Issues Archive by Date

  • Baiting the Bear: McCain Wants Russia Out of the Group of Eight
    by Nina Hachigian, May 7, 2008
    The presumptive presidential nominee wants to kick Russia out of the G8, further harming U.S. national security interests, writes Nina Hachigian.
  • A Progressive Vision for Higher Education: A View from Washington
    by John Podesta, May 5, 2008
    CAPAF President John D. Podesta’s speech to the NEA and the AFT on a progressive vision for higher education.
  • A Better Solution for Gas Prices
    by Sam Davis, Daniel J. Weiss, May 1, 2008
    McCain's Federal Gas Tax Holiday is infeasible, but a fuel price"reliefbate" could work by cutting loopholes for big oil, write Sam Davis and Daniel Weiss.
  • McCain’s Health Plan Puts at Least 56 Million People with Chronic Disease at Risk of Losing Health Coverage
    by Jeanne Lambrew, April 29, 2008
    The health care plan proposed by Sen. John McCain would put at least 56 million people with chronic disease at risk of losing coverage.
  • Earmark Reform Doesn’t Equal Economic Policy
    by Scott Lilly, April 28, 2008
    McCain's economic speech last week both gets the facts wrong and fails to address the most urgent economic issues of today.
  • The Evolution of Religion in Politics
    April 25, 2008
    CAPAF event brings together authors to discuss the role of religion in the current presidential race and the changing views of evangelicals.
  • Housing Crisis Requires Congressional Action
    April 23, 2008
    CAPAF provides an analysis of pending housing market legislation now before the House of Representatives.
  • A Shared Agenda and Principles for Mortgage Market and Community Stabilization Policy
    April 23, 2008
    CAPAF and several other organizations have joined together behind a common agenda for mortgage market and community stabilization.
  • John McCain's Record on Energy and Global Warming: Support for Big Oil, Opposition to Renewable Energy
    April 22, 2008
    A look at Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) record on global warming and the environment comes up lacking.
  • It’s Not Just Israel
    by Scott Lilly, April 17, 2008
    It’s about whether the debate over the future of this country should be based on fluff or substance.
  • Homeland Security at Five Years
    April 17, 2008
    Experts gather to discuss growth of the DHS, the upcoming presidential transition, and unaddressed challenges.
  • McCain Pulls Rug From Under Israel
    by Scott Lilly, April 16, 2008
    McCain yesterday proposed eliminating a wide range of legislative directives contained in the annual appropriation bills including all assistance for Israel.
  • Senator McCain's Corporate Tax Proposals: A Critical Examination
    by Reuven S. Avi-Yonah, April 14, 2008
    Sen. McCain's corporate tax proposals, such as cutting the corporate tax rate, are analyzed in a new report by Reuven S. Avi-Yonah.
  • What Monetary Policy? Conservatives’ Blind Eye to Fed Bailouts
    by Scott Lilly, April 14, 2008
    Rhetoric aimed at blocking help to responsible homeowners doesn’t apply when Fed bails out big financial institutions, writes Scott Lilly.
  • Overlooked So Far: The Nation's Unmarried Women in 2008
    by Page Gardner, John Podesta, April 10, 2008
    New report outlines steps that leaders, especially the next president, should take to address the needs of unmarried women.
  • Sen. McCain's HOME Plan: Late to the Party with a Flawed Plan
    by Sarah Rosen Wartell, April 10, 2008
    Senator McCain Continues to Oppose Sensible Community Stabilization Solutions to Protect American Family Savings, writes Sarah Rosen Wartell.
  • Big Oil’s Favorite Senators
    by Daniel J. Weiss, Nick Kong, April 9, 2008
    Contributions to Senators have paid off for Big Oil, but the cost to the rest of us grows, write Daniel J. Weiss and Nick Kong.
  • Agenda for Action on the Housing Crisis
    April 2, 2008
    CAPAF outlines a solution to the housing crisis to stabilize housing and credit markets.
  • A Healthy Plan to CAP Family Spending on Insurance Premiums Enters National Debate
    March 28, 2008
    CAP’s proposal to cap family spending on insurance premiums to reduce health care costs enters national debate.
  • Oil Contributions To Senators
    March 25, 2008
  • Five Easy Pieces and Two Trillion Dollars: The Bush-McCain-Norquist Tax Agenda
    by Robert Gordon, James Kvaal, March 21, 2008
    The McCain tax plan is essentially a continuation of Norquist's piecemeal but radical changes to the U.S. tax code under the heading of “Five Easy Pieces.”
