http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/three-years-and-three-days-later.. 09/04/2008. One of my first tasks when I moved to New Orleans three months ago was to find a place to live. I had heard from friends for years finding housing in the south was always easier and much, much cheaper than on the east coast, where I'd spent most of my life. And, I thought to myself, it must be cheap there, because a third of the people who lived there before Katrina still haven't come back. I was golden, I thought - The Big Easy would be my city, and I'd get some really cheap rent to boot. It turns out I was wrong. Rent is just as high, if not higher, than it was in Philadelphia, where I'd been for six years. Riding through neighborhoods where rent was nearly half my monthly paycheck, I could still see the spray paint X's left by rescue workers in September of 2005, which signified what they found in the houses they searched. There were shells of houses everywhere, and on some of them you could still see the water lines - some higher than my head - left by the flood waters. I finally found a place less than a month ago, in the city's Seventh Ward, an area devastated by Katrina's flood waters but largely unnoticed by national media coverage. As I left for two weeks of vacation last Tuesday, Tropical Storm Gustav starting threatening Puerto Rico and Haiti. Very quickly, I had to confront the issue I had avoided thinking about during my long moving process - what do I do when another major hurricane threatens this city I'd started to love, where the elevation is as low as six and a half feet below sea level? For many, the question was non-negotiable: Katrina left nearly 2,000 dead and countless thousands displaced and homeless, so why would they risk sticking around for what Mayor C. Ray Nagin called "the mother of all storms"? According to the New York Times, two million people evacuated from southern Louisiana for Gustav in the first mandatory evacuation since Katrina. According to one estimate I saw, only 10,000 people, out of a population 470,000, stayed in the city during the storm, almost certainly all clustered along the city's high ground next to the Mississippi River. And what happened? Soon after it made landfall, "the mother of all storms" was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane. No levees breached in New Orleans (one did breach in one parish south of the city, though no houses suffered any significant damage). About a million people in Louisiana lost power. There were branches in the streets and some downed power lines. The levee bordering the Upper Ninth Ward was overtopped and the streets there flooded, but no homes were damaged. Shortly after the storm brushed the city, it was merely windy. Police and the National Guard roamed the streets looking out for looters, but there were not many arrests to be made. The city had escaped the significant damage forecasted by the mayor and even the Army Corps of Engineers, who remain responsible for repairing and maintaining the city's levee system. The city's West Bank, which had been braced for a storm surge twice as high as their ten-foot levees, sustained no flooding at all. So what does this mean for New Orleans? I'm afraid that many people will believe that the city is repaired, that the levees will hold in the next major storm that will, inevitably, threaten this strange and beautiful place. The Associated Press interviewed people who did evacuate, and many, like one Texas woman they interviewed, say that "people who evacuated like us aren't going to evacuate," she said. This terrifies me. The levees are not fixed, and it's likely that they will still be susceptible long after the Army Corps finish their current improvements in 2011 - the Army Corps has no oversight outside the government agencies that supervise them, so we have no way of knowing the quality of their work. The federal government remains incapable or unwilling to help in huge natural disasters, and their department in charge of handling such emergencies, FEMA, remains a punchline to a cruel, twisted joke. Three years and three days from when Katrina irreparably damaged the psyche of New Orleans, we were reminded of the total ineffectiveness of the Bush Administration, on the eve of the convention where John "Another Four Years" McCain was to receive the nomination from the party that has failed us for eight years. In a startling reminder of how badly President Bush failed the people of New Orleans in 2005, FEMA announced today that they would be providing limited assistance to evacuees, and no financial assistance, instead deferring to NGOs like the Red Cross. What it comes down to in The Crescent City is that another major flood could be the end of that wondrous and seemingly doomed city. I can't even begin to imagine the strength it took for people to come back after Katrina, but I don't know that anyone is strong enough to do it twice. To see the grim determination in spite of dampened spirits of all those thousands affected three years ago has been one of the most inspiring things I've ever witnessed - but the threadbare courage in the face of a city government determined to make less affluent leave and state and federal governments indifferent (at best) to their struggles can only last for so long. So we will keep living and keep hoping that mother nature continues being kind to us. The spirit of New Orleans does not lie in the levees, or the flood lines on houses, or faith in any government, or the countless young people who have come to call the city "home" in the past three years. You can see it in the jazz funerals that still close down busy streets on hot summer afternoons, and you can see it in the new restaurants that open every day, and you can see it in the children playing in empty lots in the Lower Ninth. And that is why we must not forget New Orleans and the way the Bush Administration failed in three years ago and how it continues to fail it today. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/three-years-and-three-days-later.. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:27:14 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/mccain-adviser-there-are-no-uninsured 09/01/2008. John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, who helped craft Sen. John McCain's health care policy, has an Orwellian solution to help the 45.7 million Americans without health insurance. Just declare them insured! Goodman argues that anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance, albeit the government acts as the payer of last resort. (Hospital emergency rooms by law cannot turn away a patient in need of immediate care.) Said Goodman: "The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American - even illegal aliens - as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care. "So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved." You can read the full article here. And then click here to sign our petition calling for real health care for all Americans. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/mccain-adviser-there-are-no-uninsured Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:13:26 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/barack-did-his-part-now-lets-do-ours 8/29/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/barack-did-his-part-now-lets-do-ours Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:21:29 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/live-from-the-dnc-clinton-coverage-follow-up--how-much-of-it-is-sexism 8/28/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/live-from-the-dnc-clinton-coverage-follow-up--how-much-of-it-is-sexism Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:40:36 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/live-from-the-dnc-msm-coverage-of-the-clinton-obama-relationship--less-unity-more-violence 8/27/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/live-from-the-dnc-msm-coverage-of-the-clinton-obama-relationship--less-unity-more-violence Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:04:42 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/live-from-the-dnc-net-neutrality--the-battle-for-democracy 8/26/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/live-from-the-dnc-net-neutrality--the-battle-for-democracy Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:10:52 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/dont-let-em-take-your-vote 8/25/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/dont-let-em-take-your-vote Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:28:17 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/countdown-to-1/20/09-watch-your-civil-liberties 8/22/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/countdown-to-1/20/09-watch-your-civil-liberties Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:43:57 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/spice-up-the-dnc 8/21/2008. On my way back . