The Grand Bargain is a Grand Lie

Why the scheme being negotiated in Washington is one-sided and totally unfair By Cenk Uygur for Common Dreams – First of all, let’s establish that no one in Washington actually cares about balancing the budget. If they did, they would love this so-called Fiscal Cliff. It raises taxes and cuts spending, so it would massively…

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What will liberals do with their big election victory?

With fights over social security, Medicare, ongoing war, and other key progressive priorities looming, what will they do with their new power? By Glenn Greenwald for the Guardian – The greatest and most enduring significance of Tuesday night’s election results will likely not be the re-election of Barack Obama, but rather what the outcome reflects…

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The CEO Plan to Steal Your Social Security and Medicare

By Dean Baker for Truth-Out.org – Many people are following the presidential election closely with the idea that the outcome will have a major impact on national policy. However, according to Steven Pearlstein, a veteran Washington Post columnist and reporter, it may not matter who wins the election. In a column last week, Pearlstein told…

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VP Pick Ryan’s Plan Would Be Path to the Poorhouse

By Wendell Potter for the Huffington Post – If Americans who are embracing Rep. Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” — and that now includes Mitt Romney — spent a few minutes reviewing a few recent research reports, they just might conclude that the Wisconsin Republican’s plan to reduce the deficit might better be renamed the…

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Even Critics of Safety Net Depend on It Increasingly

From the New York Times – LINDSTROM, Minn. – Ki Gulbranson owns a logo apparel shop, deals in jewelry on the side and referees youth soccer games. He makes about $39,000 a year and wants you to know that he does not need any help from the federal government. He says that too many Americans…

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Un-Happy Holidays for Seniors and the Disabled – Here’s Your Donut

by Donna Smith – It isn’t sugar plums dancing in their dreams for America’s seniors and disabled who are covered by the Medicare program. It’s donuts. Donut holes into which many fall at this time of the year as they reach the maximum limits of the first tier of “Part D” prescription drug benefits. I…

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For Debt Committee, No Final-Hour Deal Apparent

From NPR – Monday is the last day the congressional supercommittee can reach a deficit-reduction deal and still make its Wednesday deadline. The legislation has to be publicly available for 48 hours before a vote, and the clock is ticking. But instead of announcing an agreement, the committee is widely expected to admit it has…

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Supercommittee operating in secret

By Jake Sherman and Matt Dobias for Politico – The supercommittee has become supersecret about most of what it’s doing. On Tuesday, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) encapsulated the attitude of the members of the Joint Deficit Reduction Committee: “I don’t want to discuss what we discussed.” As 12 lawmakers tackle the historic task of slashing…

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