Here’s the quote, for those unfamiliar: “Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. This is known as “bad luck.”

Oh, and just to remind that not only do tax-rate cuts not cause financial crises and recessions, but the wars didn’t cause the deficit or debt increase.

It’s a shame that Kelly Ayotte didn’t have that chart handy yesterday when Governor O’Malley spewed his stupid ignorance. Or lie. Or whatever it was.

No, Mr. President.

I’m glad that finally someone in the MSM is calling him on this economically ignorant demagoguery. But I think it deserves the full whopper.

…or liar?

Governor O’Malley on Fox News Sunday, in an attempt to defend the president, said that it “was not true” that he hadn’t cut the deficit in half as he promised. How? By confusing the deficit with the debt. He said that when the president came into office it was ten trillion, and it had only gone up six trillion since then, which was about “half.” Or something like that. It wasn’t clear what his point was, but it was clear that he either doesn’t know what the word deficit means, and the difference between it and the debt, or he thinks we’re stupid. Unfortunately, Senator Ayotte, while sticking to her guns, didn’t point out his ignorance in real time, nor did Chris Wallace.

Of course, being an economic ignoramus and a liar are not mutually exclusive by any means. Many Democrats seem to be both.

…begins.

A lot of people have been wondering when he’s going to start fighting back against the Obama campaign lies and smears that have been going on all summer. He’s apparently been keeping his powder dry, and in the post-debate environment, I think these will have a devastating effect on the undecideds.

…is “implausible,” and a “statistical quirk.” From that right-wing rag, The Economist.

It’s nothing to cheer about.

[Update a couple minutes later]

Some improvement, but not enough. Still looks like a slowing economy. Whoever is president will probably inherit a recession next year. But one candidate actually knows how to get us out of it.