The French face the same demographic problems as everyone else. Their approach to a solution is to think about the principles that led to their system, and figure out how to solve the coming problem in light of the goals of their society.

I guess all these Congressional hearings about BP’s oil disaster aren’t entirely a waste of time.

A new poll of likely California voters shows 49 percent support a November ballot measure to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana, while 48 percent oppose it. Opposition is high among women and Latinos, with younger voters more strongly in favor.

There’s still work to be done post-cloture. Sam Brownback’s amendment on exempting car dealers from consumer protection will get a vote, and Jeff Merkley attached his Volcker rule amendment to that as a second-degree amendment. Brownback would have to pass for Merkley-Levin to take effect, so it’s a bit of a Hobson’s choice.

I don’t think we’ll see any other amendments, other than a manager’s amendment, which may need a cloture vote, too.

Here’s Weigel, whose panties are in a wad because Rand Paul’s refusal to give a simple “yes” or “no” answer on whether he’d vote for the 1964 Civil Rights Act has landed him in hot water today.

After Steven Gillon’s book salon on FDL the other day, I went back and listened to what Bill Clinton had to say about his efforts to reform Social Security at the Pete Peterson confab last month: CLINTON: The reason we didn’t get Social Security reform is because the Chairman of Ways & Means Committee, Bill [...]

Last night’s interview with Rachel Maddow is what Rand Paul will face for the next six months. And if he continues with these kinds of performances, he’ll show the ugly side of the liberty movement has has cultivated.

The latest proposed solution to the gulf oil spill is so-called “Top Kill”, which could begin as early as Sunday.

Michael Greenberger, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law and the former Director of the Division of Trading and Markets at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission under Brooksley Born is as knowledgeable about derivatives and their import as anyone involved in this debate. Greenberger believes that Sen. Maria Cantwell did the right thing in holding up cloture on the bill in order to tighten the language around trading and clearinghouses.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) reminds us and the White House of the Constitutional right of U.S. citizens to due process. It’s a pity such a reminder is necessary.