Two Reactions to the SOTU

1. Last nighttime President Obama continued his misleading claims about Warren Buffett's taxation rate.  David Leonhardt recalls that I rebutted those claims several years ago. 

David usefully asks for a reply to my rebuttal from the Center on Budget together with Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning inquiry grouping inward Washington. Chuck Marr, the center’s managing director of federal taxation policy, emailed David back.  Click through the link above, together with read carefully what Mr Marr has to say.  Does it respond to my arguments?  No, non at all.  Mr Marr simply changes the subject.  He follows the age-old advice for politicians: Don't respond the interrogation they asked, respond the interrogation you lot want they had asked.  This mightiness operate for some voters, but I am certain it won't for the careful analysts who read this blog.  One might reasonably accept Mr Marr's non-response equally an admission that President Obama's claims about the taxes of Mr Buffett together with his secretarial assistant don't jibe upwards nether closer examination.

2. I was disappointed, and fifty-fifty a combat surprised, that the President adopted the xenophobic approach to outsourcing together with international trade.  Usually, on issues of international trade, the President plays the purpose of grown-up together with leaves it upwards to Congress to gin upwards populist ire.  That is truthful of both parties.  Recall that President Clinton pushed NAFTA through.

When President Obama bragged that his direction had substantially increased merchandise cases against China compared amongst his predecessor, it made me proud to hold out 1 of President Bush's advisers.  (Not that the Bush direction was perfect on merchandise issues.  It is just skillful to know nosotros were better.)  These merchandise cases include such things equally anti-dumping claims, which inward many cases are simply the modern seem upwards of protectionism.  Phill Swagel together with I wrote nigh anti-dumping laws here.
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