links for 2010-04-21

President Barack Obama suggested Wednesday that a new value-added tax on Americans is still on the table, seeming to show more openness to the idea than his aides have expressed in recent days.

Before deciding what revenue options are best for dealing with the deficit and the economy, Obama said in an interview with CNBC, "I want to get a better picture of what our options are."
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Here come the tax increases to pay for Obamacare et al.

Socialism here we come.

Of course, this is just one example of many we'll be seeing in which Democrats will push for additional government intervention in an attempt to correct problems caused by government. Elsewhere, for instance, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman is talking about reviving the public option if the insurance exchanges don't produce enough competition. Of course, it's kind of hard to produce real competition when all insurance policies on any exchange have to meet the design specifications of the federal government.

So, to sum up, with one hand, Democrats want to regulate insurers like public utilities, which don't have actual competition. And then, with the other hand, they want to use that lack of competition as a justification to create an entirely government-run insurer.
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Great logic by DiFi, no?

They wave signs at rallies, but the question remains: Will Tea Partiers sway the 2010 elections and, if so, where will their influence be felt the most?

“I would say the most well known races where this movement is having an impact are [in the] Senate, where establishment Republican candidates who are not fiscal conservatives are beating insurgent candidates who are,” said Max Pappas, managing director for FreedomWorks PAC.

Heading into primary season, keep an eye on these races:
1. Nevada
2. Arizona
3. Kentucky
4. Florida
5. Utah