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Beltway Bubble
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Beltway Bubble

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Washington, DC is now the wealthiest place in the country. Is that putting decision-makers out of touch with the problems of ordinary Americans? Is that why they've been so slow to deal effectively with the housing crisis and unemployment? Also, Papandreou's referendum call on the EU bailout has Greek government on the edge, and Herman Cain struggles to cope with claims of sexual harassment from two unnamed accusers.

Banner image: P Street NW, in Georgetown (Washington, DC). Photo by Kmf164

Making News

Referendum Call on Bailout Has Greek Government on the Edge ()

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou stunned Europe and financial markets around the world last night by announcing a popular referendum on the new debt deal with foreign lenders. Nick Malkoutzis is Deputy Editor of the English edition of the Greek newspaper Kathimerini. He also blogs at "Inside Greece."

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Main Topic

Do America's Movers and Shakers Live in a Bubble? ()

Metropolitan Washington, DC now boasts the highest median income in the United States, taking the place of Silicon Valley, the center of high-tech prosperity. In the nation's capital -- packed with lawyers, lobbyists and contractors -- unemployment and home foreclosures are low; housing prices are high. What does that mean for the politicians and journalists who try to assess the rest of the country and help ordinary Americans cope with a faltering economy? Will it really help to cut government jobs, or will that devastate the hinterlands, leaving Washington itself unscathed?

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Reporter's Notebook

Will Sexual Harassment Allegations Hurt Herman Cain's Campaign? ()

He may be leading Republican presidential preference polls, but he's behind the curve in addressing sexual harassment allegations when he was head of the National Restaurant Association 12 years ago. On Sunday, Politico reported that two unnamed, female NRA employees received financial settlements after accusing Herman Cain of sexual harassment. The news website gave him 10 days to respond before publishing the story. Yesterday, over a round of interviews, Cain's story changed. Today he told CNN, "I absolutely believe that this is an intended smear campaign... Like I said, I'm not even aware of the second one." Wayne Slater is senior political writer for the Dallas Morning News.

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