by Bill Scher | Feb 22, 2007 | Blog
Prolific and incisive filmmaker Robert Greenwald today launched the FoxAttacks website and unveiled an online video exposing Fox News's efforts to smear Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama as he is being introduced to voters nationwide. For Greenwald,...
by Bill Scher | Feb 21, 2007 | Blog
Most of the media saw today's report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and concluded the headline was that overall health care spending continues to rise. Not the Washington Post. It's headline? "Medicare Benefit Appears to Slow Spending Growth on...
by Bill Scher | Feb 21, 2007 | Blog
The NY Times reports today that the European Union will cut greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2020, if the US will too. Obviously, the EU knows that President Bush won't bite, and if you read between the lines of the NYT piece, it would seem the offer is a way to gloss...
by Bill Scher | Feb 20, 2007 | Blog
Roll Call reports today: Senate Finance ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has warned that he may block a House-Senate conference on the minimum-wage bill unless he is assured his Democratic colleagues will join him in demanding inclusion of a sizable tax-cut...
by Bill Scher | Feb 20, 2007 | Blog
The following was written by Campaign for America's Future Co-Director Roger Hickey and Online Editor Bill Scher The health care debate has leapt forward in the last few weeks. After the bold health care plan from John Edwards, and the new business-labor coalition...
by Bill Scher | Feb 14, 2007 | Blog
The trade deficit ballooned to $764 billion in 2006, a new record shortfall. The White House shrugged its shoulders. From the W. Post: "Trade is good for America," [White House spokesman Tony] Fratto said. "There are dislocations for people when you trade. A factory...
by Bill Scher | Feb 13, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
The House Ways & Means Committee yesterday cleared a bill with less than $2 billion in business tax breaks, as part of a plan to resolve differences in the House and Senate minimum wage bills. While I noted earlier that the House is passing the tax bill separately...
by Bill Scher | Feb 12, 2007 | Blog
Medicare's prescription drug benefit, it's working -- Current TV ad from Big Pharma [Rep. Henry] Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, laid out his health oversight priorities for the year at a Feb. 9 hearing, drawing a bull’s-eye on...
by Bill Scher | Feb 8, 2007 | Blog
Lots of blogger takes on presidential hopeful John Edwards new health care plan, which in part draws on Health Care For America. Tapped's Ezra Klein writes: "it has widened the field of the debate, and unless the other candidates want to explain why they lack the...
by Bill Scher | Feb 8, 2007 | Blog
In the wake of the world's leading authority on climate change definitively concluding that global warming is happening and caused by humans, professional global warming deniers are flailing, and it's hilarious to watch. Over at TomPaine.com, Clean Air Watch's Frank...
by Bill Scher | Feb 7, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Trying to break a House-Senate stalemate over competing minimum wage bills, Rep. Charlie Rangel is planning on moving a bill with $1 billion in business tax breaks, separate from the minimum wage bill, according to CQ Today. That's much smaller than the $8.3 billion...
by Bill Scher | Feb 7, 2007 | Blog
If the head of Wal-Mart and the head of Wal-Mart Watch agree we need universal health care, then we need universal health care. QED. McClatchy Newspapers has the story: A group of businesses and labor unions - led by Wal-Mart and one of the retailer's staunchest...
by Bill Scher | Feb 6, 2007 | Blog
Earlier today, Bloggingheads.tv posted a diavlog between Eric Alterman and myself. Among other topics, we discussed how the Senate should deal with the conservative minority seeking to thwart priorities shared by Campaign for America's Future. You can jump to that...
by Bill Scher | Feb 6, 2007 | Blog
Yesterday, presidential hopeful John Edwards announced a health care plan titled, Universal Health Care Through Shared Responsibility. The New Republic reports today that a core feature of the plan is "the essential idea behind another health care reform plan that has...
by Bill Scher | Feb 6, 2007 | Blog
CQ Today notes that on subsidies to Big Oil, the Bush budget proposal actually inches towards the recently passed House bill, which takes back $14 billion in giveaways and invests it in renewable energy. CQ reports: In a nod to Democrats seeking to end subsidies for...
by Bill Scher | Feb 5, 2007 | Blog
When President released his budget today, it once again showed the limits of the conservative message. Like many conservative leaders, Bush knows he can't rally the public by pledging to deny funds for goals deemed important by the voters, like health care, energy...
by Bill Scher | Feb 5, 2007 | Blog
Today, NY Times columnist Paul Krugman picks up on my earlier post, about how President Bush is following a 2001 Heritage Foundation white paper dictating how to undermine our civil service, ensuring our government doesn't work for us. The piece is behind the Times...
by Bill Scher | Feb 2, 2007 | Blog
President Bush's budget comes out next week, and today's NY Times headline says he wants "Big Medicare and Medicaid Saving". That means big cuts. Cuts where? Less money for middle-class kids in the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Here, the NYT uses White...
by Bill Scher | Feb 2, 2007 | Blog
Yesterday, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell sought to fill the leadership vacuum on energy independence, left by the Bush White House. Rendell announced a plan for a $850M Energy Independence Fund, which would create financial incentives for citizens to install solar...
by Bill Scher | Feb 2, 2007 | Blog
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the "world's leading authority" on the issue with scientists from 113 nations, was released this morning. And as the NY Times reports, it's "the first time the group asserted with near certainty —...
