by Bill Scher | Dec 7, 2011 | Uncategorized
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: Unemployed...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 7, 2011 | Blog
In the past year, I've written so much about Ireland and its economy (here, here, here, here, and here) that I'm in the habit of keeping an eye out for news about Ireland, like a recent émigré looking for news of home. The thing is, I'm not Irish. (As far as I know, I...
by Richard Eskow | Dec 6, 2011 | Blog, Minimum Wage
This morning Barack Obama channeled one of American history's truly transformative figures by visiting the tiny Kansas town where Teddy Roosevelt gave his "New Nationalism" speech over a century ago. It was refreshing to see the President invoke his predecessor, who...
by Leo Gerard | Dec 6, 2011 | Blog
MTV needs to stop giving that creepy vampire guy and moony human girl in the “Twilight” series the “best kiss” prize in its annual movie awards because it’s Republicans who truly earned the trophy for the big wet smooches they lay on the 1 percent. Just think of the...
by Bill Scher | Dec 6, 2011 | Uncategorized
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: Take Back The...
by Richard Eskow | Dec 5, 2011 | Blog
This week 60 Minutes gave viewers a good look at the widespread criminality that created the Wall Street mortgage boom and led to our ongoing financial crisis. They also saw some of the overwhelming evidence of illegal activity on the part of big banks, and were...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 5, 2011 | Blog
From John Boehner's "So be it" response to concerns that GOP budget cuts would kill 200,000 federal jobs, to George Will's "That's good" response to the loss of 24,000 public sector jobs, it's no secret that the Republicans seem to think that the solution to the...
by | Dec 5, 2011 | Blog
It's awards season and the Village press is first in line: PSquared, POLITICO and POLITICO Pro's Policy + Politics Conference and Awards Dinner, is Tuesday, Dec. 6. PSquared will highlight the ups, downs, debates and decisions that shaped politics and policymaking in...
by Bill Scher | Dec 5, 2011 | Uncategorized
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: The Real Jobs...
by Richard Eskow | Dec 4, 2011 | Blog, Economy
Some politicians are saying that the latest unemployment report is good news, but it's not. It shows us that this country is still in crisis. It shows us that the government needs to act quickly and aggressively to create jobs, and to restore the lost earning power of...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 2, 2011 | Blog
I've been taking a look at Former President Bill Clinton’s new book, Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy. Part of the book discusses trade so it is interesting to see what he has to say now that we are living with the results of NAFTA,...
by | Dec 2, 2011 | Blog
So chief Republican propagandist (and deeply spiritual) Frank Luntz says that he's "frightened to death" of Occupy Wall Street because it is affecting the way people think about capitalism. But he's got some new language to brainwash the people into embracing it again...
by admin | Dec 2, 2011 | Blog
What is it about whining multi-millionaires that is so repulsive? Is it that they think they work so much harder than everyone else that they are entitled to hundreds of times what the average worker makes? Is it their petulant temper tantrums every few minutes...
by Robert Borosage | Dec 2, 2011 | Blog
The November jobs report released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics simply confirms what we know: the economy is growing slowly, and haltingly. New jobs are barely at the level of new workers coming into the workforce. Workers aren’t sharing in the rewards of...
by Bill Scher | Dec 2, 2011 | Uncategorized
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: Take Back The...
by Richard Eskow | Dec 2, 2011 | Blog
It took the journalists at Bloomberg News two years - and presumably lots of legal fees - to pry information out of the Federal Reserve that should have been made public long ago. We now know that the Fed's secret $7.7 trillion lending program wasn't just the most...
by Richard Eskow | Dec 1, 2011 | Blog
Millions of employees mounted Great Britain's first General Strike in many years today after the government threatened to impose more cuts in retirement benefits and pay for public workers. It was a smash success. As many as two million strikers proved that the...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 1, 2011 | Blog
There is news on the NLRB front. First, Boeing and its union have resolved the dispute that got the NLRB involved. Second, the NLRB voted yesterday to move forward with rules speeding up union certification elections. Third, House Republicans passed a bill to block...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 1, 2011 | Blog
There is a big, behind-the-scenes fight going on in Washington over whether our country will continue to have a middle class or not. The forces of the 1% are trying to change rules that protect the right of working people to band together, organizing themselves so...
by Jeff Bryant | Dec 1, 2011 | Blog, Education
Getting a Republican presidential candidate to extend a compliment to Barack Obama is about as rare as getting an economist to admit he miscalculated the housing bubble. But late last week, the education trade newspaper Education Week noted that a reporter from...
