Morning Journal-Funding the US government's debt

Economics

This Week’s Data

Weekly jobless claims fell 5,000 versus expectations of a 2,000 increase.
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2012/03/weekly-initial-unemployment-claims_29.html

The final fourth quarter GDP revision came in at +3.0%, unchanged from the prior revision but slightly below estimates; the GDP deflator was +0.9%, in line with forecasts.

Other

A first place finish we don’t want (short):
http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2012/03/were-number-one.html

Politics

Domestic

An alternative to the Ryan budget (short):
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/perm/?postID=15861

Saul Alinsky’s playbook (long):
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/294454/still-alinsky-playbook-john-fund

The Supreme Court and the Tenth Amendment (medium):
http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2012/03/28/back_to_the_future

A letter from three senators calls out the Obama administration on its ‘inaccuracies’ pertaining to its energy policies (medium):
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/03/senators-call-obama-on-his-energy-lies.php

Funding the government (4 minute video and today’s must read/see):
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/how-fund-government-year

News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

Earnings reports:

Reported Expected

Paychex $.37 $.37

Steve Cook received his education in investments from Harvard, where he earned an MBA, New York University, where he did post graduate work in economics and financial analysis and the CFA Institute, where he earned the Chartered Financial Analysts designation in 1973. His 40 years of investment experience includes institutional portfolio management at Scudder, Stevens and Clark and Bear Stearns. Steve's goal at Strategic Stock Investments is to help other investors build wealth and benefit from the investing lessons he learned the hard way.