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Progressive

We Need More Parties

Chris Weigant | Posted 12.31.2009 | Politics

Read More: Caucus, Third Party, Two Party, Teabaggers, Political Parties, Progressives, Mobile Party, Corporate, Democratic, Democratic Party, Four Party, Republican, Teabag, Tea Partiers, Henny Youngman, Mob, Progressive Party, Take My Wife Please, Tea Party, Republican Party, Coalition, Two Party System, Democrat, New Democrat, Parliamentary, Corporate Democrats, Democrats, Progressive, Political Party, Chris Weigant, Party, Republicans, Politics News
Chris Weigant

If both political parties split at, America would probably adopt a coalition government; the newly- formed Progressive and Conservative Parties might even ally on issues like taking on Wall Street.

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My 2009 "McLaughlin Awards" [Part 1]

Chris Weigant | Posted 12.26.2009 | Politics

Read More: Michael Jackson, Tea Party, Lobbyists, Progressives, Al Franken, Secession, Reform, Mccain, Alan Grayson, Awards, Farrah Fawcett, Steele, Arianna Huffington, Death Panel, Sarah Palin, Turncoat of the Year, Enough Already, Emanuel, Surge, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, Argentina, Single Payer, Sotomayor, Rick Perry, Turncoat, Teabagger, Statue of Liberty, Health Care, Michael Steele, Public Option, Democrat, Sanford, Democrats, Biden, 2009, Barack Obama, Progressive, Rahm Emanuel, Health, Sonia Sotomayor, Best Comeback, Appalachian Trail, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Farrah, Worst Politician, Healthcare, Under the Bus, Nude Hiking Day, Mark Sanford, President, President Obama, Bill Owens, Cheney, Kate Jackson, Filibuster, Secede, Democratic, Obama, Iraq, Vitter, Most Original Thinker, Fair, Grayson, Republican, Lieberman, New Yorker, Atul Gawande, Mclaughlin, Clinton, Bummest Rap, Inauguration, Farrah Fawcett Majors, Most Stagnant Thinker, Most Defining Political Moment, Arlen Specter, Bill Clinton, Teleprompter, Michelle Obama, John McCain, Wall St, Specter, Biggest Loser, Franken, Person of the Year, Most Boring, McLaughlin Group, Texas, Worst Lie, Capitalist of the Year, Lobbyist, Poster, Swimsuit, Best Photo Op, Arianna, Wall Street, Biggest Winner, Chris Weigant, Gawande, Palin, Best Politician, Charlie's Angels, Under a Bus, Medicare, Afghanistan, Fairest Rap, Pu-Litzer, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Welcome once again to our year-end wrap-up and awards ceremony. Honesty dictates that I immediately genuflect to The McLaughlin Group, from whom I have stolen all these award categories.

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To the Disappointed

Reno | Posted 12.20.2009 | Politics

Read More: Health Care Reform, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party, Organizing for America, Barack Obama, Lesbian, Community Organizing, Obama Supporters, Health Industry Reform, _east_village, _performance_art, _asset_backed_securities, _feminist, Economy, dixon_place, _performance_artist, _obama_supporter, _comedienne, hbo_comedy_special, _monologue, Manhattan, _september_11th, _obama_for_america, _comedian, _monologist, Documentary, _gay, _reno_once_removed, _reno_in_rage_and_rehab, Hbo, _financial_crisis, rebel_without_a_pause, Theater, Obama, Liberal, alternative_comic, Rants, Comic, Tribecastan, reno_finds_her_mom, film_maker, downtown_new_york__city, citizen_reno, Queer, puerto_rican_cuban, reno_once_removed, Tribeca, Alternative, Schtick, organizing_for_america, Lgbt, Progressive, money_talks_with_citizen_reno, Political Comedian, rage_and_rehab, Performance, Politics News
Reno

If we're going to throw Barack Obama out as a phony power-monger just like all the rest, I have one question: Who is going to replace him?

