News Release

The Campaign for America’s Future Enthusiastically Endorses the CPC’s Back-to-Work Budget

Liz Rose — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:43:50 -0400

Washington, DC -- Robert L. Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future said:

“The CPC budget demonstrates that there is a dramatic alternative direction for America – a program designed to rebuild the middle class and strengthen our ability to compete in the next century, even as we get deficits under control. And in stark contrast to the Ryan budget, the CPC budget is candid – it lays out what it would tax and what it would cut, where it would invest and where it would save.”

Read more about the CPC’s Back-to-Work Budget from Campaign for America’s Future’s writers:

Robert Borosage: http://blog.ourfuture.org/?p=96119

Bill Scher: http://blog.ourfuture.org/20130313/will-the-media-cover-the-back-to-work-budget

Dave Johnson: http://blog.ourfuture.org/20130313/dem-back-to-work-budget-announced-wired-for-republican-media-ignores

On Boehner’s Insulting Offer: No Deal

Liz Rose — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:32:07 -0500

Washington, DC – The Campaign for America’s Future’s co-directors Robert Borosage and Roger Hickey say, “No Deal” to House Speaker John Boehner’s offer for the not-so-grand bargain.

Robert L. Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future, said, "Speaker Boehner doesn’t get it. Demanding cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as a price for long overdue fairer taxes on the richest Americans isn’t an offer; it is an insult. Using the debt ceiling to hold the country hostage to exact otherwise unacceptable cuts in education and other vital domestic programs is disreputable policy and politics. Offering to hold off a year before taking the next hostage does not remove the threat. Clearly the president and Democrats have two words to say to the speaker: No deal.

“The top 1 percent of Americans pocketed fully 93 percent of the income growth over the last couple of years. Boehner suggests that a small increase in the tax rates of millionaires is acceptable only if benefits are cut for Social Security recipients or 65- and 66-year-olds go without Medicare, adding an estimated $2,200 a year to their health insurance premiums. No deal. Better simply to let the Bush tax cuts expire and revive them for 98 percent of Americans in January.”

Roger Hickey, co-director of Campaign for America’s Future, said, "If this is what a so-called `Grand Bargain’ looks like, it is nothing more than a `Grand Swindle:’ a measly tax increase on the super-wealthy followed by unnecessary and draconian cuts to our vulnerable seniors.

"America's elderly are not the problem. Social Security does not contribute to the deficit. Medicare faces insolvency because of price gouging by the insurance and drug industries. If the deficit hawks are serious, they would demand a public health insurance option and government bargaining power to lower drug prices. But they are not serious. They are only looking for excuses to dismantle the New Deal. Democrats should say: `No Deal.’”

Middle Class Populism Triumphed in the 2012 Election

Liz Rose — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 09:13:13 -0500

Washington, DC -- “The 2012 election is the first election in what is likely to be an era of growing class warfare,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future. “Middle class populism triumphed. The President swept key states in the Midwest because his campaign scoured Romney for his Bain record and produced for workers in the rescue of the auto industry. Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin won by standing clearly with working people against the money interests.”

Statement from Robert Borosage:

“In the final days of the campaign; Romney’s oily shape-shifting, etch-a-sketch prevaricating sales pitch finally exceeded the credulity of the American people and the cravenness of the mainstream media, particularly in Ohio and the Midwest.

“But Romney’s defeat was far more telling. With the lousy economy, voters wanting change and an incumbent president curiously intent on selling progress and continuity, this was an election that Republicans should have won. In our Gilded Age of extreme inequality, with a middle class that increasingly understands the rules are rigged against them, this was the first election in what is likely to be an era of growing class warfare. And Romney’s defeat was a clear repudiation of the revolt of the rich.

“Romney, after all, was of, by and for the 1 percent. With his 14 percent tax rate on 20 million in annual income, elevators for his wife’s Cadillacs, scorn for the 47 percent, a fortune that, in the classic phrase of former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, summers in the Swiss Alps and winters in the Cayman Islands, he was the poster candidate of the Gilded class. His company, Bain Capital, epitomizes casino capitalism, profiting from financial finagling and shipping jobs abroad. His platform came down to one claim: `I’m a businessman; I can fix this.’

“Voters knew that he wasn’t on their side and had no clue about the struggles they faced. His remedy for the economy might work for the few, but it wasn’t likely to trickle down to the rest of us.

