Progressive Budget

Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA), Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX) and Dan Lipinski (Blue Dog-IL) are three of the most right-wing Democrats in Congress. They are the co-chairs of the 18-member Blue Dog Coalition the House and each has a lifetime "F" rating from Progressive Punch.

For more than a quarter-century, the Congressional Progressive Caucus has been doggedly working to advance liberal policy and opinion in Washington, with success even in times of conservative leadership.The largest House Democratic caucus, the Progressive Caucus has repeatedly been able to block right-leaning legislation, while working to improve Democrats’ bills and positively influence public discourse.

For all it's faults politically-- its nearly worthless as an electoral vehicle for progressives-- there is one thing the Congressional Progressive caucus gets right: their annual budget.

The entire corrupt Democratic establishment and its media lackeys went full bore against Bernie in Michigan. The final Fox poll of Michigan Democrats, released Monday, showed Hillary ahead 61-34%. MSNBC repeated Hillary's well-rehearsed ugly debate smear of Bernie regarding the auto bailout for two solid days. I thought Chris Matthews had a tape of it implanted in his parched, ancient brain.

Louisville Congressman John Yarmouth, a Democratic member of the House Budget Committee, was right when he said the latest edition of Paul Ryan's annual Austerity budget "is pretty much a rhetorical exercise" that isn't going anywhere. It passed Thursday 219-205, every Democrat voting NO, as did a dozen Republicans:

As expected, the political theater that is the annual battle of the budgets, yielded two defeats for progressives Wednesday.

This year's Congressional Progressive Caucus alternative budget, the Better Off Budget, was developed by Mike Honda (D-CA), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Donna Edwards (D-MD), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). Obviously, it's a complex document.