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Health Care Reform Struggle Will Not End This Year

Chris Weigant | Posted 11.17.2009 | Politics

Read More: Social Security, President Obama, Ronald Reagan, Compromise, Democratic, Obama, Reform, Ama, Republican, Reagan, Call to Action, 1935, Johnson, New Deal, Democrat, Congress, Conservative, Medicaid, Democrats, Barack Obama, Fdr, Socialized Medicine, Progressive, Chris Weigant, Health, Great Society, Medicare, Lbj, Republicans, Lyndon Johnson, Healthcare Reform, Third Rail, Senate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Healthcare, Roosevelt, Politics News
Chris Weigant

No matter what healthcare bill passes, it is not going to remain static. It is going to be revisited again and again over the next few decades. That's how lawmaking works.

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Health Care: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Jim Wallis | Posted 11.18.2009 | Politics

Read More: Dialogue, Fundamentalism, Culture War, Health Care Plan, Compromise, Immigrants, Poor, Health Care Provider, Abortion, Values, Health Care Coverage, Insurance Plan, Contraception, Poverty Reduction, Justice, Pro-Life Democrats, Member of Congress, Health Care, Status Quo, Pro-Life, Pro-Choice, Health Insurance Reform, Religion, Pregnancies, Democracy, Abortion Reduction, Culture Wars, Subsidies, Public Option, Tax Dollars, Common Ground, Medicaid, Families, Federal Subsidies, Stereotype, Healthcare, Interpretation, Moral Values, Agendas, Progressive, Culture Warrior, Women, Application, Health Plan, Principle, Segregation, Faith Community, Schip, Abortion Debate, Moral Imperative, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Healthcare Reform, Religious Community, Rhetoric, Politics News
Jim Wallis

We've recently seen the abortion rhetoric really heat up to ridiculous proportions. Those with opposing views are being stereotyped and demonized. And facts are taking a back seat to sound bytes.

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One Year After Obama's Election: Still Smarter...Than The Alternative

Chris Weigant | Posted 11.05.2009 | Politics

Read More: George Bush, Albert Alligator, White House, President Obama, Washington, Progressive Utopia, Iraq, Obama, Mccain, Media, Campaign, Anniversary, Sarah Palin, Republican, Alligators, Bush, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Change, Dadt, Gay Rights, Clinton, Rock Star, 2008, Disillusionment, Governing, Politician, Castles in the Air, Candidate Obama, Pogo Possum, Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, Left, Lefties, Bill Clinton, Right, John McCain, Pogo, One Year, Democrat, Swamp, Democrats, Campaign Promises, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, Vrwc, Progressive, Chris Weigant, Change We Can Believe In, Palin, George W Bush, Afghanistan, Republicans, Doma, Partisanship, Gay Marriage, Partisan, Righties, One Year Later, Obama One Year Later, Politics News
Chris Weigant

What puts this first year in perspective for me is that: Obama may not be smarter than all of us, but he sure is smarter by a long shot than McCain would have been. And that, for now, is enough for me.

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One Year After Election Day 2008: Still A Center-Left Nation

Bill Scher | Posted 11.03.2009 | Politics

Read More: Polls, Progressive, Liberal, Obama, Majority, One Year Later, Politics News
Bill Scher

The combined percentage of voters of who deem Obama's agenda "just about right" or "not liberal enough" is 58% -- roughly parallel to Obama's overall approval rating of 54%. That's the center-left governing majority.

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Clean Energy Business Zones: A Tool for Economic Growth

Joshua Freed | Posted 10.22.2009 | Green

Read More: Clean Energy Business Zones, Small Business, Progressive, Solar, Economy, Wind, Empowerment Zone Program, Jobs, Dan Maffei, Clean Energy, Cbiz, Green News
Joshua Freed

America has led virtually every technological revolution of the past century. We'll do it again with clean energy. And we have the opportunity for everyone to share in the prosperity, rather than just a few.

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Friday Talking Points: Is Opt-Out The Answer?

