Pandering to Deficit Hawks Is a Losing Strategy
Democratic leadership’s obsession with asserting a “centrist” – that is, fiscally conservative – fiscal ideology threatens to put the party at odds with its base.
An Economy in the Fast Lane – With No Brakes
Donald Trump has been bragging about the economy a lot lately. He says the United States is now the “economic envy” of the world. Unfortunately, Trump is once again trying […]
Was Goldman’s CEO “Inspiring” or Good for the Economy? Nope, and Nope
Was Goldman Sachs' CEO “inspiring” or good for the economy?"Nope, and nope. Lloyd Blankfein may have dodged prison, but his self-enrichment undercut the life savings and prospects of millions of American families.
Geithner’s Grift, Paydays and Democratic Drift
What does it mean when Timothy Geithner, Barack Obama’s bro-ish and apparently self-satisfied former Secretary of the Treasury, becomes president of a company that hoodwinks the victims of the financial […]
How to Cover a Revolution
“RED ALERT,” read the New York Post’s headline after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory over high-ranking Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley. They competed in the Democratic primary for New York’s 14th congressional district, […]
For Immigrant Children, Empathy Is Not Enough
There’s no “civil” way to say it: The Trump administration is torturing immigrant children. A liberal television personality wept openly for these children a few days ago, and I’m glad […]
“Establishment Wins” Are Bad for Democrats – and the Country
Diehard science-fiction fans will remember the mystical mantra at the heart of the 21st-century “Battlestar Galactica” reboot: “All this has happened before and will happen again.” Democratic Party leaders and […]
For Captured Regulators, Repealing the Volcker Rule is Child’s Play
Our country’s economic condition is fragile, and the next recession could be catastrophic.
50 Years After 1968, Can the Young Change Politics? A Striking New Poll Says Yes
Fifty years ago, in the dust and fire of global youth activism, everything seemed possible. The political world was a cloud filled with chaos and opportunity, pain and promise. The […]
How Trump and the GOP’s SCOTUS Screw Workers
Many have observed, correctly, that the Supreme Court’s recent 5 to 4 decision upholding forced arbitration for employees is a “devastating blow” to the rights of working people. This decision […]
Real Corruption: Mick “Pay and We’ll Talk” Mulvaney
It’s not just that Mick Mulvaney has no scruples; he has no shame. It has become commonplace to see Trump administration officials, up to and including the president, abuse public […]
Real Corruption: The Scott Pruitt Story
Question: Which of these scandals should result in EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s removal from office? A) his cushy, poorly documented, below-market rental deal on a lobbyist friend’s Capitol Hill townhouse; B) […]
Primary Day: Lessons for Democrats
Pundits should avoid, at all costs, the sin of “premature evaluation.” The May 7 primaries did not send a simple or unambiguous message. One thing remains clear, however: In November, […]
Mnuchin Flips Tax-Scam Grift, Hopes Nobody Notices
With a little-noticed remark at a friendly event, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin discarded his past arguments for the Trump/GOP tax bill. All Mnuchin could offer in their place was one […]
Pyrrhic Party: The Democratic Establishment’s War on Progressives
By supporting corporate-friendly candidates and policies, Congressional Democratic leaders are be moving closer and closer toward open warfare with their party’s base. There is a real need to raise money, […]
Democrats Who Vote For Pompeo Will Disgrace Themselves and Their Party
Imagine a nominee for Secretary of State who is so bigoted that he once accused Christian organizations and houses of worship of remaining silent about crimes committed in the name […]
We Need a Housing Revolution Now
Here’s an experiment: If you’re not downtown as you read this, go there now and find some homeless people. They probably won’t be hard to find. Now, look at their […]
7 Questions About the Syria Airstrikes That Aren’t Being Asked
“Mission accomplished,” says the President. What, exactly, was the mission? And what exactly was accomplished? Donald Trump is being mocked for using this phrase in a tweet to praise what […]
As the World Watches Syria, Don’t Forget About Yemen
In the time it takes to read these words, a child under the age of five will probably die in Yemen. And, as this is being written, the U.N. Security […]
Is the ‘Liberal World Order’ Worth Saving?
Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, recently wrote a column entitled “Liberal World Order, R.I.P.” Haass sees the post-World War II order succumbing to centrifugal forces. He […]
Pete Peterson’s Ghost
Peter G. “Pete” Peterson, the billionaire businessman and anti-government crusader, died last week at the age of 91. He leaves behind family and friends who will miss him, and a […]
This Is What Makes John Bolton so Dangerous
John Bolton has poor judgement, a mean spirit, and an intellect that’s weaker than he thinks.
