Blog Archive: February, 2012

Social Security Works spoke to several conservatives at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this past Friday, who were none too pleased to hear Mitt Romney he plans to cut Social Security and Medicare.

More »»

On the menu this morning:

• Morning Message: Super PACs: Derivatives Of Politics
• Payroll Tax Deal ... For Real This Time?
• "Party of No" No More?
• Foreclosure Deal Update
• Manufacturing Boost
• Odds On Obama Re-Election
• Mitt's Missed Connections
• Breakfast Sides

More »»

Originally published in Politico.

Financial wilding led to our economic collapse. Use of exotic “innovations” — like derivatives and credit default swaps — exploded. Regulators were paralyzed while huge bets were made in the shadows. Markets, we were assured, self-regulate. Congress blocked reform. Big money rushed in, seeking ever higher returns. Laws legitimized shadow financial activities. Speculation careened out of control.

A similar wilding now threatens our democracy as out-of-control big money floods our elections. These exotic derivatives are the super PACs and related operations, fueled by cartloads of secret money. The Federal Election Commission is toothless and paralyzed. Congress blocks new regulations. The Supreme Court opened the floodgates with Citizens United, ruling that corporations have the right to spend unlimited sums in “independent expenditure” campaigns. The marketplace of ideas, we are assured, can regulate itself.

This financial wilding is likely to escalate until it thoroughly corrupts our democracy. more »

More »»

I want to send a warning to working people in Europe: when you let your businesses save money by mistreating workers in other countries, it might teach them to think they can save money by mistreating you, too. Over here in the US we have learned this the hard way. more »

More »»

I hate what I've learned about Apple's outsourcing to China. I hate hearing Professor William Black explain why he believes that Steve Jobs, who I admired very much in some ways, must have ignored repeated reports that employees were being cheated and endangered. I hate knowing that Apple's business practices are destroying the kind of good middle-class job his adoptive father had. more »

More »»

“If you want to have an argument about whether you want to help people making $40,000 or people making $1 million, we’re happy to have that argument,” Nadeam Elshami, a spokesman for House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, was quoted today by the Christian Science Monitor more »

More »»

In this morning's Progressive Breakfast, I referred to Mitt Romney's Michigan TV spot as "Romney's Auto Bailout Spin-Out." Well, as it happens, things are worse than I thought. Just to recap, Santorum is pounding Romney in Michigan. This is a little embarrassing, because Michigan is supposed to be Romney's home turf. His dad, George Romney, was Michigan's governor for six years. Plus, Mitt needs to win Michigan.

More »»

China is very, very "business-friendly." Corporate conservatives lecture us that we should be more "business-friendly," in order to "compete" with China. They say we need to cut wages and benefits, work longer hours, get rid of overtime and sick pay -- even lunch breaks. more »

More »»

Not that we didn't already know it, but the wingnut welfare industry is thoroughly corrupt and it turns out that one of the most thoroughly corrupt is the climate science skeptic sector:

More »»

On the menu this morning:

• Morning Message: Obama's Budget: the Good, the Meager and the Ugly
• Obama's Budget
• Rising Economy Lifts Obama
• Payroll Tax Cut Deal Reached
• The Xi Factor
• Super PAC Kryptonite?
• Romney's Auto Bailout Spin-Out
• Breakfast Sides

More »»