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.14.2009 | Politics

Read More: Tax Code, Blue Dog, Progressives, Ways and Means, Compromise, Reform, Charles Schumer, Howard Dean, Tripled Down, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, 60 Vote, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Nationwide, Public Option, States Rights, Democrat, Congress, Democrats, Barack Obama, Im in My Place, Nobel Prize, Schumer, Progressive, Mddotw, Put Her in Her Place, Health, Opt Out Plan, Blue Dogs, Americas Next Great Pundit, Healthcare, Senate, George Bush, President Obama, Teddy Roosevelt, Cloture, Senator, Dr Dean, Public Plan, State, Filibuster, Obama, Democratic, Charlie Rangel, Woodrow Wilson, Friday Talking Points, Bush, Dean, Republican, Pelosi, Double Down, Simpsons, Co-Op, Triple Down, Doubled Down, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Taxes, Trigger, Tax Laws, House, Nobel, Marge Simpson, Playboy, Nobel Peace Prize, Opt Out, Tenth Amendment, Rangel, Chris Weigant, Clockwork Orange, Afghanistan, Politics News
Chris Weigant

The plan isn't going into effect until 2013. Think you're tired of TV ads and screaming folks at town hall meetings now? Picture a more local version of that for the next four years -- not a pretty sight.

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Friday Talking Points [95] -- A Call To Action

Chris Weigant | Posted 11.25.2009 | Politics

Read More: Progressives, Al Franken, Chief of Staff, Reform, Alan Grayson, Paul Kirk, Aid of the Party, Emanuel, Midotw, Glenn Greenwald, Nancy Pelosi, Department of Justice, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Peter Paul and Mary, Reid, Public Option, Democrat, House Progressives, Congress, Mary Travers, Democrats, Barack Obama, Ted Kennedy, Acorn, Progressive, Constitution, Mddotw, Rahm Emanuel, Party, Health, Blue Dogs, Harry Reid, Republicans, Senate, Healthcare, President Obama, David Kris, Sherrod Brown, Obama, Democratic, Democratic Party, Friday Talking Points, Fourth Amendment, Republican, Paul Wellstone, Pelosi, Defense Contractor, Co-Op, Baucus, Typewriter, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Rahm, Representative Grayson, Trigger, Time for All Good Men, House, Franken, Rahmbo, Surreal, Fraud, Chris Weigant, Max Baucus, Kris, Politics News
Chris Weigant

The progressives and Blue Dogs are going to have a showdown. It is going to culminate not in statements to the press (or the lack thereof), not in some whispered whip count, but rather in a very public vote.

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Peeling Away the "Obama Phenomenon": An Interview with Paul Street

Christian Avard | Posted 11.14.2009 | Politics

Read More: Progressive Values, President Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Obama, Media, Progressive Politics, Democrats, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Iraq War, Barack Obama 2008, Progressive, Martin Luther King, David Axelrod, John Edwards, Racism, Community Organizing, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Obama Iraq, Politics News
Christian Avard

Street goes beyond the Obama phenomenon and investigates who Obama is and what he's all about in Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics.

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Friday Talking Points [92] -- The End Of Silly Season

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.20.2009 | Politics

Read More: Blue Dog, Floor, Children, Al Franken, Reform, Casey at the Bat, Town Hall, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Brown, Vetoes, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, West Wing, Budget Reconciliation, Health Care, Schoolchildren, Reid, Reconciliation, Lincoln, President Bartlet, Signs, Joint Session, Conference Committee, Committee, Public Option, Democrat, Congress, Address to Congress, Floor Vote, School, Democrats, Silly Season, Barack Obama, Progressive, Mddotw, Health, Harry Reid, Bill, Senate, Healthcare, Law, Senator Brown, President Obama, Speech, Sherrod Brown, Obama, Democratic, Friday Talking Points, Legislation, Pelosi, Senator, Insurance, Kids, Schoolkids, Ohio, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Speaker, Baseball, House, Franken, Blanche Lincoln, The West Wing, Chris Weigant, Health Insurance, Indoctrination, Veto, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Sadly, Obama's speech to school children has become mired in manufactured controversy from the right, with typical sky-is-falling rhetoric about the evil, evil man who occupies the Oval Office.

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Progressives Rally Against Third Way

Adam Green | Posted 09.25.2009 | Politics

Read More: Jim Kessler, Sell Out, Third Way, Progressive, Jon Cowan, Anne Kim, Public Option, Capitol Hill, Twitter, Health Insurance Companies, United Health Insurance, Health Insurance, Health Insurance Lobby, Politics News
Adam Green

Yesterday, Third Way -- which claims to be the "moderate wing of the progressive movement" -- proved why they should rebrand themselves "the Think Tank arm of the insurance industry lobby."