There’s Fake News on Your Television, Too
There is increasing public concern about the political manipulation of Facebook and Twitter by private corporations and foreign actors, and it’s certainly warranted. Social media, especially Facebook, are increasingly mediating […]
The Resistance Needs Better Heroes
A movement without memory is adrift. And a movement that picks the wrong heroes is lost. Two milestones should serve as reminders to self-styled members of the Resistance. One marks […]
The $24 Million Reasons Dems Back America’s Worst Banks
Why would Democratic senators join their Republican colleagues in pushing a bill that lays out a rich banquet of goodies before some of America’s worst bankers, and increases the risk that taxpayers will have to bail them out?
The Kerner Report at 50: Still Separate, More Unequal
Fifty years ago, the Kerner Commission warned our society was becoming "separate and unequal." Today, this is even more true. Kerner's solutions were simple and potent, yet remain unheeded: combat racism with housing, jobs and reform .
Ben Carson’s Redecoration of HUD is Worse Than You Think
About Ben Carson's $31,000 dining room set: that's roughly three times the average income for a rural household that receives rental assistance from Housing and Urban Development, the department Carson is redecorating for Donald Trump.
Picture the United States Without Student Debt
A new report concludes that cancelling all student debt would create more than a million jobs. To those who say we can’t afford to cancel this debt, the report poses a new and different question: Can we afford not to?
A Pledge to Transform the Resistance, and America
Resistance to Trump is vital, but it is not enough; it only defines what we're against. If today's resistance is to become a lasting movement, voters must decide what we're for: a new pledge from leading progressives points the way.
Trump’s “Harvest Box” Delivers an Empty Promise
"America's Harvest Box" is Trump administration's bid to "reinvent" food assistance to the poor. All it really does is heap shame on the hungry and offer private interests a new opportunity to enrich themselves at public expense.
A Kingdom Where Nobody Dies
The fatal shootings at a Florida high school result from our elected officials' self-serving refusal to control weapons designed for mass killing. Once again, we have failed our sacred promise to protect all children's future.
Forget Trump; His Party Is the Problem Now
Here's what voters need to know. If Republicans prevail – with or without Trump – the country will face $50 road tolls, a plundering of common wealth, and more deaths of poor and working people. That's what we need to focus on and stop.
Trump’s General Just Announced a New Cold War. Who Will Stop It?
Defense Secretary Mattis is not a “Mad Dog.” He's a rational and articulate spokesperson for the national security ideology that has dominated American political life since the end of World War II. That’s disturbing in a very different way.
Death by Inequality: Poverty and Racism Are Killing America’s Children
A new report concludes 600,000 American children have died for no reason. An entire city of children has been lost. This is the real “death tax”: It’s a tax on poverty, race, and powerlessness. It’s paid with the lives of our innocents.
Would Dr. King Take a Knee? 6 Ways His Radical Spirit Lives Today
This Monday, the nation celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. How would Dr. King view today’s activists? Would he join them to demand a living wage, take a knee in the national anthem, and decry our nation's growing gap between rich and poor?
When Will Democrats Start #Resisting GOP Voter Suppression?
Americans love democracy, at least in principle. So how have Republicans been able to successfully engage in a decades-long assault on voting rights? It's time for the GOP to pay a political price for undermining democracy at home.
The GOP’s 100-Year War Is Bigger Than Taxes or Trump
The deeper forces of history are on the move, and we ignore them at our peril. Trump and his fellow Republicans are radically rewiring our political and economic order. This is a long game, and it can’t be won by playing defensively.
The Tax Bill Is a Lifeline for Democrats. Will They Sink or Swim?
When Democrats get confident, I get nervous. That’s true even when Republicans inflict disaster on the country – and potentially on themselves. The GOP's tax scam and growing inequality should prompt Dems to examine their own values first.
Charles Barkley’s Wise Words to Democrats on Alabama
Former NBA star Charles Barkley calls Doug Jones' Alabama Senate win "a wake-up call for Democrats to do better for black people and poor white people." If Democrats were to follow his frank advice, over their own, they might actually win.
Democrats Need More Democracy, Not Less
Two political scientists lament in a recent op-ed in the New York Times, that "the Democratic Party Becoming Too Democratic?" Their cherry-picked election data and anecdotes paint a misleading portrait of what our country needs.
