Progressive Media Advocates
Richard Eskow: Simpson and Bowles, those two hired pitchmen for budget-cutting hysteria, are still hawking an economy-killing product called “austerity economics,” a product that’s designed to benefit their wealthy patrons at everybody else’s expense.
Tina Dupuy: Trump has basically blamed all servicewomen for being assaulted. They’re culpable in their own rape because a) they’re women and b) they’re serving alongside men.
Rich Broderick: Pope Francis should ask himself, what would Jesus say and do — what would the new Pope say and do if he were to act upon Church teachings — in response to Paul Ryan’s mendaciously entitled “Pathway to Prosperity” budget proposal?
Shamus Cooke: At the end of the day a so-called progressive Democrat is still a Democrat, and the Democratic Party has re-made its image to reflect the interests of its new big donors from Wall Street, who now feel as comfortable buying Democrats as they do purchasing a Republican politician.
Walter Brasch: The American people broadly rejected Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan in 2010. They need to now reject Ryan’s so-called new budget that proves the Republicans are nothing more than the lackeys of corporate greed at the expense of the rest of us.
Robert Reich: The President needs to deliver the same message to the public, loudly and clearly. The biggest problems we face are unemployment, stagnant wages, slow growth, and widening inequality — not deficits. The major goal must be to get jobs and wages back, not balance the budget.
Carl Matthes: In 2012, conservatives lost the Presidency plus seats in the Senate and House. They see America changing and, wIthout a national leader, conservatives have splintered.
Joeseph Palermo: President Obama and the Democrats’ willingness to accept cuts to Social Security in the form of the gimmicky “chained CPI” right after an election where no candidate for federal office campaigned on it shows that the Right’s long-term project of undoing the New Deal marches on despite the electorate’s wishes.
Charley James: Newspapers and cable are filled with counter GOP demands for massive spending cuts that would almost entirely hurt the poor, the working poor, the tattered remains of the middle class and the elderly.
Jon Rainwater: The next few years offer the potential to transform American foreign policy — if a war weary and economically hurting American public gets active
Walter Moss: Given the continuing Republican control of the House of Representatives and the leading role of John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Paul Ryan, how does the president move the country forward? By principled compromise and exercising abundant political craftsmanship!
Sikivu Hutchinson: If President Obama squanders the energy and direction of this newly galvanized constituency with more corporate toadyism and welfare for the super-rich 2012 will be the last gasp before 2016’s full court GOP insurgency
Berry Craig: Romney and Ryan are two of the most anti-labor politicians around. But they think they can peel off some union votes with the old social issues sucker bait.
Anthony Samad: We have to be true to ourselves in order to make a difference in our local communities. And, in being true to self, we show our character if we’re being true to what’s in the best interest of all.
Charley James: Voters are not becoming better informed and candidates get away with saying almost anything that pops into their heads. It was especially bad this year when Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan simply lied at every chance.
Berry Craig: Like the college Republicans of my day, Ryan is crazy about all things military. He also opted for college over military service.
Dick Price: Mitt Romney – because he has no values beyond promoting his own and Lady Romney’s welfare – he’ll take the NRA’s money and oppose any sort of reasonable gun regulation. Which makes him forever the Gun Lobby’s Mitch.
Walter Moss: One also wonders if there is still another word that better describes a man who in his dogged desire for the presidency has twisted and turned in so many ways. And that word is opportunist.
Tina Dupuy: Romney, after being staunchly pro-choice disclosing his family friend, Ann Keenan, died of an illegal abortion in 1963, now says he’d like to see it illegal once again. Except, he says, for women who are victims.
Walter Brasch: Sometimes, being bathed by the wisdom of the Founding Fathers’ that all views should be heard, even the ones we disagree with, even the ones that may not be truthful, may be more than any citizen should have to endure.
Julie Driscoll: When Fox ran out of ways to protect the golden boy Ryan, after they’d media-mauled, after they’d gloated about their poll showing a clear Ryan win, Fox launched the smear that Biden was drunk at the debate:
Ruth Rosen: Will Joe Biden’s debating skills help viewers realize that Romney and Paul have repudiated everything they’ve stood for before the debate?
Randy Shaw: Joe Biden gave the type of debate performance that, if given by Barack Obama last week, would have ended the race. Obama supporters can only hope that the President was carefully taking notes.
Karen Finney: The ability to connect cold data points to reality gives Biden a real advantage on Thursday night, not the number of times he’s previously debated.
Charley James: According to you, altruism is immoral and it’s every man, woman, child, working stiff, crippled veteran and hunched-over granny for themselves. Your attitude makes the “soup Nazi” on Seinfeld seem like a cuddly department store Santa by comparison.
Randy Shaw: Obama’s campaign is giving progressives something they have not experienced since FDR: a clear cut ideological victory for progressive economic strategies and values. And Republicans know it.
Tina Dupuy: Since corporations are people according the Romney/Ryan ticket, does god give them rights? We’re talking about the divine right of Exxon-Mobile here: this is important.
Heather Gautney: We need to start pressing for things that our politicians did NOT discuss at the conventions. Real solutions–like universal education, debt forgiveness, wealth redistribution, and participatory political structures—that would empower us to decide together what’s best. Not who’s best.
Nia-Malika Henderson: Romney has bet that elevating Clinton would diminish Obama in voter’s minds. But then Clinton, who is America’s most popular politician, torched Romney and House Republicans, delivering big in Charlotte.
Walter Brasch: The failure to maintain records in an easily searchable method continues to allow the DEP to withhold public information from the public by burying the requested data within piles of irrelevant documents, most of which need interpretation from scientists.
Brent Budowsky: Let’s escalate the effort to eliminate the backlog of benefits due to wounded warriors and disabled vets by devoting whatever resources are necessary to complete this mission, and enlisting a major business leader.
Vicki Zakrzewski: Planned school closings have been met with angry protests from teachers and parents who argue that the closures will force students to cross dangerous gang lines on their way to school.
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How to Win the Debate on Taxes
Steve Hochstadt: epublican proposals in the Senate and House, created mainly by Romney’s VP selection, Paul Ryan, lower taxes on the wealthy in two whopping chunks: the top tax rate drops from 35% to 25%, and all taxes on capital gains disappear.