Sarah Field

Just this week, Senators McConnell, Hutchison, and Shelby -- the latter two of which have long histories as serial appropriators -- agreed to support a ban on earmarks. This was exciting news and a key insight into the power of the grassroots. It is true that earmarks comprise a small, even miniscule, percentage of government spending, but they are a flashpoint in the debate about spending and a top issue for the Tea Party and other grassroots activists. (more)

Upon last week’s unveiling of the “Pledge to America,” House Republicans received critiques from across the ideological spectrum. As commentators do so well, they quickly engaged in a round of mini-spats between those in support of the document, such as the National Review’s Rich Lowry, and those in opposition, like Ross Douthat at the New York Times. While it is interesting to read the breadth of opinion pieces about the Pledge, the most interesting -- and important -- data point is the extent to which the document resonates with the American people. (more)

It has been over a week since we watched Karl Rove besmirch Delaware voters for their selection of Christine O’Donnell as the Republican Party’s Senate candidate. As we all know, Rove called her “nutty” and wondered how such a far-right candidate could possibly beat Chris Coons, a serial proponent of tax increases with his own significant baggage. (more)

Usually, August offers the American people a much-needed break from Washington’s tax-and-spend shenanigans.  Congress is out of session and many administration officials and government bureaucrats flee Washington’s humidity for the cool beach breezes up and down the East Coast.  Washington is, quite simply, not the place to be in August. (more)

Several weeks ago, the New York Times reported on an uncomfortable inconsistency for President Obama and those members of Congress who voted for Obamacare.  It seems that the individual mandate, which President Obama assured the American people was not a tax, is, in fact, exactly that – a brand new tax. (more)

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs left open the possibility that Democrats would try to pass cap and trade during a Lame Duck session of Congress after the November elections.  Even though polling data, citizen protests, town halls, and – most likely – this fall’s election results will show uniform rejection of another federal takeover of our economy, the Democrats refuse to back away from their jobs-killing, anti-growth agenda. (more)

One of my first political memories was when, in 1992, then-President George H.W. Bush was skewered for failing to live up to his “read my lips: no new taxes” promise.  Even as a child, the message hit me especially hard; I wondered how someone could break such an important – and central – promise to the American people.  And, ultimately, that is what cost him his reelection. (more)

“You’re giving me the ‘it’s not you it’s me’ routine?  I invented ‘it’s not you it’s me.’  So nobody tells me it’s not me it’s them.  If it’s anybody – it’s me!” George Costanza (more)

On Friday, we found out that House and Senate conferees closed a marathon session with an early-morning announcement that a deal had been reached on the Dodd-Frank Financial Overhaul bill. The mainstream media, of course, breathlessly applauded Congress for making this deal and “fixing” our financial woes. (more)

At last week’s Congressional hearings, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) apologized to BP’s CEO, Tony Hayward, for what he described as a government shakedown of $20 billion of BP’s assets. In typical Washington fashion, outcry from both political parties quickly forced Barton to produce a second apology, where he laid the blame for the problem squarely on BP. (more)