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THE TICKER

Then-PresidentObama hugs then-Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.)after signing the Dodd-Frank law on July 21, 2010. (AP/Charles Dharapak)

When it comes to Wall Street regulations, congressional Democrats have spent the year playing defense. But as the seventh anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Act approaches Friday, a coalition of progressive groups is pushing the party to get back on offense.

The groups including major labor unions, lefty activists, faith-based organizations and consumer advocates, organized under the banner of"Take on Wall Street" aim to crank up grassroots heat on elected Democrats. They want party leaders, though deep in the minority, to revive some of the get-tough measures they campaigned on last year, when they expected to win at least the White House.

The coalitions agenda remains a work in progress. So far it includes proposals to close the carried interest loophole for investment managers; impose a financial transaction tax of .03 percent on most trades; end the deductibility of executive bonuses; revive the Glass-Steagall laws separation between commercial and investment banking; and slow the revolving door between industry and government.

None of those ideas is new. And the coalition plans to build on them, says Shane Larson, the Communications Workers of Americas legislative director, whos coordinating the coalitions efforts.

It plans to get started now, since the collapse of the Obamacare repeal drive on Capitol Hill is giving way to a debate over a tax code overhaul. Larson says the coalition will start a conversation about Wall Street paying its fair share this week by firing up an email list that reaches hundreds of thousands of progressive voters.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.). (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The push comes as Democrats begin to reconsider a governing vision. The party is still reeling from its shock November loss, and leaders are divided over what their message should be as the midterm campaign season swings into view.

A Washington Post-ABC poll released over the weekendshows just 37 percent of voters believe Democrats stand for something, while 52 percent say the party just stands against Trump.

Coalition officials think an anti-Wall Street agenda could help solve that problem. A poll released Tuesday found broad bipartisan support for stricter industry regulation. The survey, commissioned by Americans for Financial Reform and the Center for Responsible Lending, shows 78 percent of respondents in favor of tougher rules and enforcement on the sector, versus 11 percent who say practices have changed enough that no more restrictions are needed.

To us, its crystal clear, Larson says, adding coalition members have been frustrated that Democrats havent yet devoted enough attention to kitchen-table concerns. Democrats are focusing more on Russia than core economic issues that our members really want to hear people talking about.

Democrats say they have only a limited ability to steer the conversation these days in the face of a news avalanche thats so far consisted mostly of Russia revelations and the health-care debate (and the fact they don't control Congress or the White House). Russia is a big deal in the news for reasons that are beyond anyones control besides Donald Trump, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), deputy chair of the national party, told me. And we have been trying to protect this country from having their health-care stripped away. This has been the most salient issue thats been in front of the Congress.

Ellison, who also sits on the House Financial Services Committee, says Democrats will be talking more about the need to tighten the screws on big financial institutions. That would mark a shift for the party. Despite running just last year on a platform promising aggressive new regulations, Democrats have split this year over simply defending the status quo and endorsing tweaks to ease the industrys burden. Says one party strategist in favor of a tougher anti-industry stance, "Some cover from these groups would be helpful."

MONEY ON THE HILL

House Budget Chairwoman Diane Black (R-Tenn.)(EPA/JIM LO SCALZO)

A budget resolution now represents the key to unlocking what remains of President Trump's economic agenda. The House Budget Committee today is proceeding with a markup of its spending blueprint, a measure if adopted that would allow Republicans to pass a tax-code overhaul without any Democratic votes (which, of course, didn't work out so well for them onObamacare). AP's Andrew Taylor reports: "But it also proposes trillions of dollars in cuts to the social safety net and other domestic programs and puts congressional Republicans at odds with Trump over cutting Medicare. It also would sharply boost military spending... Unclear, however, is whether GOP leaders can get the budget measure through the House. Conservatives want a larger package of spending cuts to accompany this falls tax overhaul bill, while moderates are concerned cuts to programs such as food stamps could go too far."

Congressional reporters and commentators were quick to note Tuesday that the measure faces long odds, and Republicans don't have any better options.

From Politicos Rachael Bade:

From Roll Call's Jennifer Shutt:

Author and writer David Dayen:

From Politicos Sarah Ferris:

Roll Call's Lindsey McPherson has this good rundown of the possible paths forward for a Republican budget resolution. There could be some fireworks at the markup today, especially if Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) follows through with this threat to offer a poison-pill amendment targeting a border adjustment tax.

Financial markets likewise are skeptical that the Trump team will be able to deliver on the sweeping tax overhaul it's promised. The dollar tumbled to a 10-month low after the health-care bill's implosion stoked new fears among investors about the prospects for the administration's economic agenda,Lisa Twaronite of Reuters reports. And/but: Wall Street analysts are still holding out hope for a more targeted package of tax cuts, CNBC's Patti Domm reports.

