Each morning, Bill Scher and Terrance Heath serve up what progressives need to effect change on the kitchen-table issues families face: jobs, health care, green energy, financial reform, affordable education and retirement security.
MORNING MESSAGE: Bernanke's Wake Up Call: It's A Jobs Cliff
OurFuture.org's Robert Borosage: "Bernanke provided a stark dose of reality: 'The weak job market should concern every American. High unemployment imposes hardship on millions of people and it entails a tremendous waste of human skills and talents, Five million Americans have been unemployed for more than six months, and millions more have left the labor force, many of them doubtless because they’ve given up on finding suitable work.' Yet instead of focusing on steps needed to generate jobs, Washington is mired in a debate about austerity – about how to put the squeeze on, not how to get the economy going. Bernanke’s action was a cry for the villagers to wake up."
Romney Losing The Argument
Romney failing to convince public he will cut deficit without hurting middle class. W. Post: "Two recent national polls show a narrow gap between Romney and Obama on the deficit. Romney seems to have lost his advantage after weeks of being pilloried by Democrats for his policies, which they claim would cut taxes on the rich, raise taxes on the middle class and cost seniors more for health care. Conservatives and independent analysts, meanwhile, have been increasingly questioning whether Romney’s proposals are detailed enough to justify their claims."
Romney also failing to convince public he can be trusted on healthcare. The Hill: "Several recent polls show Obama with an advantage — often a sizeable one — when voters are asked which candidate would do a better job handling healthcare … Republicans have been assaulting Obama’s healthcare plans almost non-stop for three years, and their attacks have helped stifle public approval of the law. But on the overall issue, Obama is still ahead."
Romney campaign no longer thinks economy is bad enough for it to win. Buzzfeed: "Mitt Romney’s campaign for president appears to have quietly abandoned its guiding assumption, that the election would center on the struggling economy, and has visibly begun to feel for a new message. Romney and — particularly — his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, have spent a week road-testing alternatives, going positive and going negative, swinging at the president on everything from faith to foreign policy … One high level Republican with ties to the campaign told BuzzFeed that Ryan was chaffing at Boston constraining him from talking about and defending his policy ideas from Democratic attacks. Ryan wanted to be 'unleashed,' the Republican said."
Romney to try again this week to articulate a sharper message. NYT: "…his aides said he would present a series of speeches, television commercials and events promoting his five-point economic policy… aides said that Mr. Romney would re-emphasize 'The Romney Plan for a Stronger Middle Class' by spending two days on each of the five elements of that plan: energy independence, education changes, deficit reduction, help for small businesses and freer trade."
Romney's "Last-Ditch Strategy: Inflame The Base." Daily Beast's Michael Tomasky: "To the extent that Romney is losing ground in [swing] states, he’s obviously losing it among swing voters … So they need to run a base-centric election in the final push … That means they have to go all in on every front—class warfare, culture, and foreign policy."
Romney's attack on Bernanke echoes the anti-New Deal rhetoric of the 1930s, says NYT's Paul Krugman: "His campaign issued a news release denouncing the Fed’s move as giving the economy an 'artificial' boost — he later described it as a 'sugar high' — and declaring that 'we should be creating wealth, not printing dollars.' Mr. Romney’s language echoed that of the 'liquidationists' of the 1930s, who argued against doing anything to mitigate the Great Depression … and what about Mr. Romney’s ideas for 'creating wealth'? … the Romney plan of 2012 is almost identical — and with the same turns of phrase — to John McCain’s plan in 2008, not to mention the plans laid out by George W. Bush in 2004 and 2006."
Nonpartisan congressional analyst finds no connection between tax cuts for the rich and economic growth. TPM: "'There is not conclusive evidence, however, to substantiate a clear relationship between the 65-year steady reduction in the top tax rates and economic growth,' concluded a report by the Congressional Research Service released Friday. 'Analysis of such data suggests the reduction in the top tax rates have had little association with saving, investment, or productivity growth.'"
Democrats Push On Trade Enforcement, Medicare
Obama plans WTO complaint against China for illegal auto parts subsidies. Cleveland Plain Dealer: "The White House Monday will demand through a world trade panel that China stop subsidizing auto parts made for export, arguing the practice undercuts manufacturers in Ohio and elsewhere by reducing the cost of Chinese auto parts and encourages U.S. companies to outsource jobs … his administration also will ask the World Trade Organization, or WTO, to step up a review of what the White House says are unfair duties that China levies on American-made cars."
Dems have "very excellent chance to take back the House" says Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to CNN. The Hill quotes: "… when Gov. Romney chose Ryan, that was the pivotal day … I would have said to you then we were dead even. Well, the momentum is very much with us … We have been saying there are three important issues in this campaign. And in alphabetical order, they are Medicare, Medicare, Medicare."
Breakfast Sides
Chicago teachers strike still on, mayor readies lawsuit. Chicago Tribune: "What was thought to be a done deal unraveled Sunday as Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis was unable to sell union delegates on ending the teachers strike … Mayor Rahm Emanuel late Sunday called the walkout 'illegal' and pledged to seek an injunction in court to force an end … He has maintained for over a week that the two major sticking points in negotiations — evaluations and the ability to recall teachers who have been laid off — are not legal grounds for a work stoppage … Lewis said delegates wanted more time to digest the details [and] are concerned about up to 120 schools being closed in coming years."
83% support limits on corporate campaign cash. LAT: "An Associated Press-National Constitution Center poll found that 83% believe there should be at least some limits on the amount of money corporations, unions and other organizations are permitted to contribute to groups seeking to influence the outcome of presidential and congressional races. And 67% think that limits should also be placed on individual contributions to campaigns … Romney has repeatedly defended the ruling in Citizens United, while Obama has called for it to be overturned."
Second poll shows big boost for Elizabeth Warren following convention address. Public Policy Polling memo: "She's gained 7 points and now leads Scott Brown 48-46 after trailing him by a 49-44 margin on our last poll … Last month she led only 73-20 with Democrats. Now she's up 81-13. That explains basically the entire difference between the two polls … This race has one of the most monumental gender gaps we've seen in any contest this year, with Warren up 56-36 with women but down 55-39 with men."
Vermomt continues to push for its own single-payer system. Politico: "…a lot of things have to fall into place. To get to single-payer, even by 2017, Shumlin acknowledged that he would need an unprecedented slew of exemptions, tweaks or workarounds from numerous federal health programs and laws — including waivers from Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act itself. He has to figure out what to do about big businesses that operate in Vermont and other states whose health plans are regulated not by the state, but by a federal law known as ERISA. And the Legislature has to agree on a way of paying for it — one that won’t stir so much opposition in the business community that the whole thing falls apart."
