Win, Win, Win, Win, Win ... (NYT)

love of taxes

By Thomas L. Friedman
We have got to stop “taking off the table” the gasoline tax, the tool that would add leverage to everything we want to do at home and abroad.

You’re Likable Enough, Gay People (NYT)

drama club speaks

by Frank Rich
Barack Obama’s disingenuous defense of his tone-deaf invitation to the Rev. Rick Warren is an asterisk to the joyous inaugural of our first black president.

Governor Blagojevich’s Bombast (NYT)

it's the party of narcissism

If the governor were less narcissistic, he would leave public service so constituents might get beyond the embarrassment of his administration.

Recruiting the Best (NYT)

it's opposite day

President-elect Barack Obama should consider these steps to ensure the high-quality Army that America needs.

Curbing Credit Card Predators (NYT)

mindless compulsion 3: must

Congress must do more for Americans to get fair, clear credit card rules that allow them to make informed spending decisions.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin (NYT)

mindless compulsion 2: should

If Barack Obama wants better relations with Russia, he should start by cutting back on the belligerent talk and invite the Russians to high-level discussions.

The Gas Tax (NYT)

mindless compulsion 1: needs to

If the Obama administration is to meet its twin objectives of reducing the consumption of foreign oil and cutting emissions, it needs to curb the nation’s demand for energy.

Stop Being Stupid (NYT)

The American way is to move money from where it is needed at the moment to where it can be used at the moment. This debt is matched by an asset, and the economy keeps busy with an even load.

Inflate the need for housing by making owing appear cheap and you get bad debts, which have to unwind before the system works again.

by Bob Herbert
Over the past few decades, the American way has been to pay for things with money that wasn’t there. Americans must resolve to be smarter going forward.

So Is Fish Safe to Eat or Not? (NYT)

energy saving lightbulbs too

The disagreement between the government and some scientists over the amount of fish pregnant and breast-feeding women should eat raises serious questions for consumers.

Price of Lax Gun Laws (NYT)

safer homes

A strong correlation exists between weak state gun laws and higher rates of in-state murders, police slayings and sales of guns used in crimes in other states.

The World According to Cheney (NYT)

record set straight

It must be exhausting to rewrite history as much as Vice President Dick Cheney has done in a series of exit interviews.

Popularity Isn’t Everything (NYT)

new york times conservative

by William Kristol
In admiration of straight talkers, let’s give credit to the nation’s most unpopular Republican, Dick Cheney, and the nation’s most unpopular Democrat, Rod Blagojevich.

The Disciples of Hatred, in Their Own Words and Images (NYT)

nostalgia felt

By BRENT STAPLES
A lynching exhibition puts the civil rights movement in the context of the reign of terror that gripped black Southerners.

Inaugural Wishes for the F.E.C. (NYT)

leftist enemies list

The Federal Election Commission should be confronted about the newly issued regulations that poke a fund-raising law full of loopholes.

A New Respect for Science (NYT)

religion embraced

Sub-cabinet appointments affirm Barack Obama’s commitment to aggressively address the challenges of energy independence and global warming.

The Printing Press Cure (NYT)

good quoted

Economic history suggests that the Federal Reserve’s move to lower interest rates and print money is the right thing to do, but does not make such intervention “good.”

Hope Amid the Gloom (NYT)

vast socialist future

by Bob Herbert
Even as Americans by the thousands sign up for jobless benefits, or line up to declare bankruptcy, or stand aside as their homes are foreclosed upon, there are some slender reasons to hope.

Separate and Not Equal (NYT)

marriage incuriosity supported

Creating a separate, new legal structure to confer some benefits on same-sex couples neither honors American ideals of fairness, nor does it grant true equality.

Wayward Eye on the Homeland (NYT)

agenda missing

Crucial reform of homeland security has been undermined by the culture of fiefdoms in Congress, while the real-life threats from terrorism have grown more complex.

Where Does It All Go? (NYT)

green lobby unmentioned

The federal government has struggled, unsuccessfully, to find a long-term solution to the piling up of nuclear waste at temporary storage sites around the country.

Survivor: Detroit (NYT)

lefty slogan business plan

For Detroit to become viable again, the next administration must help Michigan’s auto industry shrink and become more energy efficient.

Gov. Paterson’s Tough Budget (NYT)

newstand tax not considered

Gov. David Paterson’s proposals to close a large hole in New York State’s budget already has inspired howls of protest. It can surely be improved upon, but the budget is tough and fair.

