Archive
Obama's Four Steps For Manufacturing
In the State of the Union (SOTU) speech President Obama emphasized the importance of manufacturing to our economy. Wednesday in Ashville he expanded on his plan, outlining four steps in particular. The President has opened the doors to discussion of manufacturing...
Filibuster: Hate To Say It But We Told You So
Many of us fought hard to reform the filibuster and fight the Republican obstruction that is blocking everything the country needs to get done. And I do mean everything. We said please just "make them talk," which is what the public already thinks the filibuster is...
Everybody Wins But The Country
Dave Weigel has the definitive post today on the Hagel nomination cock-up. He points out that Hagel himself is the only real loser here: He botched up his confirmation hearing, giving Republicans all kinds of reasons to oppose him. (In his "no" statement, Sen. Mark...
Majority Of House Democrats Say Stop The Benefit Cuts
A majority of House Democrats have signed a House Progressive Caucus letter to President Obama opposing benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. "We write to affirm our vigorous opposition to cutting Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits in any...
Progressive Breakfast
MORNING MESSAGE: The Great Wealth Robbery OurFuture.org's Richard Eskow: "An updated report from economist Emmanuel Saez details the loss of income suffered by 99 percent of Americans ... The top 1 percent has captured 121 percent of the increases in income since the...
Progressive Breakfast
MORNING MESSAGE: The Great Wealth Robbery OurFuture.org's Richard Eskow: "An updated report from economist Emmanuel Saez details the loss of income suffered by 99 percent of Americans ... The top 1 percent has captured 121 percent of the increases in income since the...
The Great Wealth Robbery
Two important events took place this week. One was President Obama's call for a higher minimum wage, which got a lot of attention. The other was a new report which showed just how much of our nation’s wealth continues to be hijacked by the wealthiest among us....
Why We Need an Investment Budget
Part of the President’s State of the Union message and of his second term agenda apparently will focus on public investments in education, infrastructure, and basic R&D.
That’s good news. But how do we fund these investments when discretionary spending is being cut to the bone in order to reduce the budget deficit?
Answer: By treating public investments differently from current spending.
The Sequester Does The Most Harm To The Most Vulnerable
“Cut, Cut, Cut” has been the chorus sung by the House GOP for far too long. Republicans hide under the guise of good intent, while knowing full well what the beat of their rhythm means for the American people. The Office of Management and Budget released a report on...
The Three Faces of the GOP
Watching the various Republican responses — official and otherwise — to President Obama's state of the Union address was a bit like watching a right-wing remake of The Three Faces of Eve, the 1957 classic about a woman who suffered from "multiple personality disorder" that won Joanne Woodward an Academy Award. In fact, Woodward was the first actress to take home the Best Actress Oscar for portraying three different personalities.
In an attempt to win big political prizes in 2014 and 2016, the GOP is attempting to portray itself as three different parties, but nowhere near as dissociated as the three personalities of Woodward's Eve. But behind what looks like an identity crisis is the same old party..
By my count, there were at least three Republican responses — two official, one unofficial — to the State of the Union address, representing three different faces of the same old GOP: the "Re-Branded" Republican party, the tea party, and the "alienated white men."
