Quotes of the day

... much of the money raised from any “millionaire” tax hikes would go to fund the growing phenomenon of public-sector millionaires. How’s that? Well, most dictionaries define a millionaire as someone with wealth (i.e., assets) of $1 million. By that definition, many New York teachers and the vast majority of police and firefighters are millionaires, because the “net present value” of their retirement benefits is well in excess of $1 million. ... City pension costs have jumped from about 4 percent of city tax revenues to 20 percent over the past decade, crowding out other vital public investments.--LAWRENCE MONE

Who but Bernie Madoff guarantees [a return of 8% on his NYC pension] permanently?--Joel Klein

When President Barack Obama jets to Scranton, Pa., Wednesday to promote his jobs package, he'll log his 56th event in a presidential battleground state this year, putting him well ahead of President George W. Bush's record-breaking swing-state travel in 2003. Mr. Obama's extensive travels this year have opened the president to criticism from Republicans that he is intertwining campaigning and governing at a time when he has called for bipartisanship on intractable national problems. Most of the cost is typically borne by taxpayers.--JONATHAN WEISMAN And CAROL E. LEE

Over the last two years gun ownership among Democrats (including Independents who lean towards the Democrats) surged a staggering 10 percentage points from 30% to 40%, while Republican ownership was essentially unchanged ... Second, the number of women who reported household gun ownership also surged by 10 percentage points to 43%, whereas male ownership was essentially unchanged. I'm really not sure what this all means, except clearly female Democrats appear to be a lot more uncomfortable with the reality of the Ice Age than male Republicans do.--Albert Edwards

In my more cynical moments, I can even imagine this winning Best Picture.--Jeffrey Overstreet