Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.
The headline is true—sort of. After talking to senior administration officials, I gained a better perspective on how President Barack Obama came to decide in favor of the tax cuts deal that will temporarily extend the Bush breaks for the wealthy. And I note that I’m somewhat sympathetic to how he confronted that dilemma (spin works!), though I still believe his miscalculations led him (and us) to this difficult point. I explain that in my latest Bloggingheads.tv exchange with conservative Jim Pinkerton, who tries to persuade me that Republicans don’t just care about tax cuts for the rich. They also want to “starve the beast,” he says.) We also discuss WikiLeaks and its implications for journalism and governance.
