Myths of the Recession, Challenging the EPA and a Victory for Free Speech
Wall Street Journal editor George Melloan challenges popular misconceptions about the recent mortgage crisis and recession in a new book.
Four members of Congress challenge the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider costly new regulations on carbon dioxide.
The Supreme Court strikes down campaign finance restrictions on freedom of speech.
Listen to LibertyWeek, the CEI podcast, here.
1. BUSINESS
Wall Street Journal editor George Melloan challenges popular misconceptions about the recent mortgage crisis and recession in a new book.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of the Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs John Berlau offers his take on Melloan’s thesis:
“One of the more confusing aspects of the great economic meltdown of 2008-09—even more confusing than collateralized debt obligations—has been the tortured logic of the blame game: the frantic effort, on the part of politicians and pundits, to demonize Wall Street, exonerate reckless government policies and restore the big-government ideals of John Maynard Keynes and the New Deal. George Melloan is having none of it—and, to judge by the Massachusetts poll result on Tuesday, neither are many voters. In ‘The Great Money Binge,’ Mr. Melloan warns against the statist prescriptions of the Obama administration and argues for our remembering the limited-government ideas that brought us so much prosperity for so long.”
2. ENVIRONMENT
Four members of Congress challenge the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider costly new regulations on carbon dioxide.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis on why someone needs to be standing up for small businesses:
“Small business clearly needs an advocate in the room and at the table whenever the Environmental Protection Agency deliberates about any regulatory action pertaining to greenhouse gases and CO2. Congress enacted the Regulatory Flexibility Act to protect small business from regulatory excess. Right now it’s not working. [Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs head] Cass Sunstein has an opportunity to ensure that small businesses have a say in regulatory decisions affecting their very survival. He should seize it.”
3. LEGAL
The Supreme Court strikes down campaign finance restrictions on freedom of speech.
CEI Experts Available to Comment: Journalism Fellow Ryan Young on why freer political speech is good for citizens and a threat to politicians:
“The correct way to rebut unwelcome speech is not to silence it. It is to counter it with more speech. Let the best arguments win. Advocating speech restrictions is a fancy way of saying, ‘my arguments are too weak to withstand criticism.’ Get better arguments, then! Free speech issues aside, there is a reason why McCain-Feingold is informally known as the Incumbent Protection Act. It stacks the deck against challengers. No wonder so many incumbent politicians from both parties have come out against today’s decision. It’s bad for their job security.”
Listen to LibertyWeek, the CEI podcast, here.