Understanding ‘Debtageddon’ Tuesday

July 31, 2011 By Denis Campbell

Denis Campbell: Many economists predict a failure to act before Asia markets open Sunday or Monday night could see an immediate stock market loss of up to 5% and wipe out 10% of US GDP by Tuesday night. It’s that serious.

Don’t Fall for GOP “Budget Crisis” Lie

July 31, 2011 By Robert Reich

Robert Reich: Republicans are using what would otherwise be a routine, legally technical vote to raise the debt limit as a means of holding the nation hostage to their own political goal of shrinking the size of the federal government.

Famine Strikes Again: Will America Respond?

July 31, 2011 By William B. Lambers

William Lambers: East Africa is in the throes of famine. U.S. relief efforts over the past century show that we have always been willing to respond to humanitarian crises.

The West Has a Double Standard in Terrorism Cases

July 31, 2011 By Ivan Eland

Ivan Eland: In the case of al-Qaeda, focusing on Islam is just a way of avoiding a much-needed introspective examination of U.S. foreign policy to see if unneeded, and often counterproductive, U.S. interventions in the Muslim world could be eliminated.

Progressive Caucus Encourages Primary Challenge

July 31, 2011 By admin

On Saturday, 75 members of the CDP’s Progressive Caucus passed a resolution in support of a Democratic Party Presidential Primary challenge to President Obama.

SB 490: Let the Voters Make an Informed Death Penalty Decision

July 30, 2011 By James Clark

James Clark: No one is surprised to learn that California’s death penalty is a broken and dysfunctional system. After all, you don’t have to go far in California to find any government bureaucracy that’s broken or dysfunctional – it’s finding a functional government program that might take a while.

7 Myths That Drive the Debt Ceiling Debate

July 30, 2011 By Adam Eran

Adam Eran: The metaphors that frame the current Federal budget and debt ceiling debates are completely inaccurate, and if the media coverage is any indication, the public has swallowed them hook, line and sinker, too.

An Anti-Government Challenge

July 30, 2011 By Richard M. Mathews

Richard M. Mathews: Unless you are wearing 100% cotton made on the plantation you have had in the family for generations without the benefit of outside seed or fertilizer, the clothes have got to go.

Portantino’s Staff Faces “Leave Without Pay”

July 30, 2011 By admin

Eliot Sekuler: The ultimate victim of Perez’ punishment will be the people who live and work in Assembly District 44. And the wall of secrecy surrounding the State Assembly’s operating budget certainly has no place in state government.

Black Leaders Rebuke Obama

July 30, 2011 By Sharon Kyle

Sharon Kyle; President Obama has the wrong team Cornel West told a reporter. The poor, particularly blacks and browns are suffering under his leadership.

Profiteering and Union-Busting Repackaged as School Reform

July 29, 2011 By David A. Love

David Love: But the larger picture here is that corporate education reform is big business. And the rightwing, plutocratic agenda – of school privatization, government austerity measures and deunionization – clashes with the needs of poor, working class, and disproportionately black and brown public school students.

Did Beer End Minnesota’s State Shutdown?

July 29, 2011 By admin

Christine Sismondo: It was not the 22,000 furloughed state employees, the shuttered state parks, or the closed motor vehicle bureaus that finally brought the reality of the shutdown home to many state residents—it was the specter of unavailable beer, wine, and spirits.