News & Comment
Blogs and Opinion
How Michigan’s Right-To-Work Law Came to Be by Theresa Riley, billmoyers.com | December 12, 2012
As police held back thousands of protesters near the state capital building, Michigan, the birthplace of the modern labor movement, became the 24th state to enact so-called “right-to-work” legislation. Earlier today, Governor Rick Snyder signed two bills preventing public and private sector unions from requiring workers to pay union fees. The Detroit News reports that after requests from Grover Norquist and others, Snyder switched sides on the issue. United Auto Workers President Robert King said in an interview, that the Koch brothers and Amway owner Dick DeVos “bullied and bought their way to get this legislation in Michigan.” State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville may have been under pressure, the DetroitFree Press said, from the anti-union Americans for Prosperity and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), both financially supported by the Koch brothers. ALEC’s model right-to-work bill “mirrors the Michigan law word for word.” read more »In Michigan, the Republican Will to Power by Jonathan Chait, nymag.com | December 12, 2012
Republicans understand full well that Michigan leans Democratic, and the GOP has total power at the moment, so its best use of that power is to crush one of the largest bastions of support for the opposing party. I don’t think Democrats abstain from this behavior (to anything like the degree the GOP employs it) because it’s made of angels. Rather, the Democratic party comprises an economically diverse coalition, including not just labor but business as well. Even if Democrats could come up with a plan to crush the political power of business — which is hard because business is way larger and stronger than labor, even in Michigan — huge chunks of the party would object. Whereas nobody in the GOP cares about labor at all, so it’s easier to unify them behind the kind of political/class war strategy we’re seeing here. read more »Once Again, Senate Republicans Reject International Human Rights by Barbara Crossette, The Nation | December 12, 2012
On December 4, Republican Senators blocked US adoption of a global convention to protect the disabled. With that the Republican right, whose election losses have taught them nothing about the changing face of American society or the evolving world role of the United States, signaled that it intends to stall or kill all international treaties sent to the Senate for ratification by the Obama administration. Even pleas from a frail and crippled Bob Dole in his wheelchair, and from Senator John McCain, a wounded and tortured war hero, failed to budge fellow Republicans in the name of humanity and justice. The isolationist GOP is happy to bully other nations but not help their people achieve rights Americans enjoy. read more »Selling Out America's Youth: An Open Letter to Alan Simpson by Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, Huffington Post | December 11, 2012
Dear former Senator Alan Simpson: I've seen you on television chatting up your debt reduction proposal with Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, Savannah Guthrie of the Today Show and Bob Schieffer of Face the Nation. And while you come across as a likable guy, your claim to be working on behalf of the next generation of young Americans is bogus. Here's why. You see, your argument rests on a big myth: that in order to save Social Security and Medicare for the young, you have to cut our benefits. This couldn't be further from the truth. There are fairer ways to ensure that these pillars of American progress stand the test of time. One option includes making wealthy individuals pay more by lifting Social Security's cap on wages, currently set at $110,100. read more »The Peril of a Sentient GOP by Eugene Robinson, truthdig.com | December 11, 2012
The biggest problem the Republican Party faces is not uninspiring candidates or unsound tactics. It is unpopular ideas. This reality was brought home in last month’s election. It’s playing out in the struggle over how to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” And we’ll see it again in coming fights over immigration, entitlements, inequality and a host of other issues. Here’s the sad thing: Republicans get this stuff so wrong that Democrats aren’t even forced to go to the trouble of getting it right. There will be those who doubt the sincerity of my advice to the GOP, since my standing as a conservative is—justifiably—less than zero. But I’ve always believed in competition, if only to prevent liberals from becoming lazy and unimaginative. One could argue that this is already happening. read more »John Boehner Has No Mandate by John Nichols, The Nation | December 11, 2012
In July, John Boehner said the November 6 election would be a “referendum on the president’s economic policies.” On November 6, Obama won that referendum. The president was not the only winner. Beyond Obama’s personal mandate, Democrats can point to a clear signal from the voting for the US Senate. The Democratic caucus added two new members—despite the fact that the pattern of contests was overwhelmingly favorable to the Republicans—for a clear 55-45 advantage in the chamber. Notably, the Democratic mandate extends to the House. How’s that? Doesn’t John Boehner have a mandate of his own? Not if we're counting actual votes. In the 2012 voting for US House seats that formally finished Saturday with a runoff in Louisiana, 59,262,059 Americans voted Democratic, while only 58,105,500 voted Republican. It has been seventy years since the party that controlled the Congress did not win the most votes. read more »Are Republicans Just Bad At Politics? by Alex Seitz-Wald, salon.com | December 11, 2012
All the hand-wringing and soul searching going on in the conservative movement boils down to one fundamental question: Are we bad at selling our policies, or are the policies themselves the problem? If the issue is merely in the marketing, then the damage is mostly cosmetic and can be quickly repaired with better messaging and candidates. The alternative, however, calls for rethinking foundational principles — and is much more painful. John Podhoretz and Matt Lewis made the cases for the “just politics” camp in the context of the “fiscal cliff” debate. Democrats, they argue, have deftly outmaneuvered Republicans into spending all their time defending unpopular things that are peripheral to core conservative values. While it’s hard to imagine Democrats, of all people, “brilliantly outmaneuver[ing]” anyone, their assumption seems to be this: If the key ideological conflicts of the day were fought in pitched battles on level playing fields, Republicans would win. So is this correct? read more »The Obama Administration Plays Hardball On Medicaid by Paul Waldman, prospect.org | December 11, 2012
