Talking Point

Progressives Have A Mandate To Govern

Isaiah J. Poole — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:05:44 -0800

In hotly contested 2008 congressional races on November 4, 2008, the Democratic winners were—overwhelmingly—real progressives who campaigned and won on progressive platforms. Voters didn’t just elect Democrats, they elected progressives. The Campaign for America's Future report on the 2008 election predicts at least a 36-vote swing to the left in the House and at least a 10-vote swing to the left in the Senate. Meanwhile, the House Progressive Caucus says it expects to add at least 11 new members to its ranks, increasing its size to at least 84 of the House's 254 Democrats. Those numbers are a strong argument against the majority of voters wanting the new administration and Congress to govern more conservatively.

The Folly of the Fence

Isaiah J. Poole — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:36:24 -0800

The Washington Post has reported that technical problems with the “virtual fence” being erected along a portion of the U.S.-Mexican border will mean a three-year delay in the project. And the 700 miles of physical barriers authorized by Congress is also poised to fall behind schedule – at an undetermined cost.

It’s becoming clear that depending on our ability to seal the U.S.-Mexican border without having a comprehensive immigration strategy is folly—and the American people know it. According to the National Immigration Forum, three-quarters of the public would support a policy that combines smart border enforcement, effective immigration and labor enforcement directed at bad-actor employers, earned legalization/eventual citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented residents already in the country, assistance for vulnerable American workers and impact aid to local communities and states. Those steps, plus trade policies that help both Mexican and American workers, will do more to stem the problems caused by illegal immigration than any fence.

Lieberman: Campaign of Negativity

Robert Borosage — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 10:01:03 -0700

Sen. Joe Lieberman has already begun to attack Democratic Party nominee Ned Lamont in order to smear him before voters in Connecticut have a chance to hear him. Since Lieberman is so much a part of the failed status quo, his campaign has little choice but to go negative.