“And the deformed populism of the right, the foul congeries of Lee Atwater and Karl Rove, couldn’t overcome this. Voter suppression seemed to backfire, the insult apparently goading more young and African American voters to the polls. Anti-immigrant bashing only built Democratic margins among Latino voters. The war on women helped Obama back into the White House and gave Democrats at least two upset Senate victories in Missouri and Indiana.

“Middle class populism triumphed. The President swept key states in the Midwest because his campaign scoured Romney for his Bain record and produced for workers in the rescue of the auto industry. Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin won by standing clearly with working people against the money interests. Progressives also made gains in the House, but there clearly a flood of late big money helped Republicans stave off many strong challenges.”

Jobs Numbers Show This is Not the Time for Austerity

Liz Rose — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:17:45 -0400

Washington, DC -- Robert Borosage, of the Campaign for America’s Future warns lawmakers that any pre-mature turn to austerity could slow the economy. He said, “This is not a time for inflicting austerity on a weak economy.”

Statement from Robert L. Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future:

“The September jobs report is more of the same. We witness slow growth, with job creation barely at levels needed to keep up with workforce growth. And the economy is headed into ever more severe headwinds – Europe’s recession is already reflected in manufacturing job stagnation; the congressionally invented `fiscal cliff’ at end of year will soon slow hiring by government contractors.

“Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is right: the time for action is now. But with congress adjourned for elections, any action will wait until the lame duck Congress convenes. Its focus will be on avoiding the crippling hit the economy would take with the deep cuts required by the sequester and the expiration of a range of tax cuts. What is needed is a plan to get the economy moving and put people to work, one that provides for growth, redresses extreme inequality and protects basic security for Americans. This is not a time for inflicting austerity on a weak economy. Putting people to work is the first and necessary step to any sensible effort to get our economy in order.”

Campaign for America’s Future Praises Vice President:

Liz Rose — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:05:31 -0400

Washington, DC – Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden drew a bright line in the sand, pledging the Obama-Biden administration would make “no changes” in Social Security.

Roger Hickey, the co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future praised Biden’s public commitment to not cutting Social Security benefits, saying his promise to defend the most popular program in U.S. history is not only smart politics, it also represents good policy.

Statement from Roger Hickey:

“Vice President Biden’s strong statement in support of Social Security is a welcome sign from the Obama/Biden ticket that Democrats will continue to fight for the only retirement system that most Americans, old and young, can now count on. A firm stance in defense of Social Security is a winner politically – but it also represents good policy.

“Already Vice President Biden’s pledge has been attacked as ‘pandering’ to an important constituency in an election year, but, as expert after expert has proposed, we can maintain full Social Security benefits well into the future by requiring millionaires and billionaires to pay the same Social Security tax rates on their full incomes as middle class workers do.

“Social Security benefits don’t need to be cut – and could even be improved. Our Social Security system is a critical piece of America’s infrastructure, like our highway system. And with pensions vanishing and investments vulnerable, it’s more important now than ever.

“By choosing Rep. Paul Ryan as a Vice Presidential pick, Gov. Romney puts the Social Security debate into relief. According to the Vice President, the Democrats support a program that has will continue to work well to keep elderly and disabled Americans out of poverty. Both Romney and Ryan are on record as wanting to weaken and/or privatize Social Security. Democrats will win if they run on protecting Social Security, and more importantly, middle class citizens – old and young – will have Social Security to depend on if Democrats win and stick to their promise.”

Read Campaign for America’s Future’s Richard Eskow’s article: On Social Security: Say it IS so Joe!

Progressives Gather to Take Election Back From Corporate Super PACs

Liz Rose — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:02:07 -0400

Washington, DC -- Join progressive activists from across the country, five months before the critical 2012 elections, to energize the movement and take the election back from corporate super PACS at the "Take Back the American Dream” conference June 18 to 20 in Washington, DC.

Join Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-winning economist and NY Times columnist; Rebuild the Dream’s Van Jones, Rep. Keith Ellison, Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, MSNBC’s Alex Wagner and Melissa Harris-Perry, Katrina Vanden Heuvel of the Nation, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Peter DeFazio, Rep. Chris Murphy, Rep. Barney Frank, and Rep. John Garamendi at the conference.

The Take Back the American Dream conference is at the Washington Hilton Hotel at 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW in Washington, DC.

