by Digby | Dec 23, 2015 | Conservatism, This Is The GOP
One of the recurrent themes of this presidential election so far is a determined belief that Donald Trump is tapping into working class economic anxiety. And given what we know about the Republican party and the subset of American that are attracted to the Trump...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 23, 2015 | Blog, Progressive Vision
Michael Brown. Eric Garner. Laquan McDonald. Sandra Bland. Walter Scott. Rekia Boyd. Tamir Rice. Most Americans have at least heard their names, and the stories of how they died. We have seen videos and images of their deaths, or of the aftermaths. They are...
by Bill Scher | Dec 23, 2015 | Blog
The year is ending on a good note for the planet. The Paris climate deal commits every nation to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and averting a climate crisis. Several weeks earlier, President Obama's EPA put in place the "Clean Power Plan," a regulatory strategy...
by Bill Scher | Dec 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
Sanders Takes On Fed Sanders calls for Federal Reserve reform in NYT oped: "Banking industry executives must no longer be allowed to serve on the Fed’s boards and to handpick its members and staff." Both Sanders and Clinton camps say they might get out-fundraised. W....
by Dave Johnson | Dec 22, 2015 | Blog
It might not seem so in the middle of a day's news cycle, especially with that news always being about Donald Trump, but 2015 marked a year of change in a progressive direction. And the country is solidly behind this move. Progressive Victories In 2015 The country is...
by Robert Reich | Dec 22, 2015 | Blog, Economy, Financial Reform
Martin Shkreli, the former hedge-fund manager turned pharmaceutical CEO who was arrested last week, has been described as a sociopath and worse. In reality, he’s a brasher and larger version of what others in finance and corporate suites do all the time. Federal...
by Bill Scher | Dec 22, 2015 | Uncategorized
America Moves Left America is moving left, argues The Atlantic's Peter Beinart: "That doesn’t mean the Republicans won’t retain strength in the nation’s statehouses and in Congress. It doesn’t mean a Republican won’t sooner or later claim the White House. It means...
by Jeff Bryant | Dec 22, 2015 | Blog
One of the more telling combinations of news stories from the past week found education policy insiders in Washington, D.C. rejoicing over the passage of a new law rewriting federal education policy while at the same time a new report revealed how political leadership...
by Leo Gerard | Dec 22, 2015 | Blog, Democracy, Jobs and Growth, Progressive Vision, Trade
The spirit of the season is generosity. Eight toys for Hanukkah. A partridge in a pear tree and 11 other quirky presents. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday. It’s the thought that counts. And the thought is good-hearted. That’s why the season works so well. To...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 21, 2015 | Blog, Economy, Progressive Vision
In a country with a Constitution beginning with the words, "We the People," should our economy work for all of us instead of just a few of us? You would think it should work for We the People, but example after example shows how it is actually rigged to work for only...
by Digby | Dec 21, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism, This Is The GOP
Despite the fact that this past weekend featured a Democratic Party presidential deb ate, the news continues to be Donald Trump and the GOP race. One assumes the press was not interested in the debate simply because the three candidates are professional, intelligent,...
by Harvey J Kaye | Dec 21, 2015 | Blog, Progressive Vision
Commencement Address at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay – December 19, 2015 [fve]https://youtu.be/myYP72glMwY[/fve] Commencement speakers usually call on graduates to embrace the future. But I’m going to call on you to do something else: I am going to urge you...
by Bill Scher | Dec 21, 2015 | Uncategorized
Bernie Hits Big Fundraising Mark Sanders beats Obama fundraising record. NYT: "...Sanders’s campaign announced that he had outpaced Barack Obama’s record for the number of contributions in a presidential race, with more than 2.2 million donations. Mr. Obama’s record...
by Bill Scher | Dec 21, 2015 | Blog
The following is an excerpt. Read the article in its entirety at Real Clear Politics. Presidential scholars have a term to describe the typical experience of a chief executive who wins re-election to the White House. It’s called the “second-term curse.” There’s...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 18, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism, This Is The GOP
Donald Trump’s supporters are now yelling “Seig heil!,” and calling for a black man to be burned alive. Can we call them fascists now? Can we call them racists now? Well, here we are. It finally happened. It was inevitable, really. It’s been coming almost from the...
by Bill Moyers | Dec 18, 2015 | Blog, Democracy, Progressive Vision
by Bill Moyers and Michael Winship Television news has gone off its rocker and turned our politics into the equivalent of a freak show’s hall of mirrors. The networks have grasped Donald Trump to their collective bosom like the winner of one of those misogynistic,...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 18, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism, Democracy, Progressive Vision, This Is The GOP
Republicans put a surprise sneak law into the big, last-minute "omnibus" budget bill: It bans the administration from making companies and "charities" disclose who is putting up the baksheesh money for political campaigns. The president has to sign it or the...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 18, 2015 | Uncategorized
Budget Deal Passes House approves bill to avoid shutdown. CNN News: "The House overwhelmingly backed a $1.1 trillion spending package on Friday that avoids a government shutdown and funds federal agencies through next fall. The 316-113 vote was as major victory for...
by Robert Borosage | Dec 18, 2015 | Blog, Election 2016, Progressive Vision
Eighteen million Americans watched as Republican presidential candidates savaged Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton incessantly in their “Fear and Loathing” debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Now Democrats will have their turn on Saturday night in New Hampshire. Saturday...
