A new Democracy Corps/Campaign for America's Future poll shows that proposals to dismantle Medicare in the 2012 House Republican budget could sink the political futures of those who for it. When the budget is described, using the language of its chief author, support collapses to 36 percent. The proposed cuts to Medicare raise concerns for nearly two-thirds of respondents.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus has shown real courage, proposing a budget that takes on the wealthy and the powerful, creating a budget surplus by raising taxes on millionaires and cutting wasteful military spending, while investing in jobs and protecting our retirement security. Find out more. more »
A funny thing on the way to state budget solvency in Texas and Mississippi, which are among the reddest of the red states. You can't get much more conservative than Texas' and Mississippi's governors, Rick Perry and Haley Barbour. The same goes for their budget solutions, which are firmly based in conservative budget orthodoxy: tax cuts and spending cuts will cure all budget ills.
So, why are Texas and Mississippi having serious budget problems? And why are their governors breaking promises about taxes and spending?
Public workers in Wisconsin and in several other states where they are under assault are fighting for the dignity of every worker. If these workers lose their ability to fight for fair wages and decent working conditions, we all lose.
CPAC 2011 was like a trip through the looking glass.
At most political conferences, the mix of pragmatists and true believers results in a message with broad appeal, but rooted in shared principles. That's when everyone "gets it." CPAC was a mass exercise in not "getting it."
Two days at CPAC made the GOP's big problem crystal clear. The conservative movement is split between two factions of "true believers," both wildly out of step with what most Americans want, and both heavily invested in "not getting it."
The celebration of Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday has begun, but the devotions have been going on for years. For conservatives, Reagan is the lodestar, the genial demigod to whom all must avow fealty.
But take a good look at the conservative mantra that Reagan championed: less spending, low taxes, deregulation, free trade, strong military, family values. On all of these, the Gipper and conservatives got it wrong.
In connection with the March 10, 2011 "Summit on Jobs and America's Future," we are posting articles that highlight bold solutions to the nation's unemployment crisis and making the case for why these crisis respo more »
Former Open Left blogger Jeff Bryant watchdogs the impact of conservative policies on our school systems and on the future of our children.
In connection with the March 10, 2011 "Summit on Jobs and America's Future," we are posting articles that highlight bold solutions to the nation's unemployment crisis and making the case for why these crisis respo 