For complete schedule go to http://www.ourfuture.org/conference/agenda

Conference highlights:
Monday June 18

10:30 2012 and Beyond: Victory Necessary, Not Sufficient

Robert L. Borosage, Campaign for America’s Future
Van Jones, Rebuild the Dream
Melissa Harris-Perry, host of MSNBC's "Melissa Harris-Perry”

1:45 An Agenda to Win in November and Prevent a Train Wreck
Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Molly Katchpole, Rebuild the Dream
Damon Silvers, AFL-CIO

3:15 98 to 2: Raising Taxes to Invest in America and Promote Fairness
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
Guy D. Molyneux, Partner & Senior VP, Peter D. Hart Research
Ellen Nissenbaum, Senior VP, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities

7:00PM Gala Dinner to Honor Progressive Champions:

A gala awards dinner will honor The Rev. Jesse Jackson, publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation and the Occupy Wall Street movement. There will be presentations by noted progressive commentators Barbara Ehrenreich, Melissa Harris-Perry and Jim Hightower.

Tuesday June 19

8:30 AM 99 Elect: The 2012 Dream Candidates
Sen. Sherrod Brown
Gov. Howard Dean
Rep. Keith Ellison

10:00 Overturning Citizens United: A Movement Moment
Rep. Keith Ellison
MD State Senator Jamie Raskin

Inequality: Stopping the Cancer Eating at the American Dream
Algernon Austin, Economic Policy Institute
Vineeta Anand, AFL-CIO
Rep. Peter DeFazio

12:45PM LUNCHEON PLENARY:
Paul Krugman: End This Depression NOW!:
Interviewed by Chris Hayes, MSNBC TV host

2:00PM Cutting Pentagon Spending
Rep. Barney Frank

Making it in America
Rep. Chris Murphy
Rep. John Garamendi

3:30PM Taking on Wall Street
NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman
Interviewed by Alex Wagner of MSNBC

4:30PM PLENARY: Fight Inequality, Revive Democracy and Prosperity
Sen. Bernie Sanders
Rep. Raul Grijalva

Wed. June 20

9:00AM PLENARY: Reversing the Right’s Offensive on Rights
Sandra Fluke
Barbara Arnwine

10:30- Polling: Talking American – And Winning
Drew Westen, Westen Strategies LLC
Alexis McGill Johnson

11:45AM Announce results of the Democracy Corps/Take Back the American Dream Straw Poll
Then: Van Jones
Fight to Win Power – With a Vision for Change

1:00 PM Program Concludes – Head out to action
1:30 PM Progressive activists to protest outside of Crossroads GPS -- Karl Rove’s Super PAC, 1401 New York Avenue NW in Washington, DC

The Campaign for America's Future (CAF) is a center for ideas and action that works to build an enduring majority for progressive change. The Campaign advances a progressive economic agenda and a vision of the future that works for the many, not simply the few. The Campaign is leading the fight for America's priorities – for good jobs and a sustainable economy, and for strengthening the safety net.

For more information or to register visit: www.ourfuture.org/takeback. Or register on site. One day registration is available on site.

# # #

Campaign for America's Future's Robert Borosage is Named a "Top Wonk" on the Economy

Liz Rose — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:02:24 -0400

The Campaign for America’s Future is proud to announce that Robert Borosage has been selected by a distinguished committee of his peers as one of the best economic thinkers in the country – a Top Wonk on the economy. At a time when public discourse is frequently corrupted by false scholarship, flawed theory, and ideological fervor, Robert Borosage has been identified as a thinker committed to intellectual innovation and analytical rigor and one with a unique ability to contribute to the public debate. This exclusive honor was conferred on fewer than 100 economic thinkers and is symbolized by Robert Borosage’s inclusion in the Top Wonks volume and site. http://topwonks.org/?s=Borosage

Robert Borosage joins Joseph Stiglitz (Former Chairman of the Council on Economic Advisers), James Galbraith (Chair in Government and Business Relations at the University of Texas), Brooksley Born [Chair, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission], Kemal Dervis (former Minister of Economic Affairs for the Republic of Turkey), Nouriel Roubini (former Senior Economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisers), and Jeffrey Sachs (Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University) among other economic thinkers.

