grand show of seeming powerful and in charge after a national tragedy. By contrast, even proposing desperately-needed reform while advancing peaceful good intentions leads to the steady eroding of political capital and public opinion. This should reflect squarely upon us rather than our elected officials.

Free the iPhone

As long as carriers reserve the right to cripple the phone's best features, block full access to the Internet and stick customers with astronomical bills, you're not getting the real Internet from your shiny new handheld. If we can access the free-flowing Internet via a wireless laptop or desktop computer, why can't we do the same with our new handheld computers?

Military Policy: Let's Give Women Equal Opportunity

Our Declaration of Independence states that all "men" are entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Through the years we have come to accept that this really applies to all "mankind" and therefore all people. If we really believe in those ideals, then why do we deny women the opportunity to pursue many military careers? As it stands now, our military policy towards women is chauvinistic to say the least. Not only do we deny them the opportunity to serve, but we also lower their physical standards, which I think is patronizing. We need to change the policy so that they have to meet the same standards as the men, this will weed out the weaker or less serious ones, just as it does for men. Then, the women who make it will have truly earned the right to be there, and there would be no way to deny them.