Issue 1 - Wednesday, Sept. 13

2006-09-12T13:20:00.001-07:00

Democrats

The US economic picture Improves

The US economic picture seems bright enough to the White House right now that they ventured to issue an "Economy Watch" press release touting falling gas prices, always a risky move given how volatile prices can be. Dow Jones also reported late yesterday that the price of crude oil sank its lowest level since March 22. Based in part on that news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up over 101 points, within 2% of its all-time high.

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"The recent drop in oil prices could provide a welcome and surprising boost to consumer pocketbooks this fall, cushioning the economy from a falloff in home prices and construction while venting an important source of inflation pressure," says the Wall Street Journal. "The easing of energy prices is an unexpected -- and little-noted -- positive amid economic anxiety over falling housing activity, previous energy-price increases and the possibility of recession."

The chair of Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, Ed Lazear, said in a speech yesterday that "US wage growth will start to catch up with high productivity and economic growth." His speech, the Financial Times writes, "is part of a broader administration campaign to focus on the strong US economy in the build-up to critical mid-term congressional elections on November 7... However, critics of the Bush administration say that real wage growth, which excludes the inflationary cost of healthcare that has fuelled compensation growth, continues to languish at or below annual inflation."

USA Today revisits the minimum wage craze: "For the first time, a majority of states could require higher pay than the federal rate of $5.15 an hour" after this election. If all the measures out there "pass, it would equal the number of minimum wage ballot measures adopted in the 14-year span ending in 2004."

Safe Politicking, Online

By Micah L. Sifry, 09/13/2006 - 6:06am

The Center for Democracy and Technology has put together a handy online guide for anyone involved in electoral politics online called, appropriately, the NetDemocracy Guide. It's an outgrowth of the fight between political bloggers and the Federal Election Commission, which began when the FEC hinted at drastic new regulations that would have unnecessarily curtailed much web-based political speech a little over a year ago, and culminated earlier this year with the agency essentially deciding to leave most unpaid and low-cost online politicking untouched.

The guide does a solid job of explaining the differences between "uncompensated internet activity" that is specifically exempt from regulation, and the kinds of "public communication" that can trigger reporting requirements and conceivably may also count as contributions to campaigns.

The Best Ideas in Politics

Issue 1 - Wednesday, Sept. 13

The US economic picture Improves

Editor's Choice

Safe Politicking, Online