Jobs Numbers Show: Action on Jobs is Still Needed

Liz Rose — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:40:48 -0400

Washington, DC – In response to the disappointing unemployment numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning: only 115,000 new jobs were created in April for a jobless rate of 8.1 percent, Robert L. Borosage co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future issued the following statement:

“No one should whitewash this month’s jobs numbers. The economy continues to grow, but this `recovery’ is not working for working people. Over 22 million people are in need of full time work, and job growth is barely sufficient to keep up with new entrants to the workforce. The new jobs being created are disproportionately part-time and temporary work, with lower pay than the jobs that have been lost. Young people are entering a brutal jobs market. As the Associated Press reported this week, one of two college graduates under 25 is either jobless or underemployed.

“Slow growth and mass unemployment translates into falling wages and rising insecurity. Median wages have continued to fall since the official start of the “recovery.” America’s middle class is still losing ground.

“We need action on jobs. Yet the Republican majority in the House has blocked the President’s jobs bill, and failed even to pass the transportation bill that would help put idled construction workers back to work. Instead they continue to push for greater austerity, more cuts in everything from food stamps to food inspectors that will simply add to the economy’s woes. They are either fools who do not understand the misery they are inflicting, or knaves hoping that a sputtering economy will help defeat the president in the fall.

“We know what to do. With interest rates near zero, and the construction industry idle, there is no better time to invest in rebuilding America, modernizing our roads, rail, water systems, and more. Young people shouldn’t pay the price for Wall Street’s excesses, so we should provide states and localities with the funds to sustain schools, rehire teachers, and provide students with the education they need.
Veterans and young people should not face extended unemployment, and the afflictions of depression, drugs, and crime that follow. We should be creating a jobs corps, an urban corps, and a green corps to provide them with work.

“Washington is too divided to act on its own. We will not get out of this mess until Americans rise up and demand action. We know what to do.”

At the Take Back the American Dream conference in June 18 to 20, thousands of progressives from across the country will meet in Washington, DC to organize.

Nominate a Progressive Hero for the Maria Leavey Award

Liz Rose — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:47:36 -0500

Washington, D.C. – Every year, the Campaign for America’s Future honors an unsung progressive hero with the Maria Leavey Tribute Award at the annual Take Back the American Dream Conference. Nominations are now open for the 2012 Maria Leavey Tribute Award.

The Campaign for America's Future created this award to honor the memory of Maria Leavey, the quintessential unsung progressive hero. Maria Leavey was an organizer with extraordinary talent: A behind-the-scenes force with an uncanny ability to connect rising young talent with Washington leaders; a tireless advocate who often worked without claiming credit or even compensation. Sadly, after years of selfless service to the progressive movement, Maria passed away on December 31, 2006, at the all-too-young age of 52. Maria rarely received the recognition she deserved during her influential life.

Nomination’s for the 2012 Maria Leavey award are due by April 2, 2012. The Maria Leavey Tribute Award will be presented at the annual Take Back the American Dream conference, which is June 18 to the 20, 2012 at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

# # #

Link to the Maria Leavey Award nomination form: http://www.ourfuture.org/conference/marialeavey/nominate-form

Republicans Wrongly Equate Pentagon Spending with American Security

Liz Rose — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:56:38 -0500

Washington, DC -- Senator John McCain and three other Republican Senators are unveiling legislation that would protect the Pentagon’s budget from the sequestration cuts required in the debt deal, forcing greater cuts in domestic investments.

The Campaign for America’s Future’s co-director Robert L. Borosage said:

“Republicans believe bloated Pentagon budgets strengthen American security. In fact, the reverse is true. The most important security priority for America is making the investments here at home vital to reviving our economy, modernizing our infrastructure, educating our children, and getting our fiscal house in order. To achieve this, we need to reduce unnecessary spending – and there is no greater source of that than the Pentagon.

“The Cold War is over. Bin Laden is dead and Al Qaeda dispersed. The U.S. cannot and should not police the world. The Pentagon now spends almost as much on the military as the rest of the world combined. It is the largest source of waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. The Pentagon budget more than doubled over the past decade, bringing total U.S. defense spending to historically high levels not seen since World War II. It’s higher in comparable dollars than it was under Ronald Reagan in the midst of the Cold War.

“We can and should reduce our military spending, revise our forces to fit the new world we live in. Even after the full sequester, the U.S. will retain by far the most powerful – and expensive – military in the world. These Senators would weaken our security, not strengthen it. They are defending the entrenched interests of the military-industrial complex a Republican President, Dwight Eisenhower, warned us about, not the real security of the American people.”