by Bill Scher | Feb 1, 2007 | Blog
Check out our new video, truth-squadding Bush's State of the Union address: Also, if you missed it earlier, here's Robert Borosage's takedown of Bush's speech, and here's where you can write your local newspapers and get the facts out about the real state of our...
by Bill Scher | Feb 1, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Late today, the Senate passed its version of a minimum wage increase 94-3. Unlike the House bill, the Senate version includes tax giveaways to business, and it's unclear what happens next. (Who are the three winners of the Deepest Hatred of Workers Award? Bob Geiger...
by Bill Scher | Jan 31, 2007 | Blog
To insist on integrity in American business we passed tough reforms, and we are holding corporate criminals to account. Some might call this a good record. I call it a good start. -- President George W. Bush, State of the Union 2003 President Bush cautioned against...
by Bill Scher | Jan 31, 2007 | Blog
When it comes to health care, will the new Congress, unlike the previous conservative Congress, side with the public interest over the special interest? The pharmaceutical giants are worried the answer is yes. So they're hooking up with Democratic lobbyists in hopes...
by Bill Scher | Jan 31, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid held a conference call with bloggers earlier this afternoon. I asked him where the minimum wage bill will go after this week's expected approval of a version including business tax breaks. Yesterday's NY Times said that the Senate...
by Bill Scher | Jan 31, 2007 | Blog
Bill Scher blogs for Campaign for America's Future. Today's NY Times reports that Bush issued a new executive order intended to undermine our civil service: ...each [government] agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to...
by Bill Scher | Jan 30, 2007 | Blog
Today's NY Times reports that Bush issued a new executive order intended to undermine our civil service: ...each [government] agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to supervise the development of rules and documents providing...
by Bill Scher | Jan 30, 2007 | Blog
Congressional committee appointments are certainly inside baseball (come to think of it, the term "inside baseball" is inside baseball) but Speaker Pelosi's move to create a Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming is a big deal. You might think that...
by Bill Scher | Jan 30, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Today, the NY Times checks in on the minimum wage battle, and we may be seeing a little movement towards a push for a clean bill without business tax giveaways. The piece notes that after the Senate passes its bill with such tax favors, two different procedural things...
by Bill Scher | Jan 26, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Yesterday, Bob Geiger and the AFL-CIO Blog broke the story that 28 conservative Senators tried to outright eliminate the federal minimum wage. Immediately, the blogosphere reacted in shock, at both the raw cruelty and the political inanity. TomPaine.com labelled the...
by Bill Scher | Jan 25, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
The contempt some Senate conservatives have for America's workers runs pretty deep. Filibustering a raise in the minimum wage wasn't enough for 28 Senators. Today, they tried to finish the job and completely abolish the federal minimum wage. Bob Geiger and the AFL-CIO...
by Bill Scher | Jan 25, 2007 | Blog
The growing grassroots demand for affordable, accessible health care is sure to drive the presidential primaries. But it remains to be seen if candidates will respond with workable, comprehensive plans to match their urgent rhetoric. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is the only...
by Bill Scher | Jan 25, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Yesterday, 43 Senate conservatives did the bidding of the business lobby and filibustered the House minimum wage bill. Why? Because they want to attach irresponsible business tax breaks to the bill. They want to further the phony notion that even the tiniest raise in...
by Robert Borosage | Jan 24, 2007 | Blog, Economy
Last night's State of the Union address revealed that the state of this president is still delusional. He can't level with the American people because he can't or won't recognize the reality that we face. The best part of the speech wasn't anything the president said....
by Bill Scher | Jan 23, 2007 | Blog
The White House has been previewing tonight's State of the Union address, leaking that Bush will offer plans for affordable health care and energy independence. Are these bold new initiatives? A change in policy course? A response to the public will? Not exactly. This...
by Robert Borosage | Jan 22, 2007 | Blog, Economy
Tomorrow night, President Bush will tell Americans that the state of our union is strong. He'll celebrate a growing economy, enjoying rising productivity, rising profits, more jobs and record home ownership. He'll stand as commander in chief of the most powerful...
by Bill Scher | Jan 18, 2007 | Blog
Today, the House passed the CLEAN Energy Act, 264-163, with 36 Republicans crossing party lines to support the bill, and only 4 Dems voting against. And yesterday, the College Student Relief Act passed 356-71, with 124 Republicans crossing over. That completes the...
by Bill Scher | Jan 18, 2007 | Blog
David Sirota flags this Miami Herald story: ...the Bush administration has told Peru and Colombia that their free-trade agreements with the United States will need ''substantive adjustments'' to secure Congressional approval. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative John K....
by Bill Scher | Jan 17, 2007 | Blog
Jerome Ringo, president of the Apollo Alliance, sent the following to supporters today: Tomorrow, the new House leaders will take on our Big Oil energy policy. They will take a long overdue first step toward real, sustainable energy independence. And the best part: it...
by Bill Scher | Jan 17, 2007 | Blog, Minimum Wage
Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus is still refusing to pass a "clean" minimum wage bill without business tax giveaways. But now he's looking to make a slight improvement to his dirty bill: paying for the revenue loss of wider business loopholes, by closing...