Meanwhile, the Obamacarerepealdebacle may have taught the Trump administration there are limits to what it can accomplish, even with nominal control of both chambers of Congress. The White House is trimming its ambitions for the tax code overhaul it hopes to take up next. Administration officials are now privately talking about a corporate tax rate between 20 and 25 percent, Politico's Josh Dawsey and company report. That's a major move from the 15 percent rate that Trump has talked up publicly and a bow to the reality that the math and politics of a tax code rewrite are exceedingly difficult, despite what Trump and his top officials have said.

TRUMP TRACKER

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 8, 2017. (REUTERS/Saul Loeb, Pool)

Trump is long on tough talk and short on action when it comes to trade. That's the conclusion Chinese governementofficials have drawn from his first six months in office, a period they entered fearing what the new president might do to make good on his China-focused saber rattling on trade during the campaign. The Wall Street Journal's Jacob Schlesinger reports: "But Mr. Trump has since dropped his threats to impose drastic penalties against Chinese importsan across-the-board tariff, or a formal charge of currency manipulationand has so far focused on small market-opening agreements, instead..U.S. business groups, which had originally braced for the hostilities Mr. Wang referred to, are now growing worried the Trump administration may not press China hard enough for broad reforms they consider necessary to pry Chinas economy open." The two sides meet in Washington today for economic talks.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchinand Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross say they want to see some "concrete" stepsby the Chinese to open their markets. Steve Holland of Reuters reports: "Ross said some initial deals announced in April, as part of a 100-day economic plan aimed at reducing the U.S. trade deficit with China, were a 'good start.'These include the sale of U.S. beef in China for the first time in 14 years and commitments to open up narrow areas of China's financial services sector, such as credit card services and credit ratings agencies. Some of these agreements are yet to be implemented, and there has been little evidence of progress on thornier issues, such as excess capacity in China's steel and aluminum sectors."

Mexico and Canada likely see the early record of the Trump team differently. The Trump administration on Monday released its goals for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, and it includes what my colleague Ana Swanson calls some "fighting words." Here she walks through four points in particular from the 17-page document that the governmentsof our largest export markets won't be happy about.

This feels like another unforced error on the Russia front by the White House:"Trump had undisclosed hour-long meeting with Putin at G-20 summit." Karen DeYoung and Phil Rucker report: "After his much-publicized two-and-a-quarter-hour meeting early this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Germany, President Trump chatted informally with the Russian leader for up to an additional hour later the same day. The second meeting, undisclosed at the time, took place at a dinner for G-20 leaders, a senior administration official said. At some point during the meal, Trump left his own seat to occupy a chair next to Putin. Trump approached alone, and Putin was attended only by his official interpreter."

The White House announced Tuesday that Trump will nominate former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman to serve as ambassador to Russia. Huntsman, a Republican, served as Obama's first ambassador to China.

POCKET CHANGE

JP Morgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon walks next to Chairman and Chief Executive of the Goldman Sachs Group Lloyd C. Blankfein at the White House after a meeting with President Obama on March 27, 2009. (REUTERS/Larry Downing)

Goldman Sachs's bond-trading unit turned in its second bad quarter in a row,prompting a sell-off and raising new questions about the firm's strategy. The Wall Street Journal's Liz Hoffman: "Goldman, once the fiercest trading shop on Wall Street, reported a 40% decline in its fixed-income trading business that lands it at the back of the pack among big U.S. banks to report quarterly results. The results will likely amplify criticism that Goldman hasnt responded quickly enough to dramatic changes in trading trends and market conditions. A rejiggering of the divisions leadership last fall failed to jolt the desk from its malaise, which culminated in having its revenue surpassed in the first quarter by Morgan Stanley, Goldmans rival historically weaker in debt trading."

Morgan Stanley, meanwhile, beat expectations, posting a $1.76 billion second-quarter profit.

Big U.S. banks are starting to pay corporations, financial firms and rich people more to hold on to their deposits, but ordinary consumers will have to wait longer to see more than a few pennies for every $100 they stash in their accounts.

Reuters

Chipotle confirmed that several customers who ate at a location in Sterling, Virginia, reported norovirus symptoms.

CNBC

THE REGULATORS

The Securities and Exchange Commission buildingin Washington. (AP/Andrew Harnik)

Trump is set to nominateformer Senate Republican aide Hester Maria Peirceto the Securities and Exchange Commission. Peirce, who was nominated by then-President Obama but stalled out in the Senate, is likely to face stiff opposition from Democrats. Eric Beech of Reuters reports: "Liberal firebrand Senator Elizabeth Warren is highly critical of Peirce, who is a member of the Federalist Society, an organization of conservative and libertarian lawyers. Peirce could be instrumental in carrying out Trump's plan to reform regulations imposed after the 2007-09 financial crisis and recession. She recently edited and contributed to a book published by the right-leaning Mercatus Center that called for totally restructuring the country's financial regulation." She'd fill one of two empty slots on the five-member SEC.

