Pay off the IMF. Argentina is one of the few countries whose reserves have been growing about as fast as China's.  It just started 2003 with about $10 b in reserves (and a ton of debt), while Ch…

Is that the deal that brought wavering Republicans from textile states on board?  We will see. But the House speaker, J. Dennis Hastert, told him they needed his vote anyway. If he switched from "nay…

I wonder if Iran's intransigence is any way related to this? Obviously, the risk of a supply disruption, whether in Saudi Arabia, Iran or Iraq is one reason why oil prices are high. But I suspect tha…

I think the folks over at TPM Café are right: David Brooks' latest New York Times column is a real flip-flop.  He has gone from celebrating the United States firm commitment to universal democratic p…

At least a half percent off US GDP growth for the remainder of this year (Goldman says more), $150 billion in new federal spending (much of that in fiscal 2006), higher gasoline prices now and next y…