  • Mixed Like Me
    by Anna Soellner, March 20, 2008
    The candidate’s Philadelphia address on U.S. race relations speaks directly to those of us with more than one ethnic identity, writes Anna Soellner.
  • Introducing the Hyde Park Project: A New Progressive Policy War Room
    March 17, 2008
    The Center for American Progress Action Fund has assembled a new policy war room to make the progressive case in the ideological debate.
  • Conservative Health Reform: Why It Could Deepen Our Health System Crisis
    by Jeanne Lambrew, March 14, 2008
    Conservative-endorsed "consumer-directed health care" is not a solution to the growing crisis, writes Jeanne Lambrew.
  • New Post-Election Poll Shows Political Diversity of Ohio Evangelical Christians
    March 10, 2008
    Post-election polls in Ohio show evangelical Christians are not a homogeneous voting bloc, and more diverse than the media assumes.
  • Progressive Movement on Immigration: State Level Efforts Bolster a National Movement
    March 7, 2008
    CAPAF event looks at progressive efforts in the states to enact sensible immigration policy in the wake of federal inaction.
  • Why Pakistan Matters: Kerry Speaks on Elections Experience
    February 29, 2008
    Sen. John Kerry, who just returned from Pakistan, recommends U.S. policy changes in the region at a CAPAF event.
  • The African-American and Latino Vote in the 2008 Election
    February 26, 2008
    African-American and Latino voting blocs have clout this primary season, and the campaigns are increasing outreach accordingly.
  • El Voto Latino y Afroestadounidense en las Elecciones del 2008
    February 26, 2008
    “Cuando pensamos en el hecho que todas las anteriores elecciones presidenciales han sido entre hombres blancos, esta elección presenta una situación completamente nueva” dijo Roberto Suro, Profesor de la universidad del Sur de California en un evento del Center for American Progress Action Fund.
  • Avoiding the Pitfalls of Credit Card Debt
    February 25, 2008
    Sen. Ron Wyden and panelists discuss the need for swift action to avoid a credit card crisis on par with the mortgage crisis.
  • New Post-Election Poll Demonstrates Political Diversity of Evangelical Christians
    February 11, 2008
    Post-election poll in Missouri and Tennessee shows the diversity of evangelical voters and the need for more thorough polling and careful analysis.
  • Think Again: An Unhealthy Dialogue on Health Care
    by Eric Alterman, George Zornick, February 7, 2008
    A healthy dialogue on our healthcare system is lacking in the current debate on the issue, writes Eric Alterman.
  • Interactive Map: Super Tuesday and the Latino Vote
    February 5, 2008
    Latinos will play an important role in selecting major party nominees in the Super Tuesday primaries.
  • What Would Jesus Tax?
    by David Madland, January 19, 2008
  • A Practical and Progressive Economic Stimulus and Recovery Plan
    by John Podesta, Laura Tyson, Sarah Rosen Wartell, January 17, 2008
    Laura Tyson, John Podesta and Sarah Wartell present Congress with CAPAF's practical and progressive economic stimulus plan.
  • Getting Human Rights into Political Dialogue
    January 10, 2008
    CAPAF holds an event discussing human rights and how to bring them into elections and the public consciousness.
  • Paying Attention to Human Rights in the 2008 Presidential Campaign
    by Bill Schulz, January 9, 2008
    A new CAP study of debate questions indicates that human rights issues should be getting more attention.
  • Public Attitudes on Health Reform
    December 21, 2007
    CAPAF and Americans for Health Care look at public attitudes on health reform and find strong opportunities for progressives.
  • Throwing Homeowners a Lifeline
    December 13, 2007
    CAP holds event to offer a solution to the mortgage crisis facing millions of Americans.
  • Senate Conservatives Vote to Keep U.S. Hooked on Oil
    by Daniel J. Weiss, December 13, 2007
    Senate Republicans blocked the Energy Bill today, and with it the path toward cleaner cars and a lower-carbon economy, says Dan Weiss.
  • Throwing Homeowners a Lifeline
    by Andrew Jakabovics, December 12, 2007
    Andrew Jakabovics offers a solution for borrowers who can make reasonable mortgage payments but lack enough equity in their homes to refinance.