by Bill Scher | Dec 1, 2011 | Uncategorized
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: Britain's...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 1, 2011 | Blog, Economy
The cardinal rule of dysfunctional politics, it turns out, it identical to the cardinal rule dysfunctional families: Don't talk about it. Whether "it" is mom's boozing, dad's mistress, junior's drug problem, or sister's sex life — or any other problem that families...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Nov 30, 2011 | Blog
There is new evidence of the cost of right-wing austerity policies in the latest report on downsizing activity from global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., which headlines the fact that there have been more layoffs in the first 11 months of...
by | Nov 30, 2011 | Blog
My analysis of today’s revised third-quarter 2011 report for real labor output, productivity and compensation (salary plus all benefits for ALL nonfarm employees) by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that “average” labor market conditions are far more grim and...
by Bill Scher | Nov 30, 2011 | Blog
Yesterday, in response to Republican threats to block an extension of the temporary payroll tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits, the Campaign for America's Future launched the "Stop GOP Sabotage" campaign at www.ourfuture.org/stopgopsabotage. Clearly, the...
by Terrance Heath | Nov 30, 2011 | Blog
The Fed’s other shoe dropped over the holiday weekend. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Bloomberg news dropped the Fed’s other shoe, with a reverberating thump. It was back in August that Bloomberg revealed that the Fed gave $1.2 trillion in secret...
by Bill Scher | Nov 30, 2011 | Uncategorized
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: Sabotage Is...
by Alan Jenkins | Nov 29, 2011 | Blog
As the Occupy movement enters its third month, it is moving into a new phase. Colder weather in the north, combined with aggressive push back from city officials around the country, is requiring the movement to adopt new, innovative approaches that include, but...
by Dave Johnson | Nov 29, 2011 | Blog
One thing you can do to help bring back American jobs is look for goods made in America when you shop. People are tired of going into stores and seeing nothing but stuff fro0m China! This holiday season your family, relatives and friends will appreciate it even more...
by Roger Hickey | Nov 29, 2011 | Blog
Republicans have slashed public investment and blocked the President's American Jobs Act. With 14 million Americans officially unemployed and many millions more having given up finding jobs, you would think Republicans would support two measures they have backed in...
by Dave Johnson | Nov 29, 2011 | Blog
Last week big oil/big coal sent a not-subtle message to the country's investment community: if you back companies or technologies that compete with us we will crush you. Our media/political machine will accuse you of every crime in the book. Your picture will be...
by Bill Scher | Nov 29, 2011 | Uncategorized
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: GOP Threatens...
by Dave Johnson | Nov 29, 2011 | Blog
Once again Republicans are ready to shut down the FAA to help a union-busting effort by Delta Airlines. At issue is a provision added to the FAA funding reauthorization that changes the rules for union elections, saying that anyone not voting must be counted as a "no"...
by Leo Gerard | Nov 29, 2011 | Blog
Most Americans, the 99 percent, feel the pressure of indebtedness. When they owe a friend a buck, their conscience bothers them until they’re square. They pay their bills, working second jobs if necessary. They meet mortgage obligations even when underwater. That’s...
by Dave Johnson | Nov 28, 2011 | Blog
See if you can spot the common theme in the latest the conservative message machine pumped out today and in the last few days. Heritage Foundation: Obama Keeps Turning His Back on Jobs: This week, President Obama is again set to make a pitch for his latest plan to...
by Terrance Heath | Nov 28, 2011 | Blog, Economy
What if the Congressional Progressive Caucus invited the supercommittee to an ad hoc hearing on job creation, and the supercommittee didn't show up? Yesterday, I found out. On Wednesday morning, the Congressional Progressive Caucus held a hearing on what ought to be...
by Terrance Heath | Nov 28, 2011 | Blog, The Sequester
The supercommittee is down for the count, and everyone from the Tea Party to Occupy Wall Street, and even Grover Norquist is credited with throwing the knockout punch. It's tempting to do a victory dance, but we'd better make it a short one. Don't get me wrong. We've...
by Leo Gerard | Nov 28, 2011 | Blog
I want to thank you, thank you Thank you, thank you, Thank you, thank you, Thank you, thank you. ~ Natalie Merchant, “Kind and Generous” This week’s holiday mandates giving thanks. For many Americans, that is complicated by the harsh years since 2008. There’s the...
by Richard Eskow | Nov 28, 2011 | Blog
It's like the old-timers always said: Don't quit before the miracle happens. While the Arab Spring showed that people can still accomplish the impossible, Our political debate was frozen in corporate cynicism. Now everything has changed. For the United States, spring...
by Roger Hickey | Nov 28, 2011 | Blog, Economy
The reason members of the Super Committee didn’t reach an agreement is that Republican members insisted on damaging cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicare – AND they wouldn’t budge from their refusal to roll back tax cuts for the richest 1% of Americans. If...
