MORNING MESSAGE
The
February Jobs Report – 295,000 new jobs, official unemployment ticking down to
5.5% – exceeds Wall Street expectations. ... The monthly jobs report is just a
marker. The real question is the effect the jobs growth will have on the Federal
Reserve governors. Fed Chair Janet Yellen has already suggested that the Fed
will signal this month that it is gearing up to raise rates, with most analysts
predicting a rate increase by June if jobs growth remains robust. But this is
surely premature. Workers have not yet shared in the recovery.
More Jobs, Flat Wages
BLS
reports 295,000 new jobs in February but meager wage gains: “… the
unemployment rate edged down to 5.5 percent … The employment-population ratio
was unchanged at 59.3 percent in February