  • What Are We Doing on Climate Change?: Sen. Kerry and Kit Batten Discuss the Bali Conference
    December 11, 2007
    Read Kit Batten's statement on Bali and listen to a press call with her and Sen. John Kerry, the only member of Congress to attend the conference.
  • One Year Out
    October 31, 2007
    The Center for American Progress Action Fund offers four pillars for a progressive future.
  • Strategic Drift in Iraq
    by John Podesta, Lawrence J. Korb, Brian Katulis, October 31, 2007
    Podesta, Korb, and Katulis offer a clear plan for avoiding strategic drift and muddled policies for U.S. involvement in Iraq.
  • Realizing Dignity through Decent Work
    October 24, 2007
    International Labor Organization chief, influential Member of Congress, senior AFL-CIO official, and Center for American Progress thought leaders discuss building a new international consensus on globalization.
  • Cap and Trade in Congress
    by Kit Batten, Daniel J. Weiss, October 18, 2007
    The America's Climate Security Act has bipartisan momentum and offers bold solutions, but it does not go far enough to solve the climate crisis.
  • Liberty and Security for All
    September 25, 2007
    Rep. Harman and others discuss ways to protect liberty and security when FISA is renewed in several months.
  • Taking Away Iraq’s Security Blanket
    September 14, 2007
    Representatives Casey and Tauscher join John Podesta to discuss drawdown in Iraq, progress sustainability, and the “Green Zone fog.”
  • Strategies for Improving Education
    September 10, 2007
    John D. Podesta testifies to Congress on strategies to improve the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  • The Path to Cleaner Coal: Performance Standard More Effective Than Bonus Allowances
    by Ken Berlin, Robert M. Sussman, August 29, 2007
    Report from Berlin and Sussman explains why emission performance standards, not bonus allowances, are more effective for implementing new coal technologies.
  • Oil Contributions to Represenatives in 2006 Close Races
    by Daniel J. Weiss, Anne Wingate, August 22, 2007
  • Big Oil’s Favorite Representatives
    by Daniel J. Weiss, Anne Wingate, August 22, 2007
    Representatives voting with big oil received an average of four times as much in campaign contributions from oil companies.
  • Oil Contributions to All Representatives
    by Daniel J. Weiss, Anne Wingate, August 15, 2007
  • New Gameplan for Iraq, Military
    August 8, 2007
    Rep. Joe Sestak laid out his plan to force political stability in Iraq and create 21st century change for a 21st century military.
  • Federal Incentives Can Grow Preschool
    July 27, 2007
    Sens. Clinton, Casey, and a panel of experts visit CAPAF to discuss universal access to early childhood education.
  • Filibusters and “Stunts”
    by Eric Alterman, July 26, 2007
    Eric Alterman reminisces about filibustering and political "stunts" back in the days when Democrats were in the minority.
  • A Discussion with Tavis Smiley
    July 2, 2007
    Tavis Smiley discusses how to get the media and politicians to address the black community’s concerns.
  • Dispatch from the Front Lines
    June 28, 2007
    Arizona governor describes her state’s border emergency and advocates comprehensive immigration reform at CAPAF event.
  • A Leader in the Immigration Debate
    June 27, 2007
    John D. Podesta's introduction of Arizona governor Janet Napolitano at a National Press Club event on immigration reform.
  • Oil Contributions To Senators
    June 25, 2007
  • Oil Contributions To Senators Up For Reelection
    June 25, 2007
  • Big Oil’s Favorite Senators
    by Daniel J. Weiss, June 25, 2007
    Senators voting with big oil last week on average received three times as much as other senators in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry.
  • Toward a Clean-Energy Future
    by John Podesta, June 21, 2007
    Writing to Rep. Nita Lowey, John Podesta expresses support for a measure that would help the U.S. grow its clean-energy sector.
  • Better Jobs, Less Poverty
    June 18, 2007
    CAPAF President and CEO urges Congress to promote unions and better jobs for Americans by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act.
  • A New Era of Progress in the States
    June 15, 2007
    State-level leaders came to the Center for American Progress to show Washington D.C. what the states are doing to advance progressive public policy.
  • CAP Action Fund and Sen. Harry Reid join to advocate for energy independence
    June 11, 2007
    Sen. Harry Reid outlines Senate bill that would increase energy efficiency to make America energy independent and fight global warming.
