News & Comment

Republicans won't abandon the Obama's-gutting-welfare-reform lie, no matter how often it is discredited. Today Republicans took the lie to the House floor, in the form of a resolution that would block the implementation of a Health and Human Services memorandum that would give states more flexibility in how they move welfare recipients into meaningful jobs. read more »

If Romney were genuinely opposed to redistribution, his plan would eliminate progressivity from the tax code—the after-tax incomes of all Americans would match their share of national income. He would also show greater hostility to social insurance programs, including Medicare and Social Security. Indeed, his promise to “restore $716 billion to Medicare” makes no sense for someone who has presented himself as a committed anti-redistributionist. By virtue of holding public office, Romney will be involved in redistribution if elected president. The question is who benefits from it. On the surface, his tax plan maintains the status quo of redistributing from the rich to everyone else. But when coupled with his large cuts to existing social services — including repeal of the Affordable Care Act and huge cuts to Medicaid — it amounts to a massive scheme of upwards redistribution, from ordinary Americans to the wealthy. read more »

Mitt Romney was caught on video complaining that 47% of us don't make enough to pay taxes, believe they are victims, are dependent on government, etc. The right question is why do so many of us make so little? read more »

Republicans in two Congressional committees voted last week to press forward with legislation that would deny states the flexibility they requested to help more welfare recipients get jobs. That’s right. read more »

On the menu this morning MORNING MESSAGE: So Who Is It That Cares About The Deficit Anyway? Fed's Economic Booster Shot The Middle-Class Struggle For Survival Chicago Teacher Strike Update Breakfast Sides read more »

MORNING MESSAGE: When It Comes to the DoJ and Wall Street, Don't Call It "Justice" read more »

Both political parties have "an aversion to telling the truth," says The Washington Post. The truth? That newspaper's editors are part of a small but powerful billionaire-funded circle that seems to believe that any facts which don't support their distorted and unpopular ideas are deviations from the "truth." read more »

You might be hearing about the "Fiscal Cliff." And you might be hearing about a "Grand Bargain." You certainly have heard about "Simpson Bowles." You will be hearing more and more about these strangely-named things because the usual suspects are cranking up the usual propaganda machine again, getting the usual DC elite read more »

There are many fine passages in Obama's speech tonight, of course. I would expect nothing less. He's great at this stuff and I'm sure he fired up the base and brought over some undecideds too. But you had to know that I was going to look at what he said about deficits. Here's the main passage. It's very interesting. He promised not to cut the safety net in return for tax cuts. read more »

On the menu this morning MORNING MESSAGE: Obama's Claim For A New Mandate The Message And The Movement Unemployment Report Signals Reclaim The Solar Power Investment Mandate read more »