This morning, the New York Times published a fantastic article by Scott Shane and Ron Nixon about how contractors are taking over huge parts of the federal government. The article, "In Washington, Contractors Take On Biggest Role Ever," is the first in a series of articles by the Times that will investigate government contracting. And rightly so. Outsourcing of government jobs, services, and product development has more than doubled in the last 6 years - a staggering growth rate. The article in today's paper shows, contrary to popular belief, that contractors often end up costing the government more money than it would otherwise spend, with inflated hourly wages ($104 per hour in one example from the article), poor performance and management, and little oversight or accountability from government employees. Scott and Nixon profile problems at the General Services Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, among other agencies, as case examples of following poor contracting practices and making wasteful decisions that have squandered billions of taxpayer dollars while enriching private companies. In fact, one study cited in the article concluded the explosion of contracting "poses a threat to the government's long-term ability to perform its mission" and could "undermine the integrity of the government's decision making." The entire article is worth reading and does a great job summarizing some major concerns about the current contracting environment. I'm looking forward to the rest of the articles in the series and my only hope at this point is that every member of Congress will read the articles as well.

Economy -- CPI up 4.3 percent, Year-on-Year: Per the Washington Post this morning: On the day after oil closed at a record high of more than $100 a barrel, new federal data show that... The consumer price index was 4.3 percent higher last month compared to January a year ago.

Economy -- Sector for Stimulus 2.0?

• Housing Hardball -- Why not go to the slowdown's source, some legislators ask? With foreclosures skyrocketing in certain parts of the country and home values falling almost everywhere, some in Washington are pushing a follow-up stimulus package aimed at shoring up the housing sector...