Something Special for President's Day

Finally the presidential countdown everyone's been waiting over 220 years for. The folks at nerve.com put together this list of The Top 43 Sexiest US Presidents of All Time. I don't want to spoil the fun, but let's just say that the number one spot came as something of a surprise. Enjoy.

In addition, lest we forget the history behind the holiday, you may find it refreshing to reflect on George Washington's first inaugural address. I admit I hadn't looked at it since my freshman government class, but two parts are especially nice:

• "No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage."
• "There is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity."

Of course, should you want something a little more current, here's Obama's inaugural address from last winter. You have to admit, the guy sure knows how to give a good speech. (Audio quality's a bit weak, but it's from C-SPAN. I would have included the AP version, but they decided to split it into too many parts.)

Happy Valentine's Day

Last week, a prudish headmaster at a primary school here in the UK found his actions at the center of global headlines when he and his administration banned the sending of Valentine's Day cards on the school's premises. His argument for it was simple. Children are not capable of understanding relationships. He seems to have missed two key points. First, looking at the "adults" that surround me on a daily basis, sometimes I have to wonder how well even they understand relationships. And second, primary school is when kids are supposed to learn about the birds and the bees. Try to imagine life without the pre-adolescent aches and pains of your first crush. Would you rather that came when you were 20? Then again, I suppose sometimes those pains continue long into adulthood.

Giles Coren, of the Times of London, writes in this Saturday's edition that "sendin' Valentine cards learns kidz 'ow to rite," a skill that seems neglected enough in schools without banning the sending of sweet heart-shaped cards.

Deficit or Unemployment? That Is Not the Question

In the face of sovereign debt worries making waves in global financial markets and an extraordinarily imbalanced budget (recognized even by the folks at Moody's, who have a bit of a tendency to underestimate risk) from President Obama, Paul Krugman suggests that the current fear-mongering over the US budget is reminiscent of "the groupthink that took hold during the run-up to the Iraq war." His carefully-considered opinion is that the government should focus on tackling that which, based on recent writings, he regards to be the greatest dilemma of the current recession--unemployment.

Despite Krugman's dismissal of budget concerns, given the insanely high projected debt-to-GDP ratio, the government should ABSOLUTELY be focusing on the matter. Nonetheless Krugman is right that unemployment has significant short- and long-term consequences as well. So perhaps our policymakers can act like economists, make a bit of a trade-off, and try to deal with both problems at the same time. There's no reason to focus entirely on problem X, unemployment, while ignoring problem Y, the deficit. Of course, the remedies for one could hinder progress toward solving the other. Then again, that's a challenge macroeconomists and policymakers must always face. There is no reason for them to shirk now, when it is critical that we deal with both issues.

Porker of the Year

It's official--Barney Frank has won the dubious distinction of being "Porker of the Year" in the US Congress. This annual award, chosen by Citizens Against Government Waste could not have gone to a better politician.

In related but sadder news, former "King of Pork," John Murtha died earlier this week. A decorated Vietnam veteran, he became most famous for passing out the pork and being amongst the first senior Democrats to turn against the Iraq war. His now-open seat could continue to shift political momentum should a Republican take it, although it will not dramatically tip the balance of power in the House.