  • Memo on Pending Energy Legislation
    by John Podesta, Daniel J. Weiss, Kit Batten, June 11, 2007
    John Podesta, Daniel J. Weiss, and Kit Batten give recommendations for moving forward on renewable energy.
  • Quit Monkeying Around
    by Sam Berger, Jonathan D. Moreno, June 6, 2007
    We need leaders with an evolved understanding of faith and science, argue Sam Berger and Jonathan Moreno.
  • There’s a Will to Match the Way: Americans are Ready to Fight Poverty
    June 5, 2007
    Zogby poll shows a strong majority in favor of taking specific steps to eradicate poverty in our country. The Center has just such a plan.
  • Iraq’s Government: One Year, Still No Progress
    May 17, 2007
    The CAP Action Fund and National Security Network on the one-year anniversary of the formation of the Maliki government.
  • Beyond 100 Days
    April 20, 2007
    The 110th Congress is on track for its first 100 days. Progressives should take stock — and then press ahead with our larger agenda.
  • Q & A on the Iraq Debate
    April 16, 2007
    Ten questions and answers for the next round of the Iraq debate.
  • After the Veto: Four Scenarios
    April 16, 2007
    Progressives must prepare themselves for the coming post-veto standoff with President Bush. Here are four fundamentals about the Iraq debate and four post-veto scenarios to consider.
  • National Security Letters
    April 11, 2007
    The CAP Action Fund and coalition partners sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging substantial reform of National Security Letters.
  • Retired Military Officers Express Support for Troops
    March 16, 2007
    Six senior retired military officers today sent a letter to Capitol Hill expressing support for immediate action to protect our troops.
  • Rebuilding the U.S. Armed Forces with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
    March 8, 2007
    Sen. Clinton unveils plan for new G.I. Bill and other measures to help our soldiers stay safe on the battlefield and health when they return home.
  • Restoring America’s Moral Authority: A 10-Point Plan of Action
    by Mark Agrast, February 28, 2007
    Mark Agrast discusses 10 steps America should take to recommit itself to the rule of law and reclaim its place of moral leadership in the world.
  • Supporting Stem Cell Research
    by Jonathan D. Moreno, Sam Berger, February 8, 2007
    Congress needs to give our scientists access to the best tools available in the race for life-saving cures by passing the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
  • Health Care
    February 7, 2007
  • Congressional Limitations and Requirements for Military Deployments and Funding
    January 9, 2007
  • Cleanse the Code
    December 7, 2006
    Real, meaningful tax reform will likely require a significant bipartisan effort, and a revised code will create opportunity for Americans of all income levels.
  • 100 Days Agenda
    November 28, 2006
    The election has given progressives the opportunity to prove themselves. Here is an agenda for the new Congress' first 100 days.
  • Who Will Be the Next Progressive Talk Radio Star?
    November 16, 2006
  • California Voter Guide 2006
    November 1, 2006
  • Progress in Iraq: A Third-Quarter 2006 Report Card on the Bush Administration’s Iraq Policy
    by Lawrence J. Korb, Brian Katulis, October 24, 2006
  • ABA Task Force On Domestic Surveillance in the Fight Against Terrorism
    February 16, 2006
    On February 13, 2006, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates adopted a policy proposed by an ABA task force appointed to examine the use of electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes inside the United States.
  • Get This Party Started : How Progressives Can Fight Back and Win
    February 10, 2006
    Chapter 6: Crafting Policy and Message by John Podesta and John Halpin
  • Tax Complexity: By the Numbers
    October 28, 2005
    Increasing tax complexity has direct costs in terms of the amount of time it takes for individuals and businesses to fill out forms and to keep track of all the records necessary to file.
  • Combating Catastrophic Terror
    October 26, 2005
    The United States needs a comprehensive long-term strategy to fight the greatest threat to the American people: violent extremists who, often in the name of Islam, seek to use catastrophic terror to achieve their goals.
  • Pain at the pump, Profits in the Boardroom
    October 7, 2005
    While ordinary Americans suffer under the weight of high gasoline prices, the world's largest energy conglomerates are enjoying record breaking profits.
  • Grassley-Baucus Emergency Health Care Relief Package
    by Jeanne Lambrew, Karen Davenport, Meredith L. King, September 15, 2005
    Hurricane Katrina has created a health as well as a humanitarian crisis.