When the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, it also gave Republican states a gift by saying they could opt out of what may be the ACA's most important part, the dramatic expansion of Medicaid that will give insurance to millions of people who don't now have it. Republican governors and legislatures don't like the Medicaid expansion, which is why nine states have said they'll refuse to expand Medicaid. But some states asked the Obama administration whether they could expand Medicaid a bit—maybe not cover everyone up to 133 percent like the law says, but add a few people to the rolls. And yesterday, the administration said no. It's all or nothing: either you expand Medicaid up to 133 percent, or you get none of the new money. Was that the right thing to do? Well first, let's talk about that money. read more »What's With The GOP’s Absurd Fear Of All Things U.N.? by Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Washington Post | December 11, 2012
At least they had the decency to wait 24 hours. Last Tuesday, following the international day honoring the disabled, 38 Senate Republicans voted down the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities. With former Senate majority leader and disabled WWII veteran Bob Dole silently beseeching them from his wheelchair, Dole’s fellow Republicans railed against “cumbersome regulations” that could threaten American “sovereignty.” What is it about the United Nations that sends the GOP into such a tizzy? That diplomats are encouraged to speak French? The United Nation’s intentions are the best, yet Republicans always assume the worst. They weep for the improbable horrors that could be but shed very few tears for the hardships in the here and now, such those suffered by the 1 billion disabled people worldwide who struggle with patchwork laws and official neglect. As comedian Jon Stewart noted, “Republicans hate the United Nations more than they like helping people in wheelchairs.” read more »The GOP May Have Some Real Leverage Here by Steve Kornacki, salon.com | December 11, 2012
Republicans have essentially no leverage in the current “cliff” negotiations. The policy consequences of doing nothing are a lot worse for them than for Obama and the Democrats. So Obama is in position to demand concessions that the GOP wouldn’t ordinarily give up – like, for instance, an increase in tax rates, something no Republican in Congress has voted for in 22 years. Faced with this imbalance, though, Republicans have lately been making noise about forcing another confrontation over the debt ceiling, which we’re due to hit a little over a month into the new year. This is where things get complicated. What we know is that Obama’s official position is that any attempt by the GOP to replicate the brinkmanship of the summer of 2011 is a non-starter. The problem is that “Democrats have no consensus plan to execute if the debt ceiling isn’t increased before the end of the year.”. read more »
The Latest
Security Experts Skeptical on Guantanamo Detainee Report, CNN | January 26, 2009
Security experts are questioning information released by the Pentagon last week, saying 61 former detainees from its detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may have returned to terrorist activities. The report says 18 former detainees are confirmed to have participated in attacks, and 43 are suspected to have been involved in attacks. read more »
Guantanamo Case Files in Disarray, The Washington Post | January 26, 2009
President Obama's plans to expeditiously determine the fates of about 245 terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and quickly close the military prison there were set back last week when incoming legal and national security officials — barred until the inauguration from examining classified material on the detainees — discovered that there were no comprehensive case files on m read more »
FEMA Flood Maps Outdated, Associated Press | January 25, 2009
Nearly four years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, researchers called on the federal government to upgrade its flood maps, arguing that the effort could save lives as well as stem losses to properties and businesses. read more »
Republicans Resist Recovery Plan, iht.com | January 25, 2009
Republicans plan to test President Barack Obama's commitment to bipartisanship as his $825 billion stimulus package heads to the floor of the House of Representatives this week, with the House Republican leader saying that many in his party will vote no unless there are significant changes to the plan. read more »
GAO Targets Regulatory Agencies , Associated Press | January 23, 2009
The U.S. regulatory structure policing the financial sector is outdated, federal oversight of medical products is inadequate and the government's tracking system for toxic chemicals is in danger of becoming obsolete, the investigative arm of Congress said. read more »
More Bad Accounting in Veterans Health Care , Associated Press | January 23, 2009
Two years after a politically embarrassing $1 billion shortfall that imperiled veterans health care, the Veterans Affairs Department is still lowballing budget estimates to Congress to keep its spending down, government investigators say. read more »
GOP Wants Changes in Recovery Bill, CNN | January 22, 2009
House Republican leaders have asked for a meeting with President Obama to offer major changes to the $825 billion economic recovery package urged by the president and proposed by House Democrats last week. Republicans want a greater focus on incentives for businesses to create more jobs, instead of direct spending on infrastructure projects. The Democratic proposal was created at Obama's urging. read more »
Banks Skirt Supervision, The Washington Post | January 22, 2009
At least 30 banks since 2000 have escaped federal regulatory action by walking away from their federal regulators and moving under state supervision, taking advantage of a long-standing system that allows banks to choose between federal and state oversight, according to a review of government records. read more »
Obama Opens Public Records, mcclatchydc.com | January 22, 2009
President Barack Obama, in his first full day in office, revoked a controversial executive order signed by President Bush in 2001 that limited release of former presidents' records. read more »
Toymakers Protest Product Tests, Business Week | January 22, 2009
Few small craft shops and artisan toymakers noticed last summer when Congress passed a sweeping new product safety statute known as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The law, drafted after millions of lead-tainted imports were recalled in 2007, mandates strict testing for lead and other hazards in any product aimed at children, from toys to clothes to kids' books, starting Feb. 10. read more »
