Recently in Progressives Category

Have you ever wondered why so many members of Congress are so reluctant to reform our health care system, so oblivious to the concerns of the American people, and so ready, willing and able to defend the status quo? It's because inside their Washington, D.C. cocoon, inside the world of the ruling elites, the health care system is all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. And guess what, it's all government-run and taxpayer subsidized. Consider this:"The plan...

It's time to retell the American story the way it was intended to be told. Sure, I'm a history buff, but this is more about perspective than it is history. There has been a ton of talk lately about Obama being either a communist, fascist, or socialist (as if these are interchangeable) and how that goes against what the framers wanted. They are even having tea parties like those rebels in Boston before the revolutionary...

On the subject of congresspersons for sale to the highest bidder, here's one more to add to the list--Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL). From AP this morning:"Moderate House Democrats are drafting a proposal that would continue to shield big banks from potentially tougher state regulations when it comes to selling products such as credit cards, mortgages and savings accounts.The lawmakers say it's a practical approach to regulating large financial institutions that have customers in multiple states...

Three Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee--Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, and Blanche Lincoln--voted against both public option amendments yesterday. Here is the contact information for all three, along with the bribes, excuse me, campaign contributions each has taken from the insurance industry they voted to protect:Max Baucus ($1,196,463)202-224-2651E-mailKent Conrad ($838,787)202-224-2043E-mailBlanche Lincoln ($504,383)202-224-2843E-mailWhile we're at it, and since it does those of us in Texas absolutely no good to contact our Senators on this matter, let's...

I know I said no politics today, but forgive me, this is too good to pass up.Last night Sean Hannity and his two guests were discussing the video that has Fox News, talk radio, and the right-wing blogosphere about to soil themselves-the one of the elementary school children in New Jersey singing about President Obama. They start off with the usual "programming the youth" nonsense, then Hannity says this:"I have no patience for indoctrinating or...

  During the mark-up session today of the health care reform bill before the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) proposed an amendment which would delay a vote for 72 hours. Undoubtedly just another Republican stall tactic, but done under the guise of allowing time for the contents of the bill to be posted on the Finance Committee's website. The amendment was defeated, but before the vote Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) had a...

The neo-conservative, interventionist wing of the Republican Party, who never saw a war they didn't like and couldn't wait to escalate, are all up in arms (so to speak) over this:"President Obama is exploring alternatives to a major troop increase in Afghanistan, including a plan advocated by Vice President Joe Biden to scale back American forces and focus more on rooting out Al Qaeda there and in Pakistan, officials said Tuesday.The options under review are...

Two of the most-heard reasons from the Tea Party protesters as the explanation for their discontent (those who aren't screaming Marxist, Muslim, alien, that is) are that their taxes are too high and government spending is out of control. Crooks and Liars has a list of Ten Lessons for Tea Baggers, here are three which prove how misguided the protesters are on those two counts, not that they would let something like facts get in...

The long-awaited Senate Finance Committee version of health care reform (photo at left), better known as the Baucus Bill because he is about the only person who likes it, was finally released yesterday, raising the question--this is what we waited so long for? But then again, I guess something this completely and thoroughly bad can't be written overnight. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the landfill where this particular piece of...

Since it looks like it's going to be a rainy weekend in the Houston area, there should be some entertainment on the TeeVee as an assortment of whiners, complainers, sore losers, and general all-around Obama haters converge on Washington, D.C. for a Saturday demonstration. The Wall Street Journal has an account of 54 people making the 17-hour bus ride from Tallahassee, Florida as an example of what can be expected:"Conservative activists (depicted above) from around...