  • Opposition to Bolton is About Policy, Not Politics
    by Lawrence J. Korb, Andrew J. Grotto, May 12, 2005
    The storm over John Bolton's nomination for U.N. ambassador is not a partisan dispute, as some of Bolton's supporters claim.
  • Marla's Legacy
    by Michael Shellenberger, April 25, 2005
    Last Saturday my friend Marla Ruzicka was killed by a suicide bomber in Baghdad. Just 28 years old, Marla was one of just a handful of foreign human rights workers to set foot in Iraq this year.
  • The Specific Allegations Against John Bolton
    April 22, 2005
    Bolton sought replacement of two intelligence officials, angry that they wouldn't back his personal intelligence agenda
  • Sudan: Religious Text and Teachings
    February 25, 2005
    This is a list of some religious texts and teachings that speak to the need to act in response to the crisis in Sudan. Please let us know of the verses and teachings that have inspired you on this issue.
  • Latest News on the Crisis in Sudan
    February 21, 2005
    As the disaster in Sudan unfolds, American Progress Action Fund provides weekly updates of critical news coverage so you can track developments. Bookmark this page and stay informed.
  • Failing Grade
    by Robert Gordon, February 14, 2005
    During the second presidential debate last year, George W. Bush ventured that "the No Child Left Behind Act is really a jobs act when you think about it."
  • Sudan, By the Numbers
    February 8, 2005
    With all of the numbers being thrown around – more than 1.8 million displaced persons in Darfur and Chad; somewhere between 70,000 and 400,000 dead so far; 3,300 troops pledged from the African Union – it is sometimes hard to grasp the scope of the crisis in Sudan. Here are some helpful comparisons
  • The Federal Budget as a Moral Document: A Letter from Religious Leaders
    January 25, 2005
    The following letter, signed by over 60 leaders from diverse faith communities across the nation, calls on Congress to examine the budget as an inherently moral document and offers six specific questions that should be asked to determine whether the budget's provisions are fair, just and promote the common good.
  • Movement Interruptus
    by Ruy Teixeira, John B. Judis, January 10, 2005
    September 11 slowed the Democratic trend that we predicted, but the coalition we foresaw is still taking shape.
  • Movement Interruptus
    January 10, 2005
    September 11 slowed the Democratic trend that we predicted, but the coalition we foresaw is still taking shape.
  • When Congress Acts In the Dark of Night, Everyone Loses
    by Scott Lilly, December 7, 2004
    There has been great consternation in recent weeks over a provision in the omnibus appropriations bill that would allow certain Appropriations staff access to individual tax returns and would exempt them from criminal penalties for revealing the contents of those returns.
  • Learn More about Divesting Sudanese Assets
    December 1, 2004
  • Donate - Help Victims of the Asian Tsunami
    December 1, 2004
    Today you can save lives. Right now an estimated five million people are homeless across Southeast Asia as a result of the deadly tsunami that spread across the Indian Ocean. Most of these people have lost all of their possessions and have little or nothing to eat. Worse yet, many places do not have clean drinking water, nor health and sanitation facilities.
  • Progressive Victories
    November 24, 2004
    In the November 2 election state ballots contained a nationwide total of 163 questions. And while the media has obsessed over the issue of same-sex marriage which was on the ballot in 11 states, less attention has been paid to other important votes related to jobs, healthcare, education, and the environment.
  • Straight Talk from the Heartland
    November 8, 2004
    First Chapter: The Voice of Liberty
  • All the President's Excuses
    October 27, 2004
    The White House, unable to explain how 380 tons of powerful explosives disappeared under its watch in Iraq, has instead tried to deflect blame with a series of excuses. None of them hold up.
  • Why the Environment Will Determine the Outcome of the 2004 Election
    October 27, 2004
    While the candidates focus their comments and their pleas for support on issues of homeland security, the war in Iraq, the economy, jobs, health care and education, very little has been said about the environment.
  • Who's the Better Manager of the Economy, Republicans or Democrats?
    October 26, 2004
    While Republicans talk a good game about the need to be fiscally responsible and their desire to balance the budget, reality shows that Democratic presidents clearly have produced better results.
  • Post Article Exposes Bush's Failures on Preventing Nuclear Terror
    October 26, 2004
    Today's Washington Post exposes the Bush administration's failures on national security where it matters most: protecting Americans from nuclear terror. President Bush and Senator Kerry agree that the single greatest threat to the American people is a terrorist or rogue regime armed with a nuclear weapon.
