Progressives Seriously Need to Wake Up
Will the results of the midterm elections wake up progressives? On the Bonus Show: Ebola is spreading rapidly in Sierra Leone, A Navy Seal #39;s tell all account of the Bin Laden raid,...
By: David Pakman Show
The Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate majority really shouldnt matter much to progressives. Even when Democrats have the majority, precious little gets done in a body that lets a minority of members obstruct.
But never mind. A modern, future-oriented agenda has been advancing on the state level as progressive governors rush into the vacuum of inaction left by Washington. And its supporters are not just Democrats but also independents and Republicans who respect mainstream science and regard the working poor as something more than cheap labor.
Thus, we see victories for universal health coverage, higher minimum wages, the fight against climate change, slowing the war on drugs, and gay marriage. And with little thanks to Capitol Hill.
Massachusetts has run a universal health-care system for about eight years. Its plan was based on a conservative blueprint pushed through by a Republican governor, but when it surfaced as the model for the Affordable Care Act, the right disowned it.
Two important points: Massachusetts showed it could guarantee coverage while maintaining one of the nations strongest economies. And even without Obamacare, other states would have followed its example.
Obamacares biggest flaw is its complexity, largely the result of expensive giveaways to the medical industry. But now another progressive state, Vermont, is seeking a waiver to address that flaw with a modified single-payer plan. If Vermonts approach cuts the states medical spending by 25 percent without hurting quality of care as a Harvard study predicts, other states would do likewise.
Cap and trade reduces emissions of planet-warming gases by creating a market for them. It was another conservative idea, but when President Obamas Environmental Protection Agency proposed such a system, the Republican Congress turned on it.
California shrugged and created its own. At least 10 states have since adopted their own cap-and-trade programs.
Sacramento has long been the capital of American environmental policy. In 2004, California set fuel-economy standards higher than Washingtons. Soon other states embraced them, and before you knew it, 40 percent of the U.S. car market was under the California rules.
That left automakers with two choices: Build all cars to the tighter specifications or challenge Californias right to set them. They decided to challenge, running to the George W. Bush administration for relief, which they got.
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Progressives dont need D.C.
Are Progressives Disagreeing About Progressive Principles?
Dave Rubin, comedian and host of The Rubin Report, joins David to discuss recent Bill Maher/Sam Harris/Ben Affleck controversy, as well as a fracturing among the progressive left with regard...
By: David Pakman Show
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Are Progressives Disagreeing About Progressive Principles? - Video
MSNBC Can #39;t Think of Any Possible #39;Good News #39; for Progressives Tonight
By: National Review
Link:
MSNBC Can't Think of Any Possible 'Good News' for Progressives Tonight - Video
A chastened White House announced late Tuesday evening that President Obama had invited congressional leaders to the White House on Friday to try to chart a path forward, hoping to find at least some issues where the two parties could ... more >
Progressives urged President Obama Wednesday not to back down against the incoming Republican Senate majority over judicial nominations.
Neither the White House nor Senate Democrats should yield to the narrative of an inevitable confirmation shutdown, said Nan Aron, president of the liberal group Alliance for Justice. It is the constitutional duty of every senator to confirm judicial nominees so that our justice system can function for all Americans.
With Republicans picking up at least seven Senate seats Tuesday to regain the majority, Mr. Obama is expected to have a more difficult time with nominations in the final two years of his presidency. Democrats had implemented rules in the current Congress to make confirmations easier through a simple majority vote, to avoid filibusters.
Ms. Aron said the Senate should not miss a beat in fulfilling its constitutional duty on nominations in the lame-duck session and in the new Congress next year.
All of us need to redouble the fight to confirm judicial nominees who represent the full diversity of America and who are committed to upholding the rights of everyday Americans, she said. We intend to do just that.
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Progressives vow to fight Senate GOP on judicial nominations