Weigel

I

about a fascinating, mounting battle between public employees and ascendent Republicans in Congress and the states. It's something only a few reporters have touched on so far -- I think James Pethokoukis was first, over at Reuters -- but Republicans are 1) convinced that the success of Chris Christie in New Jersey indicates that voters are ready for service cuts, and cuts to public worker pensions, and 2) that a reckoning has to happen in 2011. Note that Republicans are committee to telling states, immediately, that they will not be able to expect bailouts.