  • Running in Reverse
    by Thomas Shapiro, October 22, 2004
    Among the crucial issues facing families today is how the recent recession and jobless recovery has affected family economic security.
  • The 49 Percent Solution?
    by Scott Lilly, October 19, 2004
    During the final debate between President Bush and Senator Kerry, the president referred to education as the solution for problems ranging from decisions by corporate leaders to send jobs overseas to the need to raise the minimum wage.
  • Economic Report Card of George W. Bush: D Minus
    October 13, 2004
    Flash forward to the year 2050. The scene is a university history class on the early 21st century. A professor is discussing the long-run effects of George W. Bush's tax cuts and general fiscal policy.
  • Job Growth and Electoral Success
    October 8, 2004
    There is widespread discussion of what the September employment numbers mean for the future of the economy and the sustainability of the recovery.
  • What Would America Ask the Candidates Friday?
    October 8, 2004
  • What Cheney Will Say... What You Should Know
    October 1, 2004
    A detailed fact list of what Cheney has said and what you should know.
  • What Bush Will Say... What You Should Know
    October 1, 2004
    A detailed fact list of what Bush has said and what you should know.
  • Debate Claims vs. Reality
    September 30, 2004
    Tonight, President Bush will finally have to face the music about his claims that his war in Iraq has made Americans safer. He will repeatedly stress his "resolve" in fighting terrorists, but will he outline how he plans to salvage the mess in Iraq, which has turned into a semi-failed state and a haven for terrorists? Will he discuss how the continuing diversion in Iraq has allowed al Qaeda to regroup and Iran and North Korea to advance their nuclear capacities? Will he take responsibility for America's shattered image around the globe?
  • The Debates: What President Bush Will Say ... What You Should Know
    September 30, 2004
  • Questions Jim Lehrer Should Ask
    September 30, 2004
  • Sudan: Sample Letter to the Editor
    September 28, 2004
    Dear Editor...
  • Overuse of Guard Could Undermine Its Effectiveness
    by Lawrence J. Korb, September 24, 2004
    In addition to informing Matt Lauer that the war against terrorism is unwinnable, President George W. Bush made at least one other disingenuous comment to the NBC Today host.
  • Natural Resources Policy in the George W. Bush Administration
    September 23, 2004
    The Bush Administration's investiture in office, when combined with conservative Republican control of both houses of Congress and, increasingly, the federal courts, signaled a move to the right on public lands and natural resource issues.
  • Think Tanks, Democracy and Public Policy: The Case of Darfur
    September 23, 2004
    Remarks of John D. Podesta
  • Hypocrisy: How Fox News' Attacks on CBS Belie Fox's Own Record
    September 22, 2004
    As Fox News attempts to blame the Kerry campaign for the CBS News document controversy, it is also claiming CBS has a "liberal" bias/conflict of interest because a producer apparently told a Kerry aide about the documents.
  • Senate Conservatives Assault Homeland Security
    September 16, 2004
    Conservatives in the Senate are failing to protect Americans here at home. They have left gaping holes in our nation's security by refusing to implement common sense, relatively inexpensive solutions to major threats.
  • What We've Lost
    September 15, 2004
    Book excerpt: How the Bush Administration Has Curtailed Our Freedoms, Mortgaged Our Economy, Ravaged Our Environment, and Damaged Our Standing in the World
  • The GOP's Problem with Europe
    September 10, 2004
    This week the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) released its annual Transatlantic Trends survey of public attitudes on both sides of the Atlantic.
  • Think Again: Convention Coverage: Ain’t Nobody Here But Us, Um, Reporters
    September 9, 2004
    Candidate George W. campaigned against what he termed "the soft bigotry of low expectations." With regard to his relations with the media as president, such bigotry has proven to be his best friend.
  • Vote for Bush or Die
    by Judd Legum, September 9, 2004
    After Republicans lost most major 2001 gubernatorial races to Democrats, GOP strategists realized that the key to electoral success was tapping into the post-9/11 fear of terrorism and focusing on security issues.
  • Patriots, Stand-Up!
    September 3, 2004
    Patriots, Stand-Up! Chapter One: Integrity versus Lies and Deceit
  • Paying Lip Service to Latinos
    September 3, 2004
    It takes more than being able to mouth ¡Hola, amigos! to connect with the Hispanic people. The Bush administration seems to think that this will suffice in winning our support.