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/spice-up-the-dnc Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:54:45 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/this-week-in-2004-kerry-up-by-4-points 08/20/2008. Many of us felt that we couldn’t possibly lose to Bush—he was just so obviously bad for our country. At that moment, many of us felt like this could be it. This could be the election when we beat the Right, ended the Bush nightmare, and put a (decently) progressive candidate in the White House. We were wrong. As we’ve seen Obama’s lead in the polls vanish over the past few weeks (the latest Zogby poll shows McCain with a 1 point lead), it’s a fitting reminder: this year’s fight will be at least as hard as ’04. You can follow the latest polls compared with the same week in 2004 by clicking here. Part of what got us in trouble in 2004 was complacency: progressives saw Bush’s steady stream of blunders, and many of us didn't think that America would make the same mistake twice. Because McCain is so much like Bush on the issues we all care most about, it’d be easy to fall into the same trap, to think the Democrats have this election wrapped up. This time it’s our turn not to repeat our mistakes. The blessing in disguise? It’s not too late. We just need to get moving. It’s time for everyone to get into the fight. Giving money is great. But I think grassroots action will be even more important this election. Obama's ads and speeches might remind people that Bush got us into this mess, show people that McCain can't get us out (not when he voted with Bush 95% of the time last year), and persuade people that Obama can provide the clean break that our country desperately needs. But personal persuasion works much, much better. We need people to start e-mailing and texting our friends, knocking on doors, engaging our neighbors in discussion, getting our younger friends to register and turn out to vote, and delivering the truth -- face-to-face, person-to-person -- about the candidates and who can lead America in a new direction. Barack Obama seems to get this. Look at where he came from. Look at how he's run his campaign. But as impressive as his grassroots operation has been, assuming that he's got the grassroots covered could be a big mistake. That's why we're running our own grassroots campaign to help elect Obama, with dozens of people going out in 11 battleground states to recruit volunteers and persuade undecided voters. And, the same grassroots action that can put Obama into Oval Office can give him the support he needs (or stiffen his spine at times) in the face of the inevitable political, corporate and ideological opposition we can expect after next Jan. 20. We have a base of volunteers spanning the nation, and we're organized to set you up with the volunteer opportunities and resources you need to do your part this political season. Sign up to make a difference this election; it's not in the bag, but it's not too late. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/this-week-in-2004-kerry-up-by-4-points Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:48:12 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/blast-from-the-past-1994-healthcare-ad-stars-return 08/19/2008. In 1994, I was only 14. Access to health care was probably the last thing on my mind -- likely because I was fortunate enough to have access to adequate health care. So, I don't remember the Harry and Louise commercials of 1994. But for those of you who do, they're back, and they're calling for the presidential candidates to get serious on health care. Here's a little reminder: A group called the National Federation for Independent Business used these ads to oppose the Clinton healthcare plan. Now, they're working together with Families USA to tell the candidates to get serious about solving our health care problems. Check out the new ad here: . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/blast-from-the-past-1994-healthcare-ad-stars-return Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:22:17 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/baby-celia-denied-coverage-in-individual-markets 8/18/2008. Cross posted from our friends at Think Progress: Acid reflux, a benign condition which afflicts about 50 percent of infants, can exempt otherwise healthy babies from coverage in the individual insurance market place, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/baby-celia-denied-coverage-in-individual-markets Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:35:58 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-first-rule-of-sapro-is___dont-talk-about-sapro 8/14/2008. Good news: Pressure from Rep. Waxman to enforce Dr. Kaye Whitley's . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-first-rule-of-sapro-is___dont-talk-about-sapro Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:46:40 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/hhs-sec_-leavitt-tries-to-dispel-fear-of-defining-contraception-as-abortion___by-refusing-to-discuss-it 8/13/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/hhs-sec_-leavitt-tries-to-dispel-fear-of-defining-contraception-as-abortion___by-refusing-to-discuss-it Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:05:39 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/bush-administration-wont-let-vets-register-at-federal-facilities 08/12/2008. What is he thinking?! That's what the Secretary of State of Connecticut, Susan Bysiewicz, asks in her editorial in the New York Times. It seems that the secretary of Veterans Affairs, James Peake, won't allow nonpartisan voter registration drives at federally funded hospitals, shelters and rehabilitation centers for veterans. So veterans like Martin O’Nieal, who lost his leg in World War II, might not be able to vote. Martin tried to vote in the last election, but the nurses couldn't answer his questions about how to register and where his polling place was. And thanks to James Peake and his department's policies, nonpartisan organizations aren't allowed to provide veterans like Martin with that information. We've told you about all the ways that our leaders are failing our veterans and troops-- lack of health care, inadequate mental health support, bickering over educational benefits, sexual assault allegations and electrocutions. Now this. We ask our veterans to risk making the ultimate sacrifice for our democracy. The least we can do is make it easier for them -- especially those who are recuperating from injuries or without a home of their own -- to exercise their democratic rights. Tell James Peake to allow veterans to register to vote at federal veterans facilities. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/bush-administration-wont-let-vets-register-at-federal-facilities Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:06:10 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/fox-news-forget-about-the-war-in-georgia-what-about-john-edwards 8/11/2008. Have you seen this? . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/fox-news-forget-about-the-war-in-georgia-what-about-john-edwards Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:04:19 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/comments-from-my-military-rape-blog-rape-stats-are-pure-propaganda_ 8/8/08. I'm going to be . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/comments-from-my-military-rape-blog-rape-stats-are-pure-propaganda_ Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:34:31 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/just-for-fun 8/08/2008. If we can't laugh about it, it would be too depressing. So let's have a laugh. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/just-for-fun Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:13:34 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-sick-get-sicker-why-preexisting-conditions-are-harming-our-health-care 8/7/2008. Following the ins . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-sick-get-sicker-why-preexisting-conditions-are-harming-our-health-care Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:05:39 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/1-in-3-female-troops-sexually-assaulted-but-the-pentagon-doesnt-think-its-a-problem 8/6/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/1-in-3-female-troops-sexually-assaulted-but-the-pentagon-doesnt-think-its-a-problem Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:36:10 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/debt-depression 8/05/2008. Phil Gramm might have called it a mental recession. But mental health professionals are talking about a very real "debt depression." The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports on a "rising tide of negative mental health consequences . . . among those struggling with job loss, home foreclosure, rising food and gas prices, and declining wages." A few people, on the brink of losing their homes, have even committed suicide. To top it all off, of course, millions can't afford basic health care, much less mental health care. There's no simple cure for depression, just as there's no simple cure for the mess we find in our economy. We do know that finding a way to provide health care for all and shift our country's energy dependence from oil to renewable power will help revitalize our economy. To help build the grassroots momentum we need for these changes, check out our Invest in US campaign. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/debt-depression Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:33:27 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/dems-draft-a-platform-now-its-time-to-get-it-done_ 8/4/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/dems-draft-a-platform-now-its-time-to-get-it-done_ Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:57:24 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/update-escape-artist-karl-rove-episode-ii 8/1/2008. Update: 8/1/2008 And . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/update-escape-artist-karl-rove-episode-ii Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:56:14 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/gonzales-and-goodling-stranger-than-fiction 7/31/2008. As the facts emerge, the truth about the Bush-Gonzales Justice . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/gonzales-and-goodling-stranger-than-fiction Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:10:17 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/and-the-waste-goes-on__ 7/30/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/and-the-waste-goes-on__ Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:17:43 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/rove-in-contempt-say-its-so-nancy 7/29/2008. “Absolutely, 100%, Aye.” Such was the enthusiastic vote of Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) today, when the House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Karl Rove in contempt of Congress for failing to respond to a subpoena. The committee said that Rove broke the law by failing to appear at a July 10 hearing on allegations of White House influence over the Justice Department, including whether Rove encouraged prosecutions against Democrats. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/rove-in-contempt-say-its-so-nancy Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:33:54 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/hidden-casualties-of-war 7/29/2008. Last week, Progressive Future shared a . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/hidden-casualties-of-war Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:43:15 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/an-ounce-of-prevention-no-longer-an-option 7/28/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/an-ounce-of-prevention-no-longer-an-option Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:12:03 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/your-tax-bill-less-than-a-second-of-waror--days-of-healthcare-renewable-power 07/25/2008. Have you ever wondered how many of your tax dollars have gone to fund the war in Iraq? Progressive Future’s Invest in US Calculator will tell you—and reveal what those hard-earned dollars could have paid for instead, if our leaders had been investing in us. The average American sent $235 to Iraq in 2007, funding only 0.04 seconds of the war. That same tax tab could have paid for 25 days of health coverage for an uninsured American, 12 days of Head Start for a student, 5 days of higher education for an Iraq war veteran, or powered a home with renewable energy for 89 days. I’d rather my next tax bill pay for a month of healthcare for a poor child than another fraction of a second for a misguided war. So, today, Progressive Future is launching our Invest in US Campaign. We're organizing progressive citizens to tell our leaders how we want our tax dollars spent: To bring the troops home on a reasonable timeline and to invest in the American people—in health care, clean energy, education and our obligations to our veterans. America is going to have new leadership next year. But, now is the time to raise our voices for change. This summer and fall, the major parties will decide where they stand on our priorities; Americans will decide which leaders can get us out of an economic rut and into a more sustainable future; and Congress will decide where to spend billions of our tax dollars. To shift America’s priorities, it’s clear that we as citizens must lead—and the Invest in US campaign is a way to do that. By petitioning online and in the streets, we aim to get 25,000 Americans to sign on to the Invest in US statement and join the campaign. Then, we’ll take the results to the media, the party conventions, and elected officials. Check out the calculator; learn what your tax dollars could have funded if our leaders had chosen to invest in us; and please sign the petition to take a stand. Together, we can build a more progressive future. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/your-tax-bill-less-than-a-second-of-waror--days-of-healthcare-renewable-power Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:45:07 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/benjamin-carter-v_-hallibuton-company-and-kellogg-brown--root-aka-kbr 7/25/2008. Two weeks ago, when I first posted my . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/benjamin-carter-v_-hallibuton-company-and-kellogg-brown--root-aka-kbr Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:44:28 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/slim-pickens-energy-plan-separating-the-beauty-from-the-beast 7/23/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/slim-pickens-energy-plan-separating-the-beauty-from-the-beast Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:19:18 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/poll-shows-americans-want-government-to-tackle-the-big-issues 07/22/2008. "Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." - Ronald Reagan, Jan. 20, 1981. For almost 30 years, the conservative movement has made the case that America is a center-right nation. As recently as April, an article in the American Prospect cited a litany of right-wing voices stubbornly clinging to that belief. "McCain, avers George Will, is 'a center-right candidate seeking to lead a center-right country.' Tom Cole, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, agrees: 'I believe that it is still a center-right country, and I think this election will show that,' he told the New York Times Magazine. 'America is a center-right country and in modern times has not elected a thoroughgoing liberal as president,' pleaded former Bush adviser Peter Wehner last week in the Wall Street Journal." http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=is_america_a_centerright_nation But an exclusive Rockefeller Foundation/TIME poll published last week reveals a country that is decidedly more progressive on its views of government's roles in addressing some of the most critical problems facing America today. The poll showed that: "Americans want to work hard and improve their family’s economic standing (80% believe they must be responsible for their financial security), but they are also calling out for a hand-up, rather than a hand-out, and are asking for new products and policy solutions to reinforce their efforts: 70% say more government programs should help those struggling due to current economic conditions. Americans support major government investments that create jobs – including public-works projects (82%), new measures to improve energy efficiency (84%), and initiatives to expand access to high-quality health care (77%). Americans also favor investments that make it easier for people to work – for example, paid family leave (68%) and government funded child care (66%)." http://www.rockfound.org/about_us/press_releases/2008/071708rf_time_poll.shtml Despite years of right-wing bashing Americans still have high hopes and aspirations for government and what we can accomplish when we pull together. We'll have more on this later this week when we launch our Invest in US campaign. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/poll-shows-americans-want-government-to-tackle-the-big-issues Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:05:03 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/updated-maybe-its-not-karl-roves-fault 7/21/2008. Update: Wondering where Karl Rove was while House Judiciary Committee talked . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/updated-maybe-its-not-karl-roves-fault Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:02:28 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/gores-energy-plan-now-were-talking 07/18/2008. Finally. A few weeks ago, amid the frenzied response to President Bush's plan to lift restrictions on offshore oil drilling in the face of rising oil prices, we asked why Democrats and progressives seemed to be allowing Big Oil to frame the energy debate. Progressive Futures's Rich Hannigan wrote about the debate we should be having: "I’m waiting to hear someone on our side explain that the high price of gas isn’t the problem; it’s a symptom, along with our increasingly fraught relationship with the rest of the world and the degradation of our land, air, water and climate, of our dependence on oil." Let the debate begin. Yesterday, former Vice President Al Gore laid out an aggressive but sensible plan which would solve our energy problems — and not by drilling our way out. Naturally, the oil giants are scrambling to denounce the plan, saying that we can't meet our energy needs with renewables and calling for more nuclear. After all, they've framed the debate all these years as most of our elected officials and political leaders shied away from calling for what we really need — serious investment in the technologies that will provide long term solutions. Maybe now that Gore has broken the ice, more of our leaders will stand up and call for more investment in renewable energy. Already, Barack Obama has said that he strongly agrees with the plan. Even John McCain said, "If the vice president says it's doable, I believe it's doable." We're still a long way from real action to tackle the problem. But, at least for the moment, we're having the right conversation. We'll be doing our part to continue that conversation and build support for real action to end our oil dependence next week by calling for our leaders to stop wasting billions of dollars in Iraq and start taking care of our problems here at home. I hope you'll stay tuned and join our campaign. