It's déjà vu all over again. We're in August of a presidential election year, and all of a sudden progressives are freaking out by saying: "I think [insert Republican candidate here] is going to win." But it's important to keep things in perspective, and stop the same usual panicking that...

Arnold's executive order laying off 10,000 state employees -- and slashing another 200,000 paychecks to the federal minimum wage -- is not just insulting because he's punishing people for the actions of others. It's that the budget crisis we're in is largely his fault, and the Governor refuses to take...

Chicago does not have rent control. In 1997, the Illinois legislature passed -- and Republican Governor Jim Edgar signed -- SB 531 (the Rent Control Preemption Act), which prohibited local jurisdictions from passing it. At the time, no city in Illinois had rent control -- but the real estate lobby...

It's no surprise that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi got a tough reception at Netroots Nation -- as bloggers asked about the Iraq War, impeachment and (of course) FISA. Pelosi passed the buck on all of these issues -- saying that she's let House Judiciary Chair John Conyers handle executive contempt,...

In recent weeks, some progressives have been alarmed at Barack Obama - who they fear has "moved to the center" for the general election. They have argued that his recent shifts won't help him pick up "swing voters," but it's clear that Obama is playing pre-emptive defense rather than trying...