Executives that represent Wall Street interests pitched ideas on Tuesday about ways to scale back securities regulations that they blamed for stifling the market for initial public offerings.

Reuters

"If you see Cohn go to the Fed, to me, that's an escape path for him and that means that Goldman has given up on the Trump administration," Chris Whalen says.

CNBC

DAYBOOK

Today

Coming Up

THE FUNNIES

The Posts Tom Toles says Republicans werent exactly leveling with you about health care all along

BULL SESSION

Here's what you need to know about the House GOP budget plan:

Washington reacts after the collapse of the GOP health-care bill:

The Post's Glenn Kessler explains:No spending cuts to Medicaid? Then no tax cuts either:

Fans of 'goat yoga' move to a different bleat:

More here:
The Finance 202: Progressives revive attacks on Wall Street in health care's wake - Washington Post

UPDATE: Women's March organizer Linda Sarsour has responded to Tapper, looping him in with her "alt-right" attackers.

***Original Post***

The Women's March, part of the "Resistance" that has emerged in the era of President Trump, has a knack for championing convicted cop killers. The group, which recently went on a 17-mile march in Washington, D.C. against the NRA, declared itslove for Assata Shakur on Twitter.

Shakur, also known as Joanne Deborah Chesimard, is currently on the FBI's Most Wanted list for murdering a New Jersey police officer in 1977. She escaped prison two years later and is now hiding in Cuba. What a perfect person to celebrate!

Condemning cop killers is something upon which I hope both Republicans and Democrats can find consensus. Why, then, CNN's Jake Tapper wondered, aren't any progressives speaking out against the march?

When a social media user challenged Tapper to suggest that most people believe Chesimard to be innocent, he replied with a simple, "nope," and let this FBI document do the talking.

Nevertheless, the Women's March activists are doubling down on their praise of Chesimard. Sophie Ellman-Golan, who serves as the deputy head of socials and outreach for the group, responded to Tapper's tweet with a sarcastic message that read, "Right, because the FBI has a history of being really fair to well-known Black activists." The Women's March Twitter account also defended its initial tweet celebrating Shakur's birthday by sending out a 20-tweet explainer, as documented by the Free Beacon.

Social media users who didn't buy the Women's March's explanation thanked Tapper for exposing the group's radicalism.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined Tapper in his outrage. "Unbelievable that anyone would idolize a cop killer. Chesimard belongs in jail, & #Cuba should return her to the US so she can face justice," he tweeted.

Hopefully some of his Democratic colleagues will echo his calls.

Oh, and it's always worth mentioning that Women's March organizer Linda Sarsour once called for jihad against President Trump.

Even The New York Times Noticed the Dems' Obstructionism

Original post:
Tapper: Why Aren't Progressives Calling Out the Women's March ... - Townhall

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and his main challenger City Councilor Tito Jackson will attend two separate community conversations in Jamaica Plain this week. And you have the opportunity to ask the candidates questions before the events.

The JP Progressives are hosting the two public conversations: Tito Jackson on Tuesday at 7 pm and Mayor Walsh on Thursday at 7:30 pm. It is free to attend either event, but registration is requested. Please register here for the conversation with Jackson, and register here for the conversation with Walsh. Both events will be at the First Baptist Churchs community room (633 Centre St.).

District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson announced his candidacy for Boston mayor on Jan. 12, 2017 outside of the Haley House Cafe.

Our neighborhood and our city has an important decision to make: what issues will we prioritize, and what solutions will we work on, over the next four years? said an email blast from JP Progressives about the events. For so many challenges from housing and education to racial and economic justice voting for the mayor of Boston is our biggest opportunity to improve our city.While national politics may dominate the news, the mayors race is just around the corner. On Tuesday and Thursday, its JPs chance to show up and make our voices heard!

Mayor Walsh addresses the audience with JP resident Heidi Schork, director of the Mayors Mural Crew looking on.

And if you have a question for either candidate you can actually post them in advance or support others questions by clicking here using the following codes: #2687 for Tito Jackson and #H599 for Marty Walsh.

By posting your questions and voting for the questions you care the most about, help ensure that we are discussing the issues of most concern to theprogressivecommunity, said the JP Progressives.

Read more from the original source:
JP Progressives Hosting Community Conversations with Tito Jackson and Mayor Walsh - Jamaica Plain News

OLEAN In an era of fake news accusations, a group of local progressives are hoping to separate fact from fiction with a film series about issues that cause plenty of debate in the American political landscape.