by Emily Schwartz Greco | Dec 17, 2015 | Blog, Climate
As lawmakers scurried to keep the government open and head home for the holidays, they wrapped spending and tax deals into a costly measure that highlighted our nation’s mismatched energy policies. Specifically, this monster bill extended and restored tax incentives...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 17, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism, Election 2016, This Is The GOP
Republican presidential candidates had a chance to take a stand against Donald Trump's dangerous demagoguery at Tuesday night’s debate. None of them took it. At the fifth Republican presidential debate, nine candidates took to the stage for the main event, when eight...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 17, 2015 | Blog, Economy, Progressive Vision
“The United States has two separate banking systems today – one serving the well-to-do and another exploiting everyone else.” – Prof. Mehrsa Baradaran, author of "How the Other Half Banks." "Car title loan for $1,200.00. $300 a month interest. They are killing me and...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 17, 2015 | Uncategorized
Spending Deal Budget deal bill boosts oil exports, renewable energy. Associated Press: “Republicans are hailing the likely demise of a 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports, as well as spending limits imposed on the Environmental Protection Agency, a longtime GOP...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Dec 17, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism, Economy
With Congress about to vote this week on a federal budget for the current fiscal year, perhaps we can be thankful that Tuesday's Republican presidential debate spared us extended disingenuous talk about "out-of-control government spending." Some variation of that...
by Josh Bivens | Dec 16, 2015 | Blog, Jobs and Growth
The Federal Reserve’s decision to begin nudging up interest rates—in the clear absence of any inflationary pressures—is disappointing. Since 2008 the Fed has been the policymaking institution that has most consistently worked to restore the economy to health, even as...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 16, 2015 | Blog, Climate, Conservatism, Economy, Financial Reform, This Is The GOP
The "omnibus" budget for the next year is out. Here are some of the winners and losers. With a Republican Congress, every budget battle is about ratcheting down the things our government does to make our lives better. Every budget battle is a defensive action, with...
by Robert Reich | Dec 16, 2015 | Blog, Economy
The great American middle class has become an anxious class – and it’s in revolt. Before I explain how that revolt is playing out, you need to understand the sources of the anxiety. Start with the fact that the middle class is shrinking, according to a new Pew survey....
by Isaiah J. Poole | Dec 16, 2015 | Uncategorized
Good Sense Carpet-Bombed in GOP Debate Frank Bruni at The New York Times on Ted Cruz's plan to "carpet-bomb" ISIS: "You would carpet bomb where ISIS is, not a city, but the location of the troops,” he said, as if there’s no mingling and the fighters of the Islamic...
by Robert Borosage | Dec 16, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism
It was showtime in the Republican debate last night in Las Vegas. Hysteria was the coin of the table. Carpet-bomb ISIS. Take out Assad. Destroy Iran. Shoot down Russian planes. Launch cyberwar against China. Expand the Army, Navy, Air Force; modernize nuclear weapons...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Dec 15, 2015 | Jobs and Growth
A sustained campaign on behalf of Senate cafeteria workers – including a 63-year-old employee who was homeless because he could not earn enough money to afford an apartment – has succeeded this week in getting these workers a desperately needed boost in pay and...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 15, 2015 | Blog, Jobs and Growth
In August, Netflix did a great thing. The company announced a new unlimited parental leave policy. The Los Angeles Times covered this, in "Netflix offers new parents 'unlimited' leave": Netflix said Tuesday it will allow new parents up to a year of paid time off,...
by Hedrick Smith | Dec 15, 2015 | Democracy, Tax Reform
If you wonder what price we all pay for corporate money flooding political campaigns ($1.7 billion in 2014), see Exhibit A — the decision by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to renounce its U.S. citizenship and become an Irish company in order to duck U.S. corporate income...
by Leo Gerard | Dec 15, 2015 | Blog, Trans-Pacific Partnership
Middle America is smoldering. For too long, average citizens worked harder and produced more, yet corporations cut pay and benefits, off-shored community-sustaining factories, killed family-supporting jobs and crushed opportunity. GOP presidential candidate Donald...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 15, 2015 | Uncategorized
Spending Deal Looms Congress Needs Another Stopgap Spending Measure To Avoid Shutdown. Huffington Post: “The failure of Congress to strike a budget deal Monday night to avert a government shutdown means House and Senate lawmakers will have to pass another short-term...
by Robert Borosage | Dec 15, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism
Donald Trump will be center stage in CNN’s Republican Presidential debate tonight, flanked this time by a surging, sinister Sen. Ted Cruz on his left and a flagging Dr. Ben Carson on his right. Once more Trump will claim the spotlight, with the others vying for time...
by Dave Johnson | Dec 14, 2015 | Blog, Trade, Trans-Pacific Partnership
Recently there have been news reports that Republicans are going to delay TPP until after the 2016 elections. Do not be misled; this is a bargaining ploy. They want the Obama administration to make "side agreements" that give corporations even more. We have to keep up...
by Isaiah J. Poole | Dec 14, 2015 | Climate
Imagine if the 10 Commandments were written under the same political constraints as the just-completed climate change accord in Paris. “We cannot do this,” Secretary of State John Kerry would tell Moses as he saw the word "shall" chiseled into the stone tablets. And...
by Bill Scher | Dec 14, 2015 | Uncategorized
Spending Deal Today? "[C]ongressional negotiators on Sunday reported progress" says NYT: "Top aides said the measure could finally be made public on Monday ... An added complication is a major tax bill that other members of Congress are negotiating. Democrats have...
by Robert Borosage | Dec 14, 2015 | Blog, Conservatism
One consequence of the deafening media din generated by Donald Trump’s hateful blather is that his competitors seem moderate in contrast. Thus Marco Rubio, the callow young, ambitious first-term senator from Florida, is billed as a foreign policy leader in the...
by Terrance Heath | Dec 11, 2015 | Current Issues, This Is The GOP
Animals have a sense about people. They just know when someone is trouble. So it really wasn’t a surprise when an American bald eagle attacked Donald Trump. Is there a more powerful and well known symbol of America than the bald eagle? Maybe a couple, but not many....
