by Eric Lotke | Nov 6, 2009 | Blog
Today’s unemployment data contain gloomy news. Gloomy, but expected. The interpretation of the data is even worse. First, the data. Unemployment rose to 10.2 percent last month, breaking the double digit barrier. Most people expected it to happen, though the job loss...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Nov 6, 2009 | Blog, Economy
News of the potential use of U.S. stimulus funds for a wind power project in Texas that will produce 2,000 Chinese manufacturing jobs—but a scant number of American jobs—has generated justifiable outrage, including a letter from Sen. Charles Schumer,...
by Bill Scher | Nov 6, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day. BREAKING NEWS: Unemployment Breaks 10%, Though Pace of Job Loss Continues To Slow. Labor Dept. release: "The unemployment rate rose from 9.8 to 10.2 percent in...
by Dave Johnson | Nov 6, 2009 | Blog
The Obama administration is taking steps to begin rebalancing trade with China -- and creating JOBS. In this case it looks like China has been "dumping" steel pipes --selling at prices that are below market -- to capture business away from American companies, causing...
by Bill Scher | Nov 5, 2009 | Blog
The House is expected to vote on comprehensive health care reform Saturday. And conservatives have no excuse for voting against it. Their main concerns have been addressed. Conservatives have continually complained that committee votes occurred without full cost...
by Bill Scher | Nov 5, 2009 | Blog
Today, Sen. Barbara Boxer rammed through the Environment and Public Works Committee her version of clean energy jobs and climate protection legislation without any amendments, in order to circumvent the Republican boycott of the committee proceedings. There's no way...
by Eric Lotke | Nov 5, 2009 | Blog
Today’s “Productivity and Costs” data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics contain what looks like good news. Productivity increased at a 9.5 percent annual rate during the third quarter of 2009, the largest gain since 2003. The Associated Press called it “sizzling.”...
by Terrance Heath | Nov 5, 2009 | Blog
House Republicans have presented a health care reform "plan" that doesn't fix our broken health care system (but might make it worse), and (according to the CBO) doesn't do much to fix the deficit conservatives say t
by Robert Borosage | Nov 5, 2009 | Blog
Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor -- Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners......
by Bill Scher | Nov 5, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day. Boxer Blows Past Boycott, As Tripartisan Trio Works With WH BREAKING THIS AM: Sen. Boxer's Environment and Public Works Committee passes clean energy jobs and...
by Terrance Heath | Nov 4, 2009 | Blog
First, it was Sen. Landerieu's nonsense. Now we get this from Sen. Joe Lieberman. Enough is enough. When Democrats start parroting Republican talking points, they are showing us who they are. We need to treat accordingly. Especially when their take on health care...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Nov 4, 2009 | Blog
The financial reform effort was dealt a significant setback in the House Financial Services Committee today when the committee approved a regulatory bill (HR 3817)
by Bill Scher | Nov 4, 2009 | Blog
What do last night's election results tell us about the electorate? Some numbers from New Jersey, Virginia and Maine. In 2008, Sen. John McCain lost the presidential race in NJ after garnering 1,613,207 votes. In 2009, Chris Christie won the governor's race with...
by Bill Scher | Nov 4, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day Kerry-Graham Climate Talks Advance Despite GOP Cmte Boycott Chamber of Commerce (the real one) moves towards supporting Kerry-Graham climate compromise....
by Dave Johnson | Nov 4, 2009 | Blog
At a meeting with bloggers before last week's Building The New Economy conference, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka talked about how we have developed two economies, one real and one financial. As he said, originally the financial sector was designed to support the real...
by Bill Scher | Nov 3, 2009 | Blog
Today's CNN poll, assessing President Obama one year after election day, confirms that America remains a center-left nation. Yet don't expect pundits to tell you that. For example, poll analysis from the Wall Street Journal's John McKinnon implies that declining...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Nov 3, 2009 | Blog
by Bill Scher | Nov 3, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day GOP Boycotts Today's Climate Bill Mark-up. No One Cares. Sen. Boxer to proceed with climate bill markup today despite Republican delay tactics, after offering...
by Steven Capozzola | Nov 2, 2009 | Blog
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal trumpeted the news that a Chinese firm will be the exclusive supplier to one of the largest wind-farm developments in the U.S. and that the developer of the project would be seeking U.S. taxpayer assistance. The 36,000-acre West...
by Dave Johnson | Nov 2, 2009 | Blog
The Supreme Court may decide as soon as tomorrow on the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case involving a corporate-funded anti-Hillary smear ad. It is likely the conservative-dominated activist court will overturn precedent and rule in favor of removing...