  • Bush and Pataki Tell Workers Poverty is Good for Them
    September 2, 2004
    Of all the reasons that Republicans use to oppose increases in the minimum wage, none is more false – or more galling – than the claim that such increases would somehow harm minimum wage workers themselves.
  • Zig Zag Zell
    September 1, 2004
    Sen. Zell Miller (D) of Georgia is giving the keynote address at tonight's Republican National Convention. He says he is going to be part of a truth squad. But a look at Miller's vast history of dishonesty and self-contradiction shows he is a man whose words have absolutely no credibility whatsoever.
  • President Bush: Flip-Flopper-In-Chief
    September 1, 2004
    From the beginning, George W. Bush has made his own credibility a central issue.
  • Ask Bush: Where's His Plan for Cities?
    September 1, 2004
    In our cities, suburbs and small towns, we're doing our part to build a stronger America. But a stronger America needs strong leaders. And together, we will build stronger communities and a stronger country, a nation that truly is strong at home and respected abroad.
  • Bush's 'Decisiveness' is Scripted
    by Andrew J. Grotto, August 31, 2004
    President Bush is striving to present himself as a decisive commander in chief in a time of uncertain American national security. He has achieved limited success in this regard, as many of his supporters cite decisiveness as a key reason why they believe they are safer under President Bush.
  • By Their Works Ye Shall Know Them
    August 31, 2004
    President Bush chose New York City for his convention to focus attention on the attacks of 9/11. But the Big Apple represents more than the attack.
  • Bush Shortchanging New York On Homeland Security
    August 30, 2004
    From port security to funding for first responders and police, President Bush and the Republican Party have repeatedly shortchanged the nation's vital security needs.
  • Can Bush Avoid the Worst Job Performance Record Since Hoover?
    August 28, 2004
    This analysis compares the overall rate of job growth during each of the 18 presidential terms since Hoover left office, and examines the probability of the current administration producing a sufficient number of new jobs during the remaining five months of its term to avoid setting a new post-Hoover record for slow job growth.
  • Bush's 'Few and Rich Owners'-ship Society
    by Christian E. Weller, August 27, 2004
    As New York City braces for the Republican convention, Republican strategists are trying to design an economic program that resonates with the electorate. And once again, they seem to be pushing for – guess what?! – tax cuts: making the president's tax cuts permanent and creating an "ownership society" through tax cuts for people to put money away for retirement, health insurance, education, and other more nebulous purposes.
  • Bush's 'Few and Rich Owners'-ship Society
    by Christian E. Weller, August 27, 2004
    As New York City braces for the Republican convention, Republican strategists are trying to design an economic program that resonates with the electorate.
  • Betrayal By A Commander In Chief
    August 27, 2004
    In 1984, I stood with my then-13-year-old daughter at the center of the dark gash in the earth called the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, weeping. She looked up and asked me why I was crying. "Because there are some 58,000 names on that wall that should not be there," I answered.
  • Rich Getting Richer, Average Americans Getting the Shaft
    August 18, 2004
    President Bush recently proclaimed that the economy had finally "turned the corner." But the reality is the Bush economy is the same as it has always been: a boon for the ultra-rich and a disappointment for the average American.
  • Misleading America's National Guard and Reserves
    August 18, 2004
    President Bush spoke today to National Guardsmen and Reservists in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. At the event, he made a series of election-year promises which run directly counter to the major proposals that have previously been pushed by his administration.
  • The Trouble With Troop Realignment
    August 17, 2004
    Yesterday, at the tail end of a political campaign speech, President Bush announced plans to recall between 60,000 and 70,000 troops from Europe, South Korea and Japan. Bush said the realignment would allow the military to "be more effective at projecting our strength and spreading freedom and peace" and save taxpayers money. In reality, the ill-conceived plan – which further strains already damaged relationships with America's traditional allies – runs counter to our strategic, economic and military interests.
  • How Partisan is Porter Goss?
    August 10, 2004
    Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), chairman of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, had this message for the president regarding nominating a CIA director: "My only message to the White House is if they do this, make it an extraordinary person that will get bipartisan support." Does Porter Goss fit the bill?
  • Dear John Kerry, A Letter from Dan Carol
    August 9, 2004
    So...please forgive my bluntness. Know that your words on God and Country at the convention were felt loud and proud in my heart – because I sensed the strength of the moral vision in yours. Know that you have my vote – and those of my 10 best friends. In that spirit, here we go...
