"Congress consistently brings the Government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest rates would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the Federal deficit would soar. The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the … Read More
The Truth About Our Economy In Under Two Minutes
Robert Reich can draw!
Like It Never Happened
While Main Street still struggles through a recession, Wall Street (including the big financial institutions we bailed out) is doing just fine thank you very much: CEOs at the nation's largest companies were paid better last year than they were in 2007, when the economy was booming, the stock market set a record high and unemployment was roughly half what … Read More
They Blinked
What happened at the budget negotiations? It seems Obama et al grew a pair: At one crucial moment in the game of chicken over a looming shutdown of the United States government, President Obama and the House speaker, John A. Boehner, faced off in the Oval Office. Mr. Boehner, a Republican heavily outnumbered in the room by Democrats, was demanding … Read More
Stupid Government Shutdown Is Stupid
Tomorrow is, of course, Passport Day — perhaps my favorite holiday except for Christmas. No, it's not really a holiday, but tomorrow is Passport Day, where people like me with an old obsolete and therefore unusable passport can get a new one. EXCEPT for the stupid government shutdown. That's right. Just like when it was too cold for Santa to deliver … Read More
Who Will Be Blamed For The Government Shutdown?
Well, it's quite simple. Look who WANTED the government shutdown. (1) The Tea Partiers say the Dems will be blamed, but LISTEN to them in this video. They have no problem with a shutdown (one guy even has a sign urging shutdown): (2) From the Washington Post: House Republicans huddled late Monday and, according to a GOP aide, gave … Read More
Headline Of The Day
GOP Completely Fixes Economy By Canceling Funding For NPR …from The Onion, of course.
Why We Must Raise Taxes On The Rich
Robert Reich: It's tax time. It's also a time when right-wing Republicans are setting the agenda for massive spending cuts that will hurt most Americans. Here's the truth: The only way America can reduce the long-term budget deficit, maintain vital services, protect Social Security and Medicare, invest more in education and infrastructure, and not raise taxes on the working middle … Read More
Ryan’s Budget
Yeah. This is class warfare, plain and simple. The good numbers: Paul Ryan’s budget will reduce spending by $6.2 trillion over the next decade and reduce the deficit by $4.4 trillion. But it also cuts the top income tax rate by nearly a third, from 35 percent to 25 percent, which will add to the deficit. So how will that … Read More
Great Footage Of The Wisconsin Travesty
GOP clearly breaking Wisconsin law yesterday. See it as it happened:
The Mess in WI (That’s “Wisconsin”, Not “Wii” The Gaming Platform)
Well, they did it — probably unconstitutionally, certainly amorally, but the Wisconsin state senate Republicans crammed through their union-crushing bill last night. The Republicans took the pieces of Walker’s legislation that affect unions—including eliminating bargaining rights for most public-sector unions—and made them into a separate bill which they claimed they could pass without Democrats being present. Which they did. And … Read More
Do Americans Favor Or Oppose Collective Bargaining Rights? [FOX lies about the answer]
There have been a few polls on this, but none from a non-partisan pollster. Until yesterday. USA Today and Gallup released a new poll that found that a whopping 61 percent of Americans oppose efforts like those of Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) to strip public sector unions of collective bargaining rights. The poll also found that only a third of Americans support such … Read More
Indiana Deputy Attorney General On Wisconsin Protesters Tweets “Use Live Ammunition”
This is seriously messed up. On a related note, Jay Bookman reports this morning that the Service Employees International Union will hold a rally in Atlanta today, at Georgia's state capitol. Conservative activists have been encouraged to attend – with firearms. UPDATE: The Indiana Deputy Attorney General is no longer employed in the Indiana AG's office.
Let’s Be Clear About Wisconsin
This is not about balancing the state's budget. It's about taking advantage of a state's financial woes in order to bust unions. In any financial crisis, somebody is going to get hurt financially. Ideally, those who suffer are those who are can absorb the blow the most. That would be the wealthiest members of society. But in Wisconsin, the wealthiest … Read More