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Friday Talking Points [90] -- Obama To Switch Parties

Chris Weigant | Posted 09.21.2009 | Politics

Read More: Daisy Dukes, White House, Table, Medicare for All, Legalize, Barney Frank, Progressives, Fiction, Reform, Catnip, Rube Goldberg, Blackwater, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Assassination, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Health Care, Budget Reconciliation, Reid, Nancy Reagan, Reconciliation, Vonnegut, Kurt Vonnegut, Terrorism, Mexico, Shorts, Terrorist, Massachusetts, Democrat, Kathleen Sebelius, Congress, Planet, Democrats, Lie, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, Decriminalize, Mddotw, Health, Blue Dogs, Harry Reid, Vacation, Falsehood, Healthcare, Senate, George Bush, President Obama, Central Intelligence Agency, Ronald Reagan, Senator, Tom Ridge, Cia, Kennedy, Cat's Cradle, Drugs, Decriminalization, Iraq, Obama, Democratic, Dining Room Table, Media, Truth to Crazy, Media Catnip, Friday Talking Points, Republican, Bush, Pelosi, Edward Kennedy, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Obama Switches Parties, Speaker, Sebelius, Ridge, Two Bills, Michelle Obama, House, Aides, What Planet, Terror Alert, Obama to Switch Parties, Teddy Kennedy, Mainstream Media, Progressive, Grand Canyon, Chris Weigant, Naked Guy on a Plane, Senator Kennedy, Afghanistan, George W Bush, Healthcare Reform, Nazi, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Ted Kennedy is putting both his legacy and his sense of entitlement to his office before the interests of his constituents.

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That Girl in The Progressive Insurance Commercials

Maggie Van Ostrand | Posted 09.01.2009 | Media

Read More: TV Commercials, Stephanie Courtney, Progressive Insurance Commercials, Flo the Progressive Girl, Gekko, Geiko, Commercials, Progressive, Flo, Media News
Maggie Van Ostrand

She's the one who makes viewers either want to befriend her, date her or buy her insurance. She's perky, peppy, and positive, no mean feat in these tough economic times.

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Progressive Progress

David Horton | Posted 08.20.2009 | Politics

Read More: Blogs, Politics, Progressive, Conservative, Liberal, Politics News
David Horton

As a biologist I tend to observe the behavior of conservatives in the way that I would observe bird behavior, or the behavior of, say, skunks.

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Obama and Bright Lines in the Sand

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.08.2009 | Politics

Read More: Leader, Leadership, Moderate, President Obama, Progressives, Kennedy, Legislative, Compromise, Chris Dodd, Bernie Sanders, Democratic, Reform, Obama, Seat at the Table, Charles Schumer, Legislation, Republican, Clinton, Baucus, Emanuel, Politics as Usual, Single Payer, Politician, Health Care, Reid, Trigger, Bill Clinton, Centrist, House, Public Option, Hillarycare, Republican Revolution, Democrat, Congress, Democrats, Ted Kennedy, Teddy Kennedy, Barack Obama, Sanders, Schumer, Progressive, 1994, Rahm Emanuel, Chris Weigant, Health, Bright Line in the Sand, Blue Dogs, Max Baucus, Harry Reid, Dodd, Hillary Clinton, Line in the Sand, Healthcare, Senate, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Obama again refused to give a strong defense of the public option himself. By doing so, he just dug the hole deeper. What exactly does Obama stand for in the health care debate?

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40 Years Old and All I Get is This Damn Rainbow Flag?

Michael DeJong | Posted 07.30.2009 | Living

Read More: Civil Rights Movement, Queer, Gay-Rights-Movement, Patriarchal, Homogeneity, Enough Is Enough, Stonewall Bar, Queer People of Color, 40th Anniversary, The Closet, New York City’s “Finest”, Homosexuality, Common Cause, Dr. King, Progressive, Transgender, Cross-Dressing, Women’s Rights Movement, Us Department of Justice, Feminist Movement, Federal Hate Crimes Bill, The Mattachine Society, American Psychiatric Association, Daughters of Belitis, Stonewall, Gay Human Rights, Living News
Michael DeJong

The modern "Gay Rights Movement" has had and still has racism, classism, misogyny, ageism, and trans-phobia at its core.