Citizens Action Network of Southwestern New York plans to show four documentaries this summer that delve into topics such as health care, the environment, voting rights and refugees. The local group, which formed in response to Donald Trumps presidential election victory, also plans to feature a panel of local experts for each film.

I think all the issues being addressed in the films are topics in which a lot of people strongly have either positive or negative feelings and where often the conversations are based on inadequate or entirely false information, said Chris Stanley, a Citizens Action Network organizer and St. Bonaventure University theology professor. And so the idea is to have films where experts who are involved in the issues are presenting facts and data in order to perhaps promote more intelligent conversations and more informed political actions on the issues.

The first film, Now Is the Time, which explains a single-payer health care system and why some feel it is the cheapest and most effective way to deliver medical care in the U.S., will be presented at 7 p.m. July 20 at the African American Center for Cultural Development.

A single-payer health care system is a system in which a public agency like the federal government provides financing for health care, but the care is still provided by private agencies, and all residents receive coverage regardless of income, occupation or health status.

After the film, Upper Allegheny Health System President and CEO Tim Finan, Olean Medical Group CEO Dan Strauch and Athena Godet-Calogeras, chairperson of the Health Care Access Coalition, will speak briefly about a single-payer system and answer questions from the audience.

Wed like to hope that people ... will attend the film and ask the actual medical professionals about what they think is going to work best rather than simply listening to politicians, Stanley said.

Finan, Strauch and Godet-Calogeras participation on the panel doesnt necessarily mean they support a single-payer system, Stanley said, adding he didnt ask them for their opinions when inviting them to the screening.

Were intentionally trying to line up diverse respondents to our films, not necessarily people who will agree with everything thats being said in the films, so that we can promote some honest conversation about issues rather than simply promoting one point of view or one agenda, he said.

The event is free, but audience members can contribute toward the screening costs if they wish. The screening is co-sponsored by the Health Care Access Coalition.

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The other three films, which will address the environment, voting rights and Syrian refugees, respectively, will be shown at two-week intervals after the first screening. Citizens Action Network of Southwestern New York will announce more details about the films at a later date.

The African American Center for Cultural Development is located at 1801 W. State St.

(Contact reporter Tom Dinki at tdinki@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @tomdinki)

Originally posted here:
Olean progressives to hold film series - Olean Times Herald

Too many on the left say progressives should not be focusing on the Russian interference in our democracy. They say it is just an excuse to allow the failure of Clinton and Democratic leadership to offer the public good policies that help people instead of just helping corporations and the rich slide. Some even say it is just old 1950s-style red-baiting.

Criticism of Russia is not related to previous pre-1990s criticisms of communism or socialism. Russia is not that. Today it is a kletocracy run by one guy and a bunch of oligarchs, sort of the perfect Koch/Thiel/Trump/corporate state that Republicans are trying to bring about here.

They Did It

The Trump campaign did do this and the Republican Party is running cover for it, just so they can continue to loot us with tax cuts for the rich and taking away the things our government does to make our lives better.

Its better for progressives if the spectrum of power goes from the left to centrist Dems, instead of from centrist Dems to the far right as it does now. Using Russia to get lots of Rs out of power and move that spectrum left only helps us obtain an environment in which Medicare-for-All, free college and university, allowing everyone to vote, restoring taxation and regulation on corporations, breaking up monopolies, bringing racial and gender justice, ending privatization, finally fighting climate change and all the other things needed to heal the country and planet are possible to achieve.

We need the public to understand that conservative/Republican/corporate rule is anti-democracy and not legitimate. Focusing on Russia helps us get there.

The Russia Story Isnt Going Away

Its not like the Russia story is going to drop from the news, allowing other things to be discussed. So ride the wave instead of fighting the tide.

The Russia story actually gives us an opportunity to talk about good policies instead of policies that hurt the country, by tying that discussion to Russian efforts to hurt us. All the talk about Russia gives us the opportunity to tie Republican anti-government policies to the ways Russia hoped to benefit from their interference in our democracy. Russia helped put them there in an effort to hurt the country and Republican policies hurt the country.

The Russia story delegitimizes Republicans by exposing their lack of legitimacy. (Along with voter suppression, gerrymandering and other ways they are not legitimately in power.) The more they and their policies are delegitimized the more progressive policies fill the vacuum.

Note how Medicare-for-All is being widely discussed, even while the Russia story dominates.

All the talk about Russian interference in democracy offers us a chance to remind people of what democracy means. erference in our democracy.

. Bookmark the

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Excerpt from:
Progressives Should Focus On Russia - Seeing the Forest