Giving The President’s Process Its Due

January 12, 2012

Constitution, Shmonstitution: Obama takes a breezy approach to formalities on recess appointment.

Long-Range Tax Planning, Nine Days At A Time

December 19, 2011

Tax Table Twister is a popular game on Capitol Hill, but it’s no fun for the rest of us who have to play along.

Expect A Supercommittee No-Show At Thanksgiving

October 27, 2011

The “supercommittee” is just for show. Expect a lot of talk this fall, but no real action until 2012 or 2013.

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The President’s Pre-Game Show

September 7, 2011

How the president became the NFL’s pre-game show.

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Democrats Play A Weak Hand

July 5, 2011

Our U.S. senators are on standby at the Capitol this morning, sacrificing their Independence Day recess to show that they are ready to act on a deficit-reduction package that is nowhere in sight. Members of the House of Representatives have the day off. While the Democrat-controlled Senate abruptly canceled this week’s recess to back up President Obama’s demand that Congress act quickly on the deficit and the federal debt limit, …

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Taking A Good Decision Too Far

June 10, 2011

If you have been reading my commentaries for awhile, you know that I firmly agree with the Supreme Court decision in last year’s Citizens United case. But even good decisions have their limits, and a federal judge in Virginia went too far when he concluded that Citizens United gives corporations a right to contribute directly to political campaigns. U.S. District Judge James Cacheris ruled recently that it is unconstitutional for …

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The IRS Can Reunite Families, If We Let It

December 30, 2010

The IRS cooperates with other agencies to collect past-due child support, federal agency non-tax debts and state income tax obligations. Yet when it comes to working with investigators to reunite abducted children with their legal guardians, the Service says “no can do.” About 200,000 family abductions are reported annually in the United States. These cases, in which a non-custodial relative illegally takes a child from the custodial parent or guardian, …

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Congressional Insiders Trade Whenever They Want

October 29, 2010

You don’t have to be a corporate insider to run afoul of laws against insider trading, and you don’t need to know any inside information about the stocks you trade. Authorities have gone after journalists, analysts, printers and lawyers, among other non-insiders, for actual or alleged violations. But if you are a member of Congress, or if you work for one, don’t worry about going to jail for using what …

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Calling For Common Sense On Cell Phone Taxes

October 11, 2010

We have more than 20 employees here at Palisades Hudson, each of whom has a telephone on his or her desk and a life outside the office. If someone makes a personal phone call to check on the kids or to find out what to bring home for dinner, I don’t care. Neither does the Internal Revenue Service. Even though an employee may personally benefit from using that company-provided phone, …

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Closing The Books On Sen. Byrd

June 29, 2010

Sen. Robert Byrd was a man whose moment in history had long passed, one whose role had diminished from being, arguably, a national asset to being a siphon of national assets. Byrd’s record was far smaller than his history-making 58 years in Congress and his nine terms in the Senate would suggest. Outside his home state of West Virginia and apart from the self-aggrandizing tributes of fellow senators, who best …

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