Spinning the numbers

Not much in the way of news today because of the elections. Mostly speculation about the outcomes and "what it all means" for the future of the parties. But there are few short items of interest.

I recently discovered my aeronautical hero, Richard Branson is on twitter. He posts this item today. "Calling all entrepreneurs - we need your video pitches for new PitchTV show." PitchTV is a closed broadcast that will be played on Branson's airliners. I checked out the first clips and the competition isn't that stiff. If you have a good idea that needs funding, it couldn't hurt to enter.

A new study by Pew Charitable Trusts Global Warming Campaign shows 77 percent of respondents favored taking concrete action on climate change, with 18 percent opposed, and 5 percent undecided. Most interesting quote:

For Republicans, part of resistance to climate-change legislation is the desire “not be seen as the deciding vote to help a major Obama initiative,” McInturff said. “I think that is the political dynamic.”

It appears the House GOP really does have an alternate health care reform plan of sorts. Most notable is what the plan doesn't do.

And another quotable post from Ezra on the rhetorical power in the time frame that gets chosen for a given policy.

The stimulus, for instance, was explained as a two-year cost, so it was $800 billion, rather than $400 billion a year. Health-care reform is being sold as a 10-year cost, so it's $900 billion, rather than $90 billion a year. The defense appropriation is explained in terms of single-year cost, so it's $680 billion, as opposed to the $10 trillion or so that it would cost if you took into account expected growth.

That can't be repeated enough when conservatives harp on the deficit. It's being driven by "defense spending" not by social programs. And Ezra tells us that $680 billion doesn't even include the cost of the occupations.

[graphic]

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]