Republicans have a different perspective on healthcare-- pay or dieLast October we started looking at Bernie Sanders' investigation into outrageous generic drug pricing under Medicare Part D. The inherent unfairness towards working families is emblematic of the GOP approach to Medicare; it's their version.
The vote of TPP is looming in the House and Obama has Jim Clyburn (D-SC) making all kind of handsome offers to Members of the Congressional Black Caucus to guarantee a big vote score from that circle. You won't find caucus members with integrity, like Barbara Lee and Donna Edwards, playing footsie with Clyburn on this, of course.
Lipinski hates women; they're probably not fond of him eitherThis week, only 4 Democrats voted to further restrict women's right to Choice, reactionary Blue Dogs, Dan Lipinski (IL), Henry Cuellar (TX) and Collin Peterson (MN) plus bizarre religious fanatic James Langevin (RI).
The intrinsically embarrassing nature of the Patriot Act came front and center again with the appearance on the national scene of NSA whistleblower Ed Snowden. This is a mature democracy? And for Obama... how did he shift from a senator so eloquently critical of unconstitutional surveillance practices to a chief proponent of expanding them?
Obama and congressional Republicans barely ever find any common ground. But last week they sure did when it came to making a deal for Trans-Pacific Partnership Fast Track authority. Just the way Bill Clinton delivered NAFTA for Wall Street, Obama is determined to give them the TPP. Progressives are dismayed.
Wall Street has picked its candidate for Maryland's open Senate seat: Establishment lackey Chris Van Hollen. He's their kind of Democrat and he's always played ball with them-- as they robbed his constituents blind. The Finance Industry has been very supportive of Van Hollen's career-- having put $1,584,364 into his political campaigns.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen defending Simpson-Bowles as a "balanced approach" at the Pete Peterson Fiscal "Summit"by Gaius PubliusIf you've been following Democratic politics lately, you know that Party leadership–favorite Rep. Chris Van Hollen is running for the open Maryland Senate seat against progressive favorite Rep.
The video above, from a Democratic congressional conference introducing an expansion of Social Security, includes statements by two Maryland congressmembers who are running for the Senate: one, Donna Edwards, who you expect to see at this kind of announcement, and one, Chris Van Hollen, who was forced into coming because of earlier support for the Simpson-Bowles proposals that would have cut Social Security benefits. Van Hollen's support for cutting Social Security-- while Donna Edwards fought tooth and nail against Simpson-Bowles-- has become an issue in the Maryland Senate race.
