Newt’s Objection to Romney’s Minimum Wage Proposal – Does Newt Know Alan Krueger and David Card?

Zachary Roth has found one policy position where Mitt Romney and I agree – that the minimum wage should be indexed so that its real value is not eroded over time by inflation. Naturally this has inflamed a few other Republicans including Newt:

And Newt Gingrich, Romney's leading rival for the nomination, said Sunday on Meet the Press that "virtually every economist in the country believes that [indexing the minimum wage to inflation] further makes it difficult for young people to get a job."

This story next reminds us of a study written by Alan Krueger and David Card, which challenged Newt’s ideology.

Ten Minutes to Grok the Eurocrisis

I like these little mini-lectures where a hyperactive hand scribbles out an animated commentary.  Here, clocking in at under ten minutes, is the Punk Economics explanation of what's wrong with Merkozy's "solution" to the Eurozone fiscal crisis.  (Hat tip: Henning Meyer)

Charles Murray’s Daring Move

Murray has a new book out, Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, that argues that the top fifth of the (white) income distribution excels on merit and virtue, while the bottom 30% is mired in a dysfunctional, dead-end culture.  Thus the income divide is just a symptom of the real cause, the widening virtue gap.

It takes guts to go out on a limb like this, doesn’t it?  Imagine trying to convince the upper middle class that they are morally superior: do you think he will be able to drum up any sales?