"Words that make actions speak louder."
Yesterday I attended a conference on the Renaissance of American Manufacturing in Washington DC. It included a variety of organizations with interests in trade, from the US Business and Industry Council to the International Association of Machinists and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. It was another step in our turn towards renewing the […]
The August unemployment data are out. The unemployment rate was “about unchanged” at 9.6 percent,” says the BLS press release. Teenagers “showed little change” at 26.3 percent, as did African Americans (16.3 percent) and Hispanics (12.0 percent). You can feel the boredom in the release. No change, no news, nothing to report. But the data […]
The complaints are starting on the new Obama administration. Some are concerned that he filled his administration with former Clinton hands, reflecting the old school (if more competent), not the change we need. “What worries me is there is not one person in the senior group who is the outsider to this club,” cautioned Robert […]
Today’s new unemployment report contains no news, just decimal point changes. It tells us what we already know, that times are bad. The question is whether our great nation can rise to the challenge. Unemployment remains unchanged at 9.5 percent, with 14.6 million people out of work. In July, we lost 202,000 jobs in the […]
Three important things happened in the last few days for manufacturing in America. Two are good. One is really really bad. The House passed good bills promoting American manufacturing, and the Joint Economic Committee released a new report finding that our manufacturing sector has gained jobs for six months in a row. Unfortunately, the House […]
New York is the most recent state to enact new rules about how people in prison are counted in the U.S. Census. Today… Maryland passed a similar rule in April. Delaware passed one in June. If other states move in this direction, it will become a trend that the Census Bureau cannot ignore. The Bureau’s […]
The progressive movement that fueled Obama’s stunning 2008 election victory is out of work. Sure, lots of people are unemployed — but the demographic groups at the heart of the Obama coalition have been hit especially hard. That’s why it’s so bitter to watch Obama so passive on the economy. He is meekly awaiting the […]
It happened again today. The Washington Post says the Democrats lost in the US Senate because they were “unable to muster the 60 votes needed.” As a result, states won’t get help paying for Medicaid, long term unemployed won’t get relief, and hedge fund managers will continue to enjoy their $35 billion loophole that could […]
It’s 2010, census year. The headcount was in April and the results will be released in December. Next spring the action begins: redistricting. If you thought the November elections mattered for control of Congress, the forward momentum of the progressive movement or the new energy economy, add another item to your list. November’s winners will […]
The Campaign for America’s Future’s America’s Future Now! conference just finished. It revealed a remarkable unity of vision, and a careful balance in troubled times. Progressives came together and credited President Obama and the Congressional Democrats for accomplishments so far: Comprehensive health care reform. A Recovery Act that kept us from falling off the cliff. […]