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/gores-energy-plan-now-were-talking Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:55:21 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/nyt-reports-what-bloggers-have-been-active-on-all-along 7/18/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/nyt-reports-what-bloggers-have-been-active-on-all-along Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:49:40 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/census-bureau-same-sex-marriages-dont-count 07/17/2008. Diane Curtis and Ellen Leuchs live in a state that provides fair and equal marriage rights to all its citizens, regardless of whether the person they want to marry is of the same sex. But in the 2010 census, the federal government won't recognize Diane and Ellen's very legal and legitimate marriage. Their children Romy and Jamie will be counted as having single parents. They won't be counted as a family. The Bureau followed the same procedure for the 2000 census, as a result of specific language in the Defense Of Marriage Act, signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. The law requires all federal agencies to recognize only opposite-sex marriages for the purposes of administering federal programs. The Census Bureau does not plan to change its procedure even though gay and lesbian . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/census-bureau-same-sex-marriages-dont-count Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:57:10 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/8763-disabled-veterans-died-without-receiving-benefits 7/16/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/8763-disabled-veterans-died-without-receiving-benefits Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:23:33 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/maybe-its-not-karl-roves-fault 07/21/2008. By now you've all heard that Karl Rove ignored a subpeona last week and failed to appear before Congress. Of course, if any "regular" citizen pulled a stunt like this, they'd be sitting in jail right now. But, just maybe, it's not Karl's fault that he doesn't know what it means when you get a subpeona from Congress. Let's face it, Karl Rove was really busy during college honing his skill at political trickery. It's easy to see to how he would have missed out on some fundamental civics lessons. Like what it means when you receive a subpeona: 1. When you receive a subpeona, it means you have to show up. It's not a request or an invitation. 2. If you don't show up, you go to jail. 3. Most importantly, you are not a special and unique snowflake. A subpoena is a subpoena, no matter who you are or who you worked for. So the real question is, how will Karl learn these citizenship lessons that he missed in school? The best way to teach him a lesson here is to hold Karl accountable. After all, this time he outright broke the law. Tell Rep. Sanchez to follow through and hold Karl Rove in contempt of Congress, and to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. After all, he'll probably adjust well to prison life given his performance at the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner that clearly established his street cred. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/maybe-its-not-karl-roves-fault Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:19:18 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/my-boss-at-kbr-the-military-is-none-of-our-f---ing-concern_ 7/11/08. Ben Carter is a water safety . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/my-boss-at-kbr-the-military-is-none-of-our-f---ing-concern_ Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:05:30 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/devastation-in-cancer-alley 7/10/2008. Jon Davidow is the Co-founder and Director of Operations for the Back . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/devastation-in-cancer-alley Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:27:21 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/dont-let-the-right-define-patriotism 07/09/08. First, they went after Barack Obama for not wearing a flag lapel pin. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/dont-let-the-right-define-patriotism Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:30:23 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/bush-taking-action-on-climate-change-not-exactly 07/08/2008. I suppose it's a minor miracle that George W. Bush is even talking to other world leaders about global warming, much less pledging any kind of action. But that appears to be the case. I'm not surprised to find that the early reviews of the deal by our friends in the environmental community are far from positive. Check out this from the Huffington Post on the G8's decision about climate change yesterday, and what our friends in the environmental community have to say about it. Read More. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/bush-taking-action-on-climate-change-not-exactly Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:11:04 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/kennedys-push-for-universal-health-care 7/7/2008. This is exciting. Sen. Ted Kennedy is daring to use the "u" word in . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/kennedys-push-for-universal-health-care Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:04:14 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/you-say-you-want-a-revolution 07/05/2008. This is a guest blog by Environmental Action Internet Organizer Dan Stafford. Environmental Action was born out of the first Earth Day in 1970. With over 100,000 activists in all fifty states Environmental Action combines on the ground activists with seasoned environmental know how, to fight for the change we need, not just the change we can get. Dan Stafford has worked with Environmental Action since May of 2005, having spent the previous ten years working as a field organizer for various state and national eco groups from coast to coast. Dan is currently based in Denver, and you can keep up with his tirades at www.environmental-action.org/blog My friends at Progressive Future have asked me to guest blog over here to talk about the reality that as we celebrate our independence from Great Britain 232 years ago we find ourselves wholly dependent on another form of tyranny, namely, oil. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/you-say-you-want-a-revolution Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:50:45 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/let-the-real-debate-on-offshore-drilling-begin 07/03/2008. I don’t know about you, but I’m still waiting. Nearly two weeks ago, President Bush echoed John McCain's call to end our nation's moratorium on offshore drilling as a solution to high gas prices. With our country hurtling toward a crossroads on energy policy, President Bush and Senator McCain have made their choice clear: the cure to our nation’s addiction to oil is . . . wait for it . . . more oil! What an opportunity to jump-start the national discussion about energy policy! What an opportunity to present a clear and compelling case for a different path toward a different future! Instead, Democratic Party leaders and other well-meaning progressive voices have pointed out that it takes a long time to develop new offshore drilling wells. They’ve explained that even if these wells are developed, the impact on prices is likely to be small. They’ve warned that there’s no way to prevent the oil that’s drilled from leaving the U.S. And they’ve noted that the oil companies are already sitting on 68 million acres of federal land and water where they could drill right now. All of which is true as far as it goes. But is this really the best we can do? Is this the real debate our country should be having about energy right now, with the public’s attention riveted on the problem in a way that it hasn’t been since the days of the OPEC embargo? Or are we letting the oil companies and their friends in Washington frame the debate in a manner that ignores the real problem? I’m waiting to hear someone on our side explain that the high price of gas isn’t the problem; it’s a symptom, along with our increasingly fraught relationship with the rest of the world and the degradation of our land, air, water and climate, of our dependence on oil. I’m longing to hear someone argue that increasing our dependence on oil – even if we get our fix via domestic supplies– is like Thelma and Louise hitting the accelerator with the cliff just a few hundred yards away. I’m dying to hear someone point out that the moment of “peak oil” is getting closer every day, and exploiting every last drop of our nation’s offshore reserves might forestall this day of reckoning by a few years, at best. I’d love to hear someone remind people that burning all that offshore oil will hasten our approach to the tipping point when climate change accelerates and becomes irreversible. And I wouldn’t mind finding someone brave enough to ask how long the rest of the world