One of the frustrations of being a ‘rational’ progressive is watching people you largely agree with be completely wrongheaded in the way they pursue progressive goals. I am a bang for the buck kind of guy. Human capital is limited, so I like to see progressives devote energy and resources where they can do the…
Tag: agenda
On Hillary and Bernie
I am a progressive. I want the things Bernie promises for this country. I want universal health care, and free higher education, and reduced incarceration, and an end to the artificial redistribution of wealth into the pockets of the filthy rich. But I also understand basic civics, and I read the news, so I know that…
Michael Moore: An Open Letter to President Obama
Michael Moore put together an excellent list for those of us pushing for the President’s agenda and more. Number 10 may be the most important, and I don’t think it could be said any better. 10. ASK US TO DO SOMETHING. One thing is clear: none of the above is going to happen if you…
Mitt Romneys Real Agenda
The GOP legislation awaiting Romneys signature isnt simply a return to the era of George W. Bush. From abortion rights and gun laws to tax giveaways and energy policy, its far worse. Measures that have already sailed through the Republican House would roll back clean-air protections, gut both Medicare and Medicaid, lavish trillions in tax…
The best way to judge Obama’s first term — and his second
Of course, the presidency is not a lab experiment. We cannot tweak a few variables and rerun the last few years to test their effect. In that way, reviewing the flaws in a presidency is a hard thing to do well, and an impossible thing to do perfectly. Every political pundit — indeed, every citizen…
Five policies to watch from Obama’s State of the Union
Obama proposed much more policy, of course. You can see it all in Wonkblog’s policy-only edit of the speech. But the caveat to almost every idea he offered is the same: Most all of them require congressional cooperation. Cooperation the Obama administration is not likely to get. All tax bills, for instance, must originate in…