Then Again, Who Would Have Thought A Pearl Could Come From A Frog?

Especially one like Christie.

Then Again, Who Would Have Thought That David Frum Would Make Sense?

He worked for Dubya.  Is he switching sides?

The "Confidence Fairy" Is Officially Dead, Part 2

Just when you think it could die any more.

Maybe you can't "cut and grow."  Maybe the people agree.

Maybe, one day, we can be governed again by people and not money.

Recession? What Recession?

Not for the people who are really running the county.

The Strike That Changed America

Indeed it was.  For the worse. 

But I don't buy the author's view that the subsequent decline in workers' rights in this country was an accident.  After all, Reagan could have made it clear that this was a specific situation with a specific remedy needed.  The fact that he didn't speaks volumes about how "accidental" the decline has been.

And it will continue, until American workers learn to fight again.

Who Would Have Thought That Coolidge Could Make Sense?

Like Adam Smith, he believed in the value of public works as a way of evening out the economy.

Which puts today's conservatives to the right of Coolidge.  A frightening thought.

If You Want To Celebrate D-Day, You'd Better Be Prepared To Fight The Battle Of The Bulge

I'm speaking to progressives when I say that.  And I'm not alone in feeling that way.  As disappointed as I am in Obama and the Democrats, our current mess is only partly their fault.

If you care about progressive values, show up every day, and not just on Election Day.

Want To Know The Price Of Being Bullied?

Just ask the workers of the FAA.  Obama has given them a change they shouldn't have to believe in.

On The Other Hand, This DOESN'T Sound Too Good To Be True

Actually, it's right on.  And I hope the Democrats DO make the Republicans pay by using it against them.

Meanwhile, let's hope they find a spine somewhere.

The "Confidence Fairy" Is Officially Dead

And Wall Street killed it.

This Sounds Too Good To Be True

If the debt deal is really this good from a Democratic perspective, then why is it generally regarded as a Republican victory?

Probably because it actually is.  I have a hard time believing Congressional Republicans could be made to sign on to something as favorable as the description given in this piece.

What bothers me particularly about the final outcome is that Obama said he was staking his Presidency on getting revenue increases ... and got none.  Perhaps this is his way of saying he's tired of being President.

Hopefully, there will be someone willing to replace him who is also willing to fight for progress and justice.

Oh, They're Not Racist, Are They?

Well, yes, they are.  They just know how to speak in code.  They always have.  And the code is pretty transparent.

Do You Want To Know Which States Will Go Deeper Into Fiscal Holes?

If you read one of my earlier posts, you know it's the ones doing this.

Is It Good Enough To Re-Elect? Or Is It Bad Enough For A Primary Challenge?

You decide.  Personally, I'd like it better with guaranteed tax hikes and Medicare off-limits.

And, equally personally, I think a primary challenge is an option for progressives to support.  Russ Feingold or Elizabeth Warren, anyone?  They're not the only possibilities, of course.

There's Always Hope

I lived in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Bushwick, a neighborhood in Brooklyn that was decimated by looting during the 1977 blackout, was thought at the time to be dead, beyond any form of urban renewal.

Now, it appears that is no longer the case.  And, once again, artists are paving the way.  Perhaps they should get the subsidies that oil companies get.  After all, they're really creating value, not just digging it out of the ground until it runs out.

You want to know what it takes to be a real progressive?  Outlasting your opponents.  And remembering that it ultimately depends on all of us, not just one, or 535 of us.  It took more than three decades for Bushwick to come back, but it's coming back.

2008 was our D-Day, and 2010 was our Battle of the Bulge.  Perhaps 2012 can be our V-E Day*

*Pardon the WWII metaphors; I'm just coming off of seeing "Captain America" the other day.  I strongly recommend that you see it, even if you are not a comic-book movie kind of person.