CAF In The News

politico.com — Robert Borosage writes in Politico:
"Ryan’s plan provides the president with an easy foil, a virtual burlesque of tuxedo priorities. It would lower taxes on the rich and corporations. It pays for that by slashing domestic spending, leaving the bloated defense budget virtually unscathed and ending Medicare and Medicaid as we know them, foisting rising costs on the most vulnerable — seniors, the disabled, the deathly ill and the impoverished. Then, after 10 years of this, the Congressional Budget Office concludes, the debt and deficits would essentially be where they would be if Congress left current law in place."

washingtonpost.com — In a Washington Post column, Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote, "In the United States, 25 million people are in need of full time employment. Housing prices are headed back down; trade deficits are going back up. State and local governments have largely exhausted rainy day funds and are laying off workers. Businesses are sitting on trillions in cash while waiting for consumer demand to pick up. At last Thursday's "Summit on Jobs and America's Future," sponsored by the Campaign for America's Future, economists showed that at current rates it would take eight years for the United States merely to return to pre-recession levels of employment."

nationaljournal.com — Many liberals disappointed in the president’s veer toward fiscal austerity this legislative session have nonetheless rallied against Republicans in recent weeks because of the anti-union measures in Wisconsin, said Roger Hickey, co-chair of Progress for America’s Future.
But it’s an open question, he said, if they will remain motivated to vote for a president who doesn’t support their agenda.
“Our hope is that it will also translate into a demand for Democrats to stand up and fight for jobs instead of austerity.”
Hickey pointed out that the anti-union measures in Wisconsin and Ohio have also come in potential presidential battlegrounds. They are populated largely by white, working-class voters who turned sharply against Democrats in 2010.
“Lose those big industrial states, you’re cutting off one arm, you’re making it hugely difficult,” he said.

politico.com — Robert Borosage authored this opinion piece for Politico: The gulf between the voters’ common sense and the current GOP agenda reveals one thing: Republicans are for cutting spending, not deficits. They insist on extending tax breaks for the wealthy in December, while claiming to be for deficit reduction in March. They protect billions in subsides for oil and drug companies. With rare exception, they take the pledge to never raise taxes. They are for cutting government — not getting the economy moving or the budget in better balance. They’d better hope the voters don’t figure that out.

msnbc.msn.com — Co-director of Campaign for America's Future Roger Hickey appeared on MSNBC's "The Dylan Ratigan Show" on March 8, 2011, to discuss the labor protests in Wisconsin and other states, defend public workers, and call for a jobs agenda that invests in American workers, instead of making them pay for Wall Street's crimes. Hickey invited Ratigan to attend CAF's Summit on Jobs & America's Future.

washingtonpost.com —
Wisconsin - it's about democracy

The alternative press, the social media, MSNBC and other outposts of progressive journalism have been aflame with stories of the resistance. MoveOn, Organizing for America, the Campaign for America's Future and US Uncut, a new protest movement inspired by a recent article in the Nation, have called on activists to join. The resistance has spread. On Feb. 26, a national Day of Action is planned. The goal is to go after corporations - symbolized by Bank of America - whose tax avoidance contributes to the squeeze on basic social programs.

msnbc.msn.com — Co-director of Campaign for America's Future Robert Borosage appeared on MSNBC with host Cenk Uygyr on February 22, 2011 to discuss the spreading labor unrest in the United States and the political significance of battles over the budget.

washingtontimes.com — Obama reaches out to businesses Urges Chamber of Commerce to put money and people to work
"The president cannot make peace with a chamber committed to opposing every reform vital for the nation's economy," said Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America's Future. "But he can use this visit not to pander to the Chamber, but to challenge it — challenging it to represent the companies that are its members, not the ideologues that have been its allies."

content.usatoday.com — Obama takes heat for Chamber speech - before he delivers it

Liberal groups are slamming President Obama for speaking to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce later this morning, and one progressive group says he must challenge business leaders to support his agenda for investing in infrastructure and innovation.

The progressive Campaign for America's Future, meanwhile, said Obama should challenge the Chamber during his 11:30 a.m. ET address to support infrastructure investments, health care reform and new global trade agreements.
"The president cannot make peace with a Chamber committed to opposing every reform vital for the nation's economy. But he can use this visit not to pander to the Chamber, but to challenge it - challenging it to represent the companies that are its members, not the ideologues that have been its allies," said the group's Robert Borosage.

thehill.com — Liberals dismayed by Dems’ deficit-friendly job-creation agenda

“We’ll take job creation any way we can get it, but there are ways to create jobs without spending money that are more effective than what they’re talking about with the FAA extension,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future.

“Passing ‘Buy American’ provisions at every level of government would not only create demand for American-made goods but it would encourage foreign companies to make siting plans for manufacturing here,” he added.