by Bill Scher | Nov 2, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day Health Care Advancing, Bit By Bit NYT offers optimistic update on health care legislation: "... President Obama’s arms-length strategy on health care appears to...
by Sam Pizzigati | Nov 1, 2009 | Blog
Investing recklessness at Harvard is making 'the best and the brightest' look awfully silly — almost as silly as a nation that lets staggering quantities of wealth continue to concentrate. Wild chases after vast riches, last fall’s global meltdown reminded...
by Terrance Heath | Oct 30, 2009 | Blog
Steve Benen asks a question about the Republican health care reform plan — or lack thereof — that I'm certain I've seen answered already. The House Republican leadership "guaranteed" that they would offer an alternative health care reform bill....
by Isaiah J. Poole | Oct 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day. Bill Scher is traveling; he will return Monday. Thursday's news that the nation's gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third...
by Terrance Heath | Oct 29, 2009 | Blog
It's was 80 years ago this week that the Crash of 1929 kicked off the Great Depression. Not quite 79 years later, the fall of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008, sent the stock market into a meltdown precipitated by the crises of such Wall Street Giants as Bear...
by Dave Johnson | Oct 29, 2009 | Blog
At the New Economy Conference, Leo Gerard of the United Steelworkers just said that deregulating Wall Street was like leaving a 3 year old in a candy store unsupervised for a day. When you come back the kid is stuffed full of candy, candy falling out of the pockets --...
by Bill Scher | Oct 29, 2009 | Blog
by Bill Scher | Oct 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day. Building The New Economy Conference Today LIve audio stream and Twittering of the Building The New Economy conference, featuring, Sen. Sherrod Brown, Gov. Ed...
by Bill Scher | Oct 28, 2009 | Blog, Economy
At today's Senate hearing on the Kerry-Boxer clean energy jobs and climate protection bill, the oil refinery lobby claimed, "this legislation will export carbon dioxide e
by Bill Scher | Oct 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day Major Conference To Explore How To Create Jobs TOMORROW: Building The New Economy conference. Check out our Online Forum previewing the conference, with new...
by Robert Borosage | Oct 28, 2009 | Blog, Economy
We've got a new red scare. Forget Glenn Beck; the fear isn't that America is going red, it's that it is in the red. Conservatives in both parties are raising alarms about deficits and government spending. Well, get over it. If we are going to generate growth and...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Oct 27, 2009 | Blog
Now that thousands of demonstrators confronted bankers at the "showdown in Chicago" during the American Bankers Association convention there this week, activist energy is now urgently shifting to Washington and to communities across the country. James Mumm, the...
by Terrance Heath | Oct 27, 2009 | Blog
I've referenced this story in a previous post, about a woman who was denied health insurance because (a) she was raped, (b) sought prophylactic HIV/AIDS treatment because it was unknown if her rapist wore a condom, and (c) sought therapy for the psychological problems...
by Bill Scher | Oct 27, 2009 | Blog
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Cigna) announced today he would filibuster the health care bill because it contains a public option compromise. Why does he want to do this? I don't know (*cough* -- Aetna -- *cough* *cough*) exactly. But we do know his stated reasons are lies....
by Eric Lotke | Oct 27, 2009 | Blog
President Barack Obama announced today $3.4 billion in government grants to help build a "smart" electric grid. Like many Obama initiatives, it’s a smart first step. But much more is needed and one piece is rarely mentioned at all. Start with the problem. America’s...
by Bill Scher | Oct 27, 2009 | Blog
During today's Bill Dwight Show airing on WHMP, I analyzed the substance, politics and risks of Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid's move to put a public option, with an "opt-out" provision, in the Senate bill he sends to the floor. Listen below.
by Leo Gerard | Oct 27, 2009 | Blog
We need to foment a new American industrial revolution. Specifically, we need a 21st-century burgeoning of green manufacturing in the United States. Americans going green – manufacturing windmills and solar cells – would benefit both the economy and...
by Bill Scher | Oct 27, 2009 | Uncategorized
The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day Reid Puts Public Option In Senate Bill The Treatment's Jonathan Cohn counts votes: "The buzz is that Reid has between fifty-six and fifty-eight votes. And...
by Bill Scher | Oct 26, 2009 | Blog
Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he would submit a health care reform bill with a national public option that states could choose not to join. This is how democracy is supposed to work. The highest ranking member of Senate was able to hear the will...
by Tula Connell | Oct 26, 2009 | Blog
We often write about how China’s policy to devalue its currency, the yuan, has been a key factor in the U.S. trade deficit. It’s not an easy issue to grasp. But economist Paul Krugman devotes an entire column to explaining why China’s devalued...
