• Few Surprises As Greece’s Economic Contraction Accelerates 14 Feb 2010
• UK economic data show worst contraction on record 24 Jul 2009
• Did joining the eurozone bust Ireland? 2 Jul 2008

• The politics of the Goldman fraud case 19 Apr 2010
• The rough politics of European adjustment 1 Dec 2010
• On The Hypocrisy of Voters: The politics of economics redux 18 Oct 2010

• Heavy early voting in US Presidential election 23 Oct 2008
• Presidential debates crucial in test of economic leadership 18 Sep 2008
• Mark Hulbert: The Market Has Risen Every Third Year of a Presidential Cycle Since 1932 5 Jan 2011

• Rising economic nationalism 12 Apr 2011
• Economic nationalism and GM’s decision to keep Opel and Vauxhall 5 Nov 2009
• Is Resource Nationalism on the Rise? 24 Aug 2011

• Achuthan: Leading Indicators Point To Slowing Growth; Jobs Outlook Murky 5 Jun 2010
• Achuthan Expects Another ‘Double Dip Scare’ for US 28 Jul 2011
• Lakshman Achuthan talking credit growth and recovery on Squawk Box 21 Jun 2010

• Jon Stewart on Lenny Dykstra 15 Jul 2009
• Jon Stewart takes on Fox News 30 Oct 2009
• Jon Stewart on the McChrystal Affair 24 Jun 2010

• If we see no debt ceiling deal, the US will prioritise Treasuries 28 Jul 2011
• Obama’s Debt Ceiling Doubletalk 12 Jul 2011
• The debt ceiling ratings downgrade 14 Jul 2011

• The debt ceiling debate: view from Germany 15 Jul 2011
• Is the deficit ceiling debate a Smoot-Hawley moment? 18 Jul 2011
• Debt Ceiling Showdown Coming 12 Apr 2011

• ‘Buy American’ will translate into a 21st century Smoot-Hawley 31 Jan 2009
• The debt ceiling debate: view from Germany 15 Jul 2011
• Debt Ceiling Showdown Coming 12 Apr 2011

• Obama’s Debt Ceiling Doubletalk 12 Jul 2011
• Debt Ceiling Showdown Coming 12 Apr 2011
• Debt Ceiling Breached 16 May 2011

• Debt Ceiling Showdown Coming 12 Apr 2011
• Debt Ceiling: No Chance of US default 19 May 2011
• Debt Ceiling Breached 16 May 2011

• Chart of the day: social security and medicare 24 Jun 2008
• Means of deficit reduction: Medicare and Social Security 16 Jun 2009
• Homeland Security Control 19 Jul 2010

• This is what happens when there is a public record 30 Jun 2011
• Can Geithner’s public-private partnership get it done? 23 Mar 2009
• Goldman’s public purpose and where I have problems with the Abacus deal 29 Apr 2010

• Is Fiscal Austerity Being Rewarded? 1 Jul 2010
• The Fed leads a global rate cut by central banks 8 Oct 2008
• Obama takes middle road on stimulus and taxes that leads nowhere 26 Jun 2009

• Initial Thoughts on the Obama Budget 14 Feb 2011
• Is Military Spending The Third Rail Of Budget Cutting? 6 Jul 2010
• Economics 101 on government budget deficits 13 May 2010

I was on the BBC this morning talking about the Obama FY 2012 budget proposal. Here's what I said and what I think about the proposal so far (If I get the video, I will post). This post will be more about the political tactics and positioning than about advocating a specific policy course since the budget and the framing of its objectives is a purely political process. I will give some broad strokes on the advocacy front, however.

The Obama Agenda

Clearly, President Obama is in full re-election mode now – and that means everything he does from here on out will be done with an eye to how these policy moves will be perceived in a 2012 general election. The Obama budget shows a lot more budget cutting than the President announced during the State of the Union address last month. This is probably by design because the President wants to exceed expectations on the deficit cutting front to paint himself as fiscally responsible in his efforts to beat back the Republicans efforts to paint him as a tax & spend liberal.

• Double Dip Recession and the Obama 2011 Budget 4 Feb 2010
• Key Passages of Osborne’s Austerity Budget 22 Jun 2010
• Economics 101 on government budget deficits 13 May 2010

• Economists Give Obama an “F” 11 Mar 2009
• Economists on jobs and other links 19 Jul 2010
• Video: Austan Goolsbee explains White House position on Bush tax cuts 30 Sep 2010

• Remarks by President Obama to the Republican Caucus 29 Jan 2010
• Obama job approval now below 50% 20 Nov 2009
• Gallup: Can’t Get No Satisfaction 10 Mar 2010

• Why Sarah Palin was a good pick for the GOP 3 Sep 2008
• McCain chooses Palin as his running mate 29 Aug 2008
• John McCain has poor judgment, but Palin is working out quite well 9 Sep 2008

• What real comprehensive healthcare reform looks like 19 Aug 2009
• Healthcare in America and eating our young 16 Sep 2008
• Jacob Hacker: Fixing America’s healthcare system 5 Sep 2009

• Barney Frank rips Hank Paulson’s bait and switch 18 Nov 2008
• More thoughts on the switch from dollars as reserve currency 24 Mar 2009

• John McCain: candidate profile 2 Sep 2008
• John McCain has poor judgment, but Palin is working out quite well 9 Sep 2008
• The 3 a.m. moment – McCain blows it 9 Aug 2008

• Is Barack Obama palling around with Terrorists? 8 Oct 2008
• Obama is pro-Death Penalty 11 Jul 2008
• Obama wins debate 8 Oct 2008

• Barack Obama: candidate profile 26 Aug 2008
• Obama is pro-Death Penalty 11 Jul 2008
• Obama wins debate 8 Oct 2008

• Twenty wealthiest towns in America 27 Aug 2008
• Chart of the day: US national debt 28 Jun 2008

• McCain chooses Palin as his running mate 29 Aug 2008
• Marc Faber: Obama’s not going to be good for the market 18 Jun 2008

• Barack Obama: candidate profile 26 Aug 2008
• The 3 a.m. moment – McCain blows it 9 Aug 2008
• McCain and his anti-Russia rhetoric 8 Aug 2008

• The 3 a.m. moment – McCain blows it 9 Aug 2008
• McCain and his anti-Russia rhetoric 8 Aug 2008
• Rumors are true: McCain almost switched parties 19 Jun 2008