The Big Con
Top Stories
GOP is Banking on the Economy Staying Bad
December 13th, 2009
Republicans in Congress remind me of a bunch of 2-year-olds because it seems the only word they know how to say is, "No." Bailout of the giant troubled financial institutions? "No." Aid for America's ailing auto industry? "No." A stimulus package to help states, local governments, educational institutions and private industry put people back to work? "No." Health care reform? "No! No! No! No!"
Featured Issues
A Simple Plan Goes Awry
Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and David Vitter (R-La.) no doubt thought they were being clever. They crafted an amendment that would force members of Congress to get their coverage through a public insurance plan, if the public option were included as part of health care reform. If it's good enough for American consumers, it should be good enough for their elected representatives, right? They had no idea how much Democrats agreed with the sentiment.... more »
The No-Sense Jobs Plan
Arguably the single most farcical aspect of America's political discourse is listening to congressional Republicans talk about economic policy. We're talking about a group of people who've managed to be spectacularly wrong about practically every economic challenge in recent memory, but who are nevertheless convinced of their own self-righteous expertise. It's hard not to cringe. But yet, they keep talking, blissfully unaware of their track record of uninterrupted failure.... more »
The Crushing Legacy of Bush and Cheney
From now on, the headlines about Afghanistan will be slugged "Obama's War," and perhaps that is fair enough given the president's many endorsements of what he has called a war of necessity. It would be much less fair, however, to ignore the events that led us to this moment, when any choice offers no great guarantee of progress and no small prospect of trouble.... more »
The Case
Why We Call It "The Big Con"
Conservative government during the past few years has failed—even some conservatives acknowledge that. But the problem is not just that conservatism has failed to live up to its promise; it is that conservatism cannot live up to its promisemore »
Conservatism: Flawed By Design
Inherent ideological flaws cripple the ability of conservatives to govern:
The Facts
Investing In People
Here are some basic facts behind our call for "real investment" in people, assembled from recent government and private studies. We've fallen behind as a nation, but making the right spending choices will yield lasting dividends.more »
Banksters Run Amok: The Facts
Financial institutions went on a binge; the cops on the street turned a blind eye. The bankers pocketed billions until the housing bubble burst. Americans are now paying dearly for the folly. Here are some facts you need to know and some ideas for change.more »
The News
Boeing Pays $25 Million To Settle U.S. Probe
August 14th, 2009
Documents Show Rove Took Active Role In Attorney Firings
August 12th, 2009
The Case
Let's Make a Deal
John Boehner and Eric Cantor have responded to Barack Obama's invitation to sit down and talk health-care reform. They answered in the form of a ransom note. Here are their demands.more »
What's the Deal with The Ryan Budget?
Minority Leader Boehner and the rest of the House leadership are working to have it both ways — on the one hand saying that Ryan's budget is full of great GOP ideas and ways the GOP would kick butt on the deficit (which is a play to the base and pundits who haven't read it) but also insisting it's not the official GOP budget so he and his caucus aren't on the spot to justify what it contains. In other words, the question is whether the entire 2010 congressional mid-term is going to be fought out as a colossal bait and switch gambit. So why is it so important? For two basic reasons.more »
Latest from our Bloggers
feb
9
2010
11:33 am
11:33 am
Sarah Palin's keynote speech was quite a hit at this weekend's Tea Party convention. She even took a shot at pinning responsibility for the deficit on the Obama administration.
It's too bad Palin didn't have proper notes on hand, as she did for the Q & A after her speech. Then again, the message that it was actually the Bush administration that left us more in debt and less secure, wouldn't go over well with her audience.
feb
5
2010
4:12 pm
4:12 pm
If you've ever wondered where conservative economic policies like permanent tax cuts for the wealthy, slashed social services and government spending are supposed to lead us, look no further than Colorado Springs.
David Sirota's description of what's happening to that conservative stronghold should serve as a cautionary tale. more »
feb
5
2010
9:09 am
9:09 am
Republican leaders -- led by the perpetually tanned John Boehner, House Republican leader, and his whip Eric Cantor -- are looking to sell themeselves to big bankers angry about financial reform.
Cantor says: a lot of bankers who supported Obama are feeling "buyers' remorse." His answer? Buy us. more »
feb
4
2010
2:07 pm
2:07 pm
Mike Hall on our AFL-CIO Now Blog staff wrote about the latest Republican maneuvering to kill a qualified nominee for the nation's Labor Board and I want to share it with you. more »
feb
4
2010
12:47 pm
12:47 pm
The GOP: Grand, Old and Preposterous
The GOP is unable and unwilling to have a serious conversation with Americans about the fix we are in. Instead the party's leaders posture and pose, as practiced as a Gregorian chorus in chanting their poll tested messaging that makes utterly no sense.
more »feb
3
2010
2:58 pm
2:58 pm
Listening to conservatives squawk about deficits is a bit like taking parenting and/or relationship advice from Medea, the Gosselins or "Octomom." At best, they serve as an example of what not to do.
As it is with children, so it is with conservatives and deficits. People who are very good at making them aren't necessarily all that skilled in dealing with them.
And we know, during the previous decade, conservatives proved themselves quite adept a creating a deficit from a surplus.
more »jan
20
2010
8:55 am
8:55 am
The thrill is gone. Now it’s recrimination time. Who is to blame for the end of the romance?
A lot of nonsense will be served up over the next days in the wake of the Massachusetts debacle, but it will difficult for anyone to top Lanny Davis, the idiot savant of the New Democrats, for the most inane commentary. more »