will stand for an America that comprises 5 percent or so of the world’s population and consumes about 25 percent of the world’s fossil fuels. If even some of what the experts are predicting comes true, paying $4 for a gallon of gas will be the least of our problems. On the flip side, solving these problems could be our nation’s salvation. We can reinvigorate our economy through an Apollo-style program to promote conservation, energy efficiency, clean, renewable power, clean cars, modernized public transit systems, and smart growth. We can start leading the global effort to solve the global climate crisis. We can restore our standing in the world by offering the world a new model of sustainable development. None of it will happen if progressives get stuck in a stale debate about whether offshore drilling will or will not lower gas prices. We have a chance to ignite this debate, to perform a real service to our kids and grandkids, to seize our moment in history to tackle what could be our generation’s most important challenge. And if we do, one day, when a gallon of gas hits $10, most Americans will say, “Who cares? I drive an electric car when I don’t take the train or walk, and my house generates more electricity than I use. Whatever happened to OPEC anyway?” If you’ve seen a good blog or other piece that effectively reframes the debate around offshore drilling, send it our way. We’ll do whatever we can to promote it, starting with posting it on our own Web site. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/let-the-real-debate-on-offshore-drilling-begin Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:18:28 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/pentagon-inspects-kbr-but-dont-hold-your-breath 7/03/2008. Call it a qualified victory. On July 1, the Pentagon . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/pentagon-inspects-kbr-but-dont-hold-your-breath Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:55:11 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/my-guantanamo-diary2 7/02/2008. Since . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/my-guantanamo-diary2 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:15:47 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/we-havent-done-all-we-can2 07/01/2008. My dad lives really near where the Missouri River and the Platte River join up in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. In case you're not up on your Nebraska geography, Plattsmouth is a stone's throw from Iowa; if you stand in my dad's back yard and look east, you're looking at Iowa. So when I heard about the massive river flooding and devastation in Iowa a few weeks ago, I was pretty worried. When I looked at the pictures and videos on the news of the Iowa flood victims, I couldn't help but draw parallels between these images and those that we saw after the Hurricane Katrina. Would my dad end up on the front page of the newspaper, waist deep in water trying to carry his belongings to higher ground? Would his riverside house be swept away and would he end up in one of those terrible FEMA trailers like the hurricane victims had? . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/we-havent-done-all-we-can2 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:10:42 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/bankruptcies-up-despite-cruel-legal-reform 06.27.2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/bankruptcies-up-despite-cruel-legal-reform Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:37:46 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/many-children-left-behind 06.26.2008. A new . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/many-children-left-behind Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:03:28 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/a-little-more-science-a-little-less-hype 6/26/2008. It's a dramatic story. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/a-little-more-science-a-little-less-hype Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:42:08 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/a-path-past-oil 06/25/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/a-path-past-oil Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:47:41 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/justice-for-sick-nuclear-workers 6/24/2008. Advocates . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/justice-for-sick-nuclear-workers Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:38:53 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/a-billion-here-a-billion-there-pretty-soon-youre-talking-real-money 06.24.2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/a-billion-here-a-billion-there-pretty-soon-youre-talking-real-money Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:38:40 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/need-we-say-more 06.23.2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/need-we-say-more Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:13:14 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/hot-off-the-presses 06.23.2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/hot-off-the-presses Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:17:21 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/calling-for-leadership 06/20/08. In case anybody still thinks that electing a solid Democratic majority in 2006 was the silver bullet to solving all of our problems and promoting a progressive agenda, here's the latest bit of contrary evidence. The DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED House just passed a bill that expands Bush's wiretapping powers and grants immunity to the phone companies that facilitiated our government's illegal spying on its own citizens in the wake of 9/11. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says it's the best compromise possible "in the current atmosphere." Others called it a clear victory for the White House. The bill goes to the Senate next week and Majority Leader Harry Reid says he's going to "try real hard" to get a vote to strip the immunity provision. Umm, excuse me Mr. Reid, but as Leader you do control the Senate's schedule, right? Seems like there's one of two problems here. Either the Democratic leadership lacks the fortitude to push back on the Bush Administration on fundamental matters of consitutional importance such as basic civil liberties. Or, Rep. Hoyer is right, and we've failed to organize our fellow Americans to create the proper conditions for stronger protections. The "current atmosphere" just doesn't support standing up to Bush. I have my suspicions about which it is. But, either way, the answer is the same--and couldn't be clearer. Progressives need to get in gear. We need to organize ourselves, building a base from which to hold our leaders accountable to our core values AND reach out to our fellow citizens to get more folks on our side. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/calling-for-leadership Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:42:53 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/health-care-whats-work-got-to-do-with-it 6/19/2008. As I stood looking at the $500 bill my insurance left me with from a . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/health-care-whats-work-got-to-do-with-it Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:00:48 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/our-priorities 06/16/08. If there's ever been a time to speak up for change and a new direction, it's this summer. Yes, there's an election coming up. But, it's also the right time to send our representatives a message about getting their priorities straight. Every fall, Congress decides how to spend billions of our tax dollars. Throughout the year, our legislators pass dozens of bills "authorizing" spending; but that money isn't actually made available for various programs and projects until it is "appropriated" through a set of bills passed every fall. So, this summer we'll focus our attention on where all of our tax dollars are going--hint: about $10 billion every month to Iraq--and all the opportunities we're missing to invest in a progressive future. We'll be working to send our leaders a strong message: it's time to change course. Check out this cool site, which calculates that tradeoffs we're making by spending our money on the war: http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home Then, come back to our site for more on why we need to shift priorities--and opportunities to get involved with our campaign. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/our-priorities Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:11:33 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/another-solution-to-high-gas 06.11.2008. The following is part . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/another-solution-to-high-gas Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:50:37 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/planes-trains-and-global-warming 06.09.2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/planes-trains-and-global-warming Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:02:37 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/de-railed-how-balanced-transportation-will-restore-american-prosperity 06.06.2008. Jason Lally is an urban planner at Place Matters, a . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/de-railed-how-balanced-transportation-will-restore-american-prosperity Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:27:08 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-big-business-of-education 6/4/2008. I grew up in a very small, rural town in Nebraska called Weeping Water. A lot of people talk about how beautiful that town must be with a nice name like Weeping Water, and I guess it is. It's quaint and there's a nice creek running through it. But the land of opportunity it isn't, especially when it comes to higher education. Neither of my parents went to college, and most of the kids my age in the town were the same. When it came time to choose colleges of our own, the bulk of students chose community college -- it was close, they could get through it in two years, but most importantly, it was affordable. With small student loans, students who had never even considered Ivy League schools and could not afford 4 year schools like University of Nebraska-Lincoln could get an education. But now, the educational opportunity available to so many blue collar, low income and rural students is in danger, because the business of 2 year education just isn't profitable enough. Student loan lenders like CitiBank are passing up 2 year community colleges and "less competitive" schools in favor of lending to the big money 4 year and Ivy League schools. Thankfully, some lenders like Nelnet have renewed their commitment to helping students get an education regardless of what institution they decide to attend, but they can't stop the big business of education. Tuition rates will continue to raise at out of control rates and lenders will continue to create ways to turn a profit, all while higher education becomes less and less accessible to the neediest students. Instead of profiting off our students, we need to invest in quality, accessible higher education and provide opportunities for all students. Accessibility and affordability of higher education isn't just an individual benefit for the student; higher education serves the public good as well. Strong economies, healthy communities, and a thriving society are all in our future if we make the investment today. I was fortunate enough to snag a scholarship for musical talent, but I'm still up to my ears in student loan debt and probably will be for most of my life. But my student loan debt is nothing compared to the utter lack of opportunity that students from my very own hometown are facing because their educations aren't valuable to lenders like Citibank. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-big-business-of-education Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:13:26 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/guantanamo-obstructing-justice-when-justice-is-nowhere-to-be-found 6/3/2008. When I was a freshman in college, I was given the . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/guantanamo-obstructing-justice-when-justice-is-nowhere-to-be-found Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:06:02 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/its-thursday-and-schools-out 06.02.2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/its-thursday-and-schools-out Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:36:41 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-powerful-well-connected-teen-sex-lobby 05/31/2008. The Washington Post reported today that the National Abstinence Education Association is launching a $1 million campaign to promote abstinence-only education in our nation's schools. Incredibly, they call their effort the "Parents for Truth" campaign. Apparently we're now in a sufficiently Orwellian epoch that suppression of information is the same as spreading truth. I guess we have George Bush to thank for that. The best part, though, is the lead quote by the director of the association. Ms. Valerie Huber warns us that: "There are powerful special interest groups who can far outspend what . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-powerful-well-connected-teen-sex-lobby Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:58:20 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/forget-4-gas___wheres-my-milk-tax-holiday 5/29/2008. I don't really like driving. I get a touch of the road rage. I prefer . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/forget-4-gas___wheres-my-milk-tax-holiday Thu, 29 May 2008 14:10:13 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/you-can-take-my-wine-but-give-me-my-future-back 5/27/2008. For the holiday . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/you-can-take-my-wine-but-give-me-my-future-back Tue, 27 May 2008 14:28:13 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/our-troops-sacrfices 5/26/2008. This Memorial Day, I’m watching baseball and savoring my three day weekend. But, I’m also making a concerted effort to observe the holiday as it was intended – remembering and honoring the sacrifices that so many soldiers have made over the years so that we can sit around and watch baseball on our three day weekends. My uncle is in Iraq. This is his fourth tour since the war began. When he first went, his son was 10. Now he's 16. I spent the weekend thinking about the sacrifices my uncle is making. He's missed a lot his son's childhood. He's missing these three day weekends. And, like so many others, he's sacrificing his safety by putting his life on the line everyday he's away. But there are some sacrifices my uncle and other soldiers shouldn't be ask to make. In fact, it's shameful they're asked to make them. Sacrifices like showering in tainted and unsafe water provided by private contractors the Bush administration hired to manage the war. Sacrifices like losing your life, not in combat, but by using facilities that were unsafe due to negligence by these same contractors. You can read about these atrocities here, here and here. There's no better day than today to call for consequences for these contractors, in honor of all of our troops who have sacrificed so much for us. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/our-troops-sacrfices Mon, 26 May 2008 11:32:30 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/its-not-the-markets-it-is-you_-tell-congress-to-break-up-with-big-oil 5/23/2008. This week, Big Oil executives went before the Senate Judiciary . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/its-not-the-markets-it-is-you_-tell-congress-to-break-up-with-big-oil Fri, 23 May 2008 18:04:09 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-nanny-state 05/21/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-nanny-state Wed, 21 May 2008 16:40:05 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/bushs-security-top-secret----except-for-contractors 5/20/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/bushs-security-top-secret----except-for-contractors Tue, 20 May 2008 17:10:26 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/a-triple-win-solution-to-gas-prices 05/19/2008. It seems that each day we hear reports . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/a-triple-win-solution-to-gas-prices Mon, 19 May 2008 15:06:47 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/contractor-accountability-one-soldier-leads-our-call-for-consequences 5/16/2008. This entire week, I've been blogging my interview with Rachel, a . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/contractor-accountability-one-soldier-leads-our-call-for-consequences Fri, 16 May 2008 11:08:37 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-trauma-of-silence 5/15/2008. For the past three days, this five-part diary series has shared the experiences of Rachel, an Iraq War Veteran, and her encounters with the private military contractor, KBR. In a series of interviews, she has shared with me stories of unfair disparities in pay and treatment between contractors and military personnel, having to shower in what was essentially wastewater because of KBR's negligence, and her reactions to the KBR water scandal investigations upon her return to the United States. Today's installment tells a different story, but one that is equally appalling and pertinent to the issue of how the Pentagon continues to subject the troops to mistreatment and negligence. Josh, a soldier who was also stationed at Camp Ramadi, divulged his experiences with struggling to find medical help for a traumatic brain injury (TBI)induced by a roadside bomb in Iraq, and his subsequent case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: What caused your TBI? I was serving as the gunner in the turret of a humvee when we were hit on the front driver's side by a roadside bomb which was set off by the radio. I was knocked unconscious for a couple minutes by the blast and had a concussion. Can you describe the symptoms caused by your TBI? With my TBI I have speech problems, balance and coordination problems, memory and concentration problems and post-traumatic stress disorder. How were you treated? I wasn't. I was "examined" by a battalion medic who was a staff sergeant. Apparently I had regained my hearing back and had no other problems. The notes said I should return if I had ringing in the ears, hearing problems, or unexplained chest pains or if my hearing worsened. Then I started back doing missions again. My commander filled out an LOD. When we came home six months later, on my post deployment checklist, I noted