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How to Help Afghans When Congress Approves $100 Billion More in War

ZP Heller | Posted 07.18.2009 | World

Read More: Progressive, Congress, Civilians, Troops, Military, Jane Hamsher, Barack Obama, Afghanistan, War, Taliban, Casualties, Anand Gopal, Death, World News
ZP Heller

The increased presence of US forces in Afghanistan is the single greatest reason for the Taliban insurgency. And the more they surge, the more Congress will fund more war.

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Exclusive Interview With Geoffrey Nunberg, On The Years Of Talking Dangerously

Chris Weigant | Posted 06.20.2009 | Media

Read More: Non-Apology, President Obama, Um, Obama, Linguist, Refugee, Language Police, Wurzelbacher, Grammar Police, Fascist, Bailout, Joe Sixpack, Elite, Socialist, Geoffrey Nunberg, Katrina, Joe, American Dialect Society, Looting, Evacuee, Populism, Elitist, Omnigooglization, I Fought the Law, Joe Blow, Phonetosphere, Socialism, J Edgar Hoover, Joe the Plumber, Volvo Driving, Npr, Lingua Branda, Barack Obama, Interview, Joe Schmo, Loot, Progressive, New Foundation, Talking Right, Chris Weigant, Liberal, Legacy Asset, The Years of Talking Dangerously, Under a Bus, Fresh Air, Pluto, Berkeley School of Information, Under the Bus, Hiawatha, Nunberg, L-Word, Media News
Chris Weigant

Epithets like "socialist" and "fascist" enable people on the right to bond with each other and -- though they may not acknowledge it -- to alienate everybody else.

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Sam Stein

Progressives Call Out Dems' "Hypocritical" Fundraising

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 05.29.2009 | Politics

Read More: Dscc, Progressive, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Lobbyists, Dccc, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Special Interests, Lobbyist, Politics News

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and its counterpart in the House likely thought they were making a big concession by forgoing lobbyists a...

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Cautionary Observations for My Fellow Idealists

Dr. Peter Breggin | Posted 09.13.2009 | Politics

Read More: Founders, Progressive, Progressive Movement, Constitution, Obama Idealism, Politics, American Values, Politics News
Dr. Peter Breggin

It is necessary to take a deep breath and ask ourselves if we are endangering America while we reform her by exercising too much government power, however idealistically.

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A Passover Seder Haggadah Supplement

Rabbi Michael Lerner | Posted 05.04.2009 | World

Read More: Religion, Jews, Network of Spiritual Progressives, Haggadah, Progressive, Tikkun, Hebrew, Jew, Jewish, Judaism, Seder, World News
Rabbi Michael Lerner

For Ethically Sensitive Jews and our non-Jewish allies. (You don't have to be Jewish to create or attend a seder -- or to adopt the approach to spiri...

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Sam Stein

Ed Schultz On MSNBC Gig: People Will Know Where I Stand

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 05.04.2009 | Media

Read More: Msnbc, Ed Schultz, Schultz Show, Progressive, Ed Schultz MSNBC, Cable News, The Ed Show, Media News

Poised to take over the 6 p.m. slot on MSNBC, long-time radio talk show host Ed Schultz laid out a programmatic blueprint that would be issue-oriented...

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Advice to Obama at G-20 Summit: A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Gary Shapiro | Posted 05.01.2009 | Business

Read More: John F. Kennedy, President Obama, G20 Summit, Trade and Poverty, Gary Shapiro, Health Care Kiosk, Colombia, Obama, Barack Obama, Obama and Op-Ed, Trade at Hand, Emerging Markets, Progressive, Peru, South Korea, g20, Free Trade, Protectionism, President Kennedy, A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats, Cea, Jfk, Telemedicine, Free Trade Agreements, Consumer Electronics Association, Poverty, G-20, Business News
Gary Shapiro

I don't know precisely when progressives in this country gave up on free trade. Because when they did, without perhaps even realizing it, they turned their backs on the developing world.

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