The Torture Report (NYT)

subscription decline derangement syndrome

A prosecutor should be appointed to consider criminal charges against top officials at the Pentagon for decisions that led to the abuse, torture and death in prisons run by the American military and intelligence.

Fixing Interior (NYT)

ignorant masses deplored

As secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar’s most urgent task will be to remove the influence of politics and ideology from decisions that are best left to science.

A Lynching in Brooklyn (NYT)

strongly worded stand taken

The murder of José Sucuzhañay, an Ecuadorean immigrant, in New York City is enough to remind us that bigotry cannot be tolerated.

A Cheap Shot at Workers (NYT)

Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chairs.

The Bush administration’s last-minute overhaul of the visa program for temporary farm workers threatens to make a flawed program worse.

Questions for Mr. Geithner (NYT)

``needs to'' plonking strategy used.

As president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Timothy Geithner let Lehman Brothers fail and then bailed out American International Group. He needs to explain why before he becomes Treasury secretary.

Deeper in Debt (NYT)

no lefty idea is ever abandoned

In New Jersey, politically difficult policies — such as reducing payments to pension funds and increasing turnpike tolls — are necessary or the state will never dig out of its debt.

What Louisiana Can Teach (NYT)

money thrown into pit

As states and the federal government consider ways to improve teacher-preparation programs, they should look to Louisiana’s accountability-based reform efforts.

What’s Plan B? (NYT)

how about bankruptcy judge voids union contracts

Despite the flaws of the $14 billion plan to bail out Detroit’s automakers, there is not a chance at a long-term solution without it.

Save the Bluefin (NYT)

substitute polar bear

Preserving the bluefin tuna species requires sharply reduced quotas or, better, a moratorium on tuna fishing.

Even Worse for Teens (NYT)

extend the dead hand of central planning to everybody

Any plan that President-elect Barack Obama is devising to put millions of unemployed Americans back to work must include a provision for youthful workers.

Tortured Justice (NYT)

arm the courts

The extent of the damage done by the Bush administration to American civil liberties will be told in part by the outcome of two cases in federal court.

State of Fear (NYT)

loosed

A federal appointment could mean that Arizona will loose its most powerful voice of reason in a state that continues to hatch some of cruelest ideas for getting tough on immigrants.

The Real Generation X (NYT)

the cliche scold

by Thomas L. Friedman
To reverse the damage caused by this generation of greedy adults, we will not only need to bail out industries of the past but to build up industries of the future.

The Deluder in Chief (NYT)

the left could undelude itself here.

President Bush is still acting as though he decided to invade Iraq after suddenly being handed life and death information on Saddam Hussein’s arsenal.

The Employment Crash (NYT)

encourage idleness, crowd out private investment, and why not raise the minimum wage too

alternative plan: zero capital gains tax, zero corporate tax

Congress should be working now on another economic stimulus plan — one that will bolster unemployment compensation and create jobs.

Keep the City Moving (NYT)

shortfall burden spread

The burden for shortfalls in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority budget in New York City should be spread beyond those who take public transit.

Reality Check for Detroit (NYT)

reality mentioned

Before bailing out automakers, Congress should require much tighter commitments on fuel economy and demand that top management be replaced.

The Life of an Antarctic Archipelago (NYT)

polar-bear-eating penguin

A discovery of new species found on the polar islands concludes that this area is one of last on the globe where biodiversity has barely changed over the past century.

Rescue the Census (NYT)

democrat redistricting favored

The census requires years of planning, but preparations — for reasons of incompetence or political gain — have been systematically sidetracked during the Bush years.

Gloom, but Not Doom (NYT)

glass half full

President-elect Obama is inheriting a world more complicated and frightening than the one eight years ago. But while the trends may be apparent, the results are not inevitable.

Odetta (NYT)

marketing

By ANDREW ROSENTHAL
The music and lyrics of Odetta, the transcendent folk singer who died on Tuesday, opened a boy's eyes to the crimes and tragedies embedded in American history.

Hawaii’s Moon Shot (NYT)

snowmobiles banned

If Hawaii takes the lead in a clean-energy movement, it could spread those values to the rest of the nation.

Mr. Obama’s Team (NYT)

strong mentioned

President-elect Barack Obama will need a strong team to help him with the challenges he will face. The choices announced on Monday are a strong start.

The Gun Lobby’s Loss (NYT)

mandate discovered

After this year’s election, politicians should be far less afraid and far more willing to vote for sensible gun-control laws.