  • The Broken Promises of George W. Bush
    August 9, 2004
    President Bush made a lot of promises - from ensuring our national security to protecting the environment - during his 2000 presidential campaign. The record shows it was mostly talk.
  • They Knew
    by Christy Harvey, August 4, 2004
    As the 9/11 Commission recently reported, there was "no credible evidence" of a collaborative relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. Similarly, no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. With U.S. casualties mounting in an election year, the White House is grasping at straws to avoid being held accountable for its dishonesty.
  • Workplace Safety for Hispanics: A Bush Failure
    by Maria Echaveste, August 4, 2004
    Last week, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao organized the first ever National Hispanic Safety and Health Summit in Orlando. The focus, ostensibly, was the very serious health and safety issues facing Hispanics in the workplace. If, however, you go behind the headline, the summit was one more example of how the Bush administration never misses an opportunity to seek political advantage without actually exhibiting leadership.
  • Economic Prosperity and the Presidents
    July 28, 2004
    If one believed everything the Republican National Committee and Fox News put out, it would be easy to think that achieving economic prosperity is simple: start with a big tax cut, blend in some spending reductions, add a dash of deregulation and sit back and watch the economy cook.
  • New Polls of Hispanics Indicate Failure of GOP's Hispanic Strategy
    by Ruy Teixeira, July 26, 2004
    Last Thursday saw the release of not one, but two, major new polls of Hispanics - one from The Washington Post/Univision/Tomas Rivera Policy Institute and the other from the Pew Hispanic Center.
  • Convention Talk: Advice for Kerry and Edwards
    by Matt Miller, July 22, 2004
    If John Kerry and John Edwards want to come out of the Democratic convention not simply with a bump in the polls but with a plan to transform domestic debate, they should pick a clear fight with Republicans about how we define a minimally decent life in America.
  • Defining Decency Up
    by Matt Miller, July 22, 2004
    If John Kerry and John Edwards want to come out of the Democratic convention not simply with a bump in the polls but with a plan to transform domestic debate, they should pick a clear fight with Republicans about how we define a minimally decent life in America.
  • Stand Up, Fight Back
    July 20, 2004
    Think of this book as a letter to three friends: one a liberal, one a moderate, one a conservative. It is a letter that tries to explain the strange and very disturbing turn American politics have taken over the last four years.
  • Fox Campaign '04: 'News' Reporters Become Bush Campaign Flacks
    July 12, 2004
    On top of Fox's openly-conservative pundits' attacks on John Kerry and John Edwards, the network is now employing its supposedly "objective" news segments in a pernicious campaign of spin and innuendo. Fox News correspondents and anchor people now regularly try to spin Kerry and Edwards as fabulously rich member of an out-of-touch elite, deliberately trying to obscure their political agenda by claiming criticism is comes not from them, but from a source. However, those sources are most often abstract and unnamed (aka. "critics say??"). Worse, they neglect to mention another presidential ticket, whose wealth and aristocratic family background might be equally worthy of comment.
  • A History of Refusing to Release Documents
    July 1, 2004
    In 2000, presidential candidate George W. Bush demanded Vice President Al Gore release various documents related to his past, but now he refuses to release important documents of his own.
  • The Republican Noise Machine
    June 30, 2004
    Since defecting from the Republican party in the latter half of the 1990s and publishing a confessional memoir in 2002, I've discussed my right-wing past with politicians, political activists and strategists, academic scholars, student groups, fellow writers, and hundreds of readers of my book Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative.
  • The Book on Bush
    June 27, 2004
    When George W. Bush ran for president in 2000 he was presented to the nation by his campaign handlers and a sympathetic media as a nice-enough fellow who didn't take himself or much of anything else—save perhaps his family and religion—too seriously.
  • 100 Mistakes for the President to Choose From
    May 3, 2004
    During a prime time press conference on April 13, President Bush was asked to name a mistake that he has made since taking office and what he has learned from it.
  • What has the Bush administration done?
    February 12, 2004
  • Child Tax Credit
    January 1, 2003
    From the American Progress Action Fund: A Film by Robert Greenwald and Richard Ray Perez, Left Out: The Children and Families Left Behind by the President’s Tax Proposal. American parents describe what this missing tax credit would mean to their families.