that I had headaches, chest pain, difficulty breathing, ringing in the ears and difficulty remembering things. On the same checklist, I answered yes to 3 of 4 have-you-ever "PTSD Screening Questions." I received no follow up referrals and didn't know anything about PTSD or the possibility that I could even have it. So then we just went home. That was it, no physical, just [a week of] paperwork and drinking [in an intake facility], then home. Would you characterize VA medical care as adequate? It's inadequate because it takes so long to get in and get anything done. It's also inadequate because hundreds of thousands of soldiers who need it aren't even getting taken care of by the VA, and thousands more are attempting to commit suicide under their care. Not only that, but when I went there as "a danger to myself and other people," they said it was in the past and that it didn't mean that I was still. They didn't want me to be there and they didn't know what to do with me. It's no wonder they wanted to "Shhh..." the numbers of veterans attempting to commit suicide under their care. Do you feel that there would be more volunteer recruits for the military if the government offered better treatment for the troops? Definitely, I think a lot more people would volunteer. It just seems like it isn’t worth it right now and it only sounds like it’s going to get worse before it gets better. A big part of the recruiting is all about these benefits and, in my experience, they’re nearly impossible to get. Do you feel that the effect of having more people sign up for service would diminish the need for the Pentagon to outsource all these services to private contractors? It could definitely do that, because those hundreds of thousands of civilians serving overseas would be likely to do it for the army if it offered the same pay, benefits and leave. I got 15 days rest and recuperation leave from Iraq, while the people serving in Kuwait got 30 days and the civilians I talked to got to leave, all expenses paid, for two weeks every three months to go wherever they wanted to fly. In addition to the higher wages, the time away from home wouldn’t seem as bad if the tours were shorter or leave was more [frequent] or longer. It would also be smart to utilize the job skills the reserves and national guard bring to the army from the civilian side for some of the skill sets that they’re outsourcing. It would make sense to find a happy medium and pay civilians less and the military more, and give some of the military benefits as pay to avoid the red tape. The “Shh...” that Josh talks about in his testimony refers to the subject line of an email sent by a VA official regarding the number of suicide attempts by veterans of the Global War on Terror. For a while, it seemed that the lack of medical follow-up for veterans experiencing PTSD and other medical problems was the silent injustice, happening with widespread occurrence but rarely covered by the mainstream media. As instances of veterans' tragedies started to crop up (the New York Times published a series of articles chronicling these cases), so has the Department of Veterans' Affair's attempts to muffle and downplay these tragedies. As Josh says, a lot of things about the way the Pentagon has handled the allocation of resources for the war don't make sense. It doesn't make sense that the military would not mandate complete physical, mental and psychiatric evaluations of soldiers upon their return home. It doesn't make sense that after a significant period of constant emotional stress, the Army's way of integrating the troops back to normal life is to hole them up in an intake facility and let them drink their way back to the real world. It doesn't make sense that so many tax dollars go to waste funding multi-billion dollar contracts with private companies, while the soldiers who put their lives on the line and experience scenes of horror and trauma don't receive the care that they need. How much longer can the United States afford to sweep the needs of these soldiers under the rug? What does all this say about how much our leaders value the sacrifices these young men and women have made for our country? We need to send a message to the Pentagon that the American public will not stand for the unfair treatment of our troops, and that we will not turn our backs on these injustices. Tomorrow, Rachel will share her thoughts on what it would mean for all of us if the contractors were granted immunity for the injustices they've committed, and will lead a call for consequences. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-trauma-of-silence Thu, 15 May 2008 10:54:06 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-kbr-water-scandal-reports-a-witness-weighs-in 5/14/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-kbr-water-scandal-reports-a-witness-weighs-in Wed, 14 May 2008 11:34:26 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/diary-series-part-ii-sewage-with-the-bathwater 5/13/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/diary-series-part-ii-sewage-with-the-bathwater Tue, 13 May 2008 09:42:54 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/freedom-isnt-free___and-neither-are-contractors 5/11/2008. This . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/freedom-isnt-free___and-neither-are-contractors Sun, 11 May 2008 21:48:33 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/privateer-abuse-in-iraq-its-time-to-blame-the-messenger 5/9/2008. I recently . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/privateer-abuse-in-iraq-its-time-to-blame-the-messenger Fri, 09 May 2008 17:23:17 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/ryans-story 05/08/2008. We’ve already shared with you how much of the war effort in . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/ryans-story Thu, 08 May 2008 09:39:01 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/atonement 05/05/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/atonement Mon, 05 May 2008 15:27:33 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/today-is-law-day 05/01/2008. The right of ordinary . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/today-is-law-day Thu, 01 May 2008 19:49:21 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-pentagon-caves-why-citizen-activism-does-work 4/29/2008. Last week, we posted . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-pentagon-caves-why-citizen-activism-does-work Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:48:17 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-ugliness-of-rush-limbaugh 4/25/2008. Most people know that Rush Limbaugh is . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-ugliness-of-rush-limbaugh Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:37:53 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-miseducation-of-karl-rove 4/24/2008. Karl Rove once . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/the-miseducation-of-karl-rove Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:36:48 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/mirror-mirror___whos-the-ugliest 4/22/08. I finally had a chance to read the full NY Times article from the other day on the Pentagon's public relations offensive. It got me thinking, who comes out looking the ugliest? Is it: a) The Bush Administration officials who deliberately traded access for favorable spin, and were more concerned with shaping public opinion than owning up to the truth of their failed war strategy? b) The analysts themselves, decorated retired officers who put their vanity and business interests ahead of the public's right to know the truth--not to mention the lives of their active duty colleagues? c) The networks and other media outlets who allowed anyone with a few stars and bars to spout propaganda without investigating possible conflicts of interest or questioning the source of the "inside information" being revealed. I vote c. This adminstration has certainly gone way overboard in its willingness to treat the truth as a mere inconvenience and resort to questionable tactics. But in general, public officials act in a political world, and we can expect any president and administration to do their utmost to build public support for their policies. As a former advocate myself (albiet for campaign finance reform, not war) I can even kind of admire DoD public relations chief Torie Clark for her astuteness in recognizing that military analysts were the most effective vehicles for her boss' message. Many of the analysts probably believed most of what they were spouting (call it ideological blinders, an inability to see a naked emperor...). There's no excuse for those who recognized the disconnect and were willing to trade their integrity for the bright lights of TV and the dull glow of lucrative contracts for their favor-seeking clients. But, they're just a set of flawed individuals. The biggest concern to me is the breakdown of a system of free press that is supposed to inform the public through independent reporting. In not conducting the most basic conflict-of-interest checks, the networks fundamentally abdicated their responsibilities to the public. Perhaps we should remind them more regularly that they rent our public airwaves from the public for the whopping price of $0 in exchange for the directive to operate in the public interest. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/mirror-mirror___whos-the-ugliest Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:28:47 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/why-i-come-to-work 4/18/2008. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/why-i-come-to-work Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:14:03 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/our-common-values2 4/17/08. One of Progressive Future’s operating principles is that being a progressive American means more than holding a set of sensible but random policy positions. It means buying into a set of broader values that tie our positions together—whether we think that way on a daily basis or not. Part of our task moving forward, then, is to do a better job of thinking that way and talking that way. Defining and articulating these values helps us work together more effectively and shows our fellow citizens that we’re not just a bunch of special interest forced under one tent. This is easier said than done because I think we need to aim for a very particular level of abstraction. The values need to be broad and inspiring enough to unite different issue preferences under a common there. But, they need to be specific and concrete enough to meaningfully differentiate ourselves from those who disagree with us on most issues. So, I think “freedom” and “equality” are out because they’re too broad. George Bush is for those things—and he even uses them as an excuse to go to war. I think “choice,” “environmental stewardship,” and “workers’ rights” are too narrow. These are really issues, not a broader framework. I’ve chosen community, fairness, and security as the three values to begin to articulate on this site. I like community the best because explains a lot about what binds us together and it so clearly differentiates us from the right. We believe we’re all in this together; they believe that every man is an island. We believe that we should come together to work for the common good and solve large problems collectively; they believe everyone should pull himself up by his bootstraps. Our different views on the importance of community explain why conservatives are inherently skeptical of government while progressives view it as just a particularly formal way to come together to solve common problems; why progressives support strong safety nets and conservatives do not; etc. Fairness doesn’t quite meet the “differentiatable” test on its face. Rush Limbaugh has never taken a strong stance against fairness. But, of course, we take fairness seriously and they do not. We worry about every child getting a decent (and ultimately equal) education, and about people facing discrimination for characteristics beyond their control—race, sex, sexuality, poverty. They think that everyone has an equal opportunity to be born to rich parents. Our focus on fairness explains why we support progressive taxation, quality public education, and political equality through sensible limits on the influence of money on public policy. Security also seems a bit strange on its face. Right wing politicians love to talk about how only they will protect us from terrorists and violent criminals. Of course, we find serious flaws with their solutions to the real problems of threats to our safety—they tend to attack the symptoms rather than the causes. But, more importantly, we define security much more holistically. Real security means not living paycheck-to-paycheck with no room for error. It means being able to take your kids to a safe place while you work and to the doctor when they get sick. I put these values out to spark a conversation. Perhaps others should be on the list. Sustainability? Is ecology a holistic value that goes beyond environmentalism? I know I’m not the first to tread in these waters, and I certainly have no hope of providing the final word. Plenty of academics and think tanks have done research that touches on this topic—and I hope to engage with this work in future posts. More important, I hope that this blog and this website will serve as a forum for a conversation about how together we progressives can define and articulate a set of common values, and begin to connect our work in various policy arenas under a set of larger umbrellas. But, community, fairness, and security are a start. I will work to highlight how our policy work at Progressive Future connects to these broader values as we proceed and grow. And, I encourage you to help me. Where I get sucked into a particular issue and miss opportunities to highlight the big picture, let me know. Where I try to make a connection that seems specious and forced, tell me that too. And, there’s never been a better time to be talking about these values than now. We’re in a recession and may be on the verge of something worse (86% of Americans think so). We lost 83,000 jobs in March and countless families have lost their homes to forclosures. Meanwhile, our government is bailing out Wall Street and ignoring Main Street. And, executive pay continues to rise without regard to performance while average workers suffer. These are not signs of a community coming together to solve problems; of a fair, balanced economy that rewards work and productivity; or of secure families. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/our-common-values2 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:50:24 -0500 http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/welcome-to-progressive-future 4/8/2008. Since this is our first official blog posting on our new website, I thought I’d write a bit about our organization and our goals. You can learn much more about us by poking around the site, so I’ll keep this brief and to the point. As our name implies, Progressive Future’s long term goal is to make fundamental progress on core progressive priorities. We want to win big on the issues we all care about: getting out of this war and preventing the next; providing quality and affordable healthcare to all Americans; creating a fair and stable economy; solving global warming and other environmental problems; and giving every child a quality education so the next generation is prepared for the challenges ahead. And, we want to win in a way that fundamentally changes the power dynamic in this country. At heart, we’re not just progressives, but populists too. We think corporations and wealthy campaign contributors have too much power—concentrating that wealth and power while spreading costs amongst the rest of us. Our primary strategy is to build the progressive movement. In order to take back our country, we need to get organized—like the right has been doing through the churches. And we think there are two basic elements to put into place. First, we need to activate our base. There are plenty of Americans who are fed up with the Bush Administration and ready for a new direction. We need to turn these folks from frustrated citizens to effective activists. So, we’ll be knocking on doors, standing on street corners, and generally doing whatever it takes to recruit an army of activists—and get our fellow progressives off their couches and beyond the blogs. Next, we need to unite our movement around a set of values that are broader than our various policy preferences but specific enough to differentiate ourselves from the right. The right has basically held its fragile coalition together since William F. Buckley, Jr. united economic libertarians and social conservatives against communism in the 1950s. They’ve done so by articulating a set of values that’s easily understood, no matter where you stand. When a right-wing politician talks about supporting “family values,” “limited government,” and being “strong on defense” and “tough on crime” everyone knows what (s)he means. Unfortunately, we all know that our progressive allies have tended to talk more about particular issues or policies than about the broader values that underlie our passion for these causes. Our activists—from professional lobbyists to the most motivated volunteers—want to talk about workers’ rights, choice, or the environment. That’s great, but without connecting these critical issues to a broader framework we can sometimes seem like just a group of special interests fighting for our piece of the pie. More important, we have no way to connect with each other and make tough decisions about who’s passions to prioritize as we move forward to throw out the old pie and bake a new one altogether. I think we can better appeal to the public at large and bridge some of our internal divides by focusing on the values that connect us as progressives—and separate us from those on the other side. I’ve taken a shot at defining a few of these values on this site—and you can click on the Values & Priorities section to see what you think. I want to keep these posts short and sweet, so I’ll expound a bit on what I’m going for in the next post. Thanks for reading. I don’t know how you found us—perhaps you met one of our organizers on the street, signed a petition online, or you’re just surfing the web. Either way, I’m glad you’re here and I hope you’ll check out the rest of our site. We’re a new organization and we just launched this website, so we’d really appreciate your feedback. You can click here to send us a note about how we can improve the site. . . . http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/welcome-to-progressive-future Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:30:07 -0500