Today's Ideas & Actions
February 16, 2013
STATE OF THE UNION
Liberal Vision, Under Constraint
"President Obama revealed the scope and the limits of his liberal vision in his State of the Union address ... The president offered bold initiatives wrapped in an austerity straitjacket." Read Robert Borosage's assessment »
"We should be overjoyed that President Obama says he wants to lead a crusade for jobs ...[and] encourage Obama and Congressional Democrats to stop talking about cutting essential programs." Read Roger Hickey's speech reaction »
TAKE ACTION
Tell Congress: No Chained CPI.
Don't Cut Retirement Security
President Obama and Congress are still considering cutting Social Security benefits for today’s seniors by imposing an inaccurate “chained CPI” formula in return for Republican support for more tax increases. This would be a disastrous deal. It must be stopped. Send a message to your member of Congress »
Why Seniors Should Not Be Shackled to the Chained CPI
Our latest Smart Talk explains the impact the chained CPI proposal on Social Security benefits and offers facts and messaging you can use to oppose it. Go to Smart Talk »
New Weekly Email Champions Progressive Education Reform
The Education Opportunity Network serves the movement for progressive change in education by sharing provocative information, analysis, and opportunities for action – and by linking educators, students, parents, education experts and progressive activists. Read the latest and subscribe »
Conservatives are primed to allow the “sequester” – automatic across-the-board federal spending cuts – to bring the hammer down on the economy on March 1. This is a ticking austerity bomb. We must disarm it.
Stay up on developments and the ways you can help disarm the austerity bomb on our Austerity Bomb page »
TAKE ACTION Send a message to your member of Congress: Disarm the Austerity Bomb. Stop the Sequester »
You are probably hearing that the Post Office is “in crisis” and is cutting back Saturday delivery, laying people off, closing offices, etc. Like so many other “crises” imposed on us lately, there is a lot to the story that you are not hearing from the “mainstream” media. The story of the intentional destruction of the U.S. Postal Service is one more piece of the story of crisis-after-crisis, all manufactured to advance the strategic dismantling of our government and handing over the pieces to billionaires.
Here are a few things you need to know about the Postal Service “crisis.”
Blog.OurFuture.org
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Obama’s Four Steps For Manufacturing
In the State of the Union (SOTU) speech President Obama emphasized the importance of manufacturing to our economy.
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Filibuster: Hate To Say It But We Told You So
Many of us fought hard to reform the filibuster and fight the Republican obstruction that is blocking everything the country needs to get done.
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Everybody Wins But The Country
Dave Weigel has the definitive post today on the Hagel nomination cock-up. He points out that Hagel himself is the only real loser here: He botched up his confirmation hearing, giving Republicans all kinds of reasons to oppose him.
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Majority Of House Democrats Say Stop The Benefit Cuts
A majority of House Democrats have signed a House Progressive Caucus letter to President Obama opposing benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
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Progressive Breakfast
MORNING MESSAGE: The Great Wealth Robbery OurFuture. Org’s Richard Eskow: “An updated report from economist Emmanuel Saez details the loss of income suffered by 99 percent of Americans … The top 1 percent has captured 121 percent of the increases in income since the worst of the financial crisis, while the rest of the country has [.
Newsroom
CAF Calls For End to Irresponsible Economic Hostage Crises
"The U.S. House is poised to once more hold America’s good faith and credit hostage to extort spending cuts that they otherwise could not win. This time, Speaker Boehner seeks to extend the debt ceiling for three months — complete with a trigger mechanism that prevents lawmakers from getting paid if they fail to produce a budget once that extension lapses. Robert Borosage of the Campaign for America’s Future said, “Tea Party Republicans are trying to extort unpopular cuts in vital programs by holding the economy hostage. It is time to say `no more’ negotiating with hostage takers."
