Deficit commission a start, but only that

The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, the group charged by President Obama with addressing the national debt, has released its final report, titled “The Moment of Truth.”

I haven’t had time to read the 65-page report, so I am relying on press reports. A real blogger would read the thing, and I’ll try to. My first impression is that at least they’re trying, but even their best efforts were only able to reduce the annual deficit to $279 billion by 2020. That used to be about average before we started running the $1 trillion-plus annual deficits we run now. It would mean that the cumulative national debt – the sum total of what we owe, would still increase by more than $4 trillion by 2020. It’s now nearing $14 trillion.

The good news: At least the commission talked about raising the retirement age, though VERY slowly – to 68 by 2050. Even better, it talked about creating a budget for federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Currently the government just keeps spending as long as doctors and hospitals keep billing.

It’s a start. Now we’ll see if lawmakers and President Obama keep the ball rolling or simply kick the can down the road as others have done.

Show them jail time

My Arkansas News Bureau column this week discusses a bill by Rep. David Sanders that would put some real teeth into the law that punishes sports agents for illegally providing gifts to college athletes. Sports agents are the only guilty parties that never get punished when this happens; the universities, the players and the fans are the ones who suffer. Sanders’ bill would make the crime a felony, raise fines to $250,000, and revoke their license for five years. It’s a good start.

Bail me out of jail for MDA

I’m in jail right now for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Well, technically, I’m at Colton’s Steakhouse. But I’m trying to raise “bail money.” Want to donate? It’s tax-deductible.

You can donate here.

If you don’t get this email in the next few hours, I’ll be “out,” but you can still donate.

Thanks for considering this.

Palin in Little Rock

Sarah Palin signed copies of her new book at a Little Rock Sam’s Club but didn’t talk to the news media. Jason Tolbert has his usual excellent take here.

Palin’s camp had told reporters that she would not talk to them, and she didn’t. According to Tolbert, they were told not to ask questions or “she will get mad.”

I’ve got no problem with Palin refusing to take questions at this event. I do have a problem with her refusing ever to take questions from anyone other than her co-workers and cheerleaders at Fox News, and then justifying it by claiming that she’s being victimized by the “lamestream media.” But that’s another post.

My question for the local media is, why play ball with her? If she wants you there only for free exposure, don’t give it to her. Acknowledge that she was here. Point out her refusal to take questions. Include the comment by the jittery handler. But don’t put her picture on the front page of the B section. Don’t lead the evening news with her.

Stop being used by this person who is creating a cult following and getting rich by trashing you. That’s really lame.

Vote for Hugh Jidette? We have been.

The Pete Peterson Foundation, one of the few voices for fiscal sanity in America, has started a new campaign, the OweNo campaign, to try to start a serious discussion about the national debt.

To do that, they are using a little humor by creating a fictional presidential candidate, Hugh Jidette. (Get it? Huge Debt.) Jidette proudly proclaims a campaign platform based on increasing the debt we pass on to our children and grandchildren. His fictional television audience is shocked by his promise, but they shouldn’t be: That’s exactly the kind of candidate we have been electing for 30 years, except they have been less honest about it.

Will Sen. Boozman, Sen. Pryor, and Reps. Crawford, Griffin, Womack and Ross be “Hugh Jidette” supporters, or will they stand up for future generations. I’ll be watching.

Here’s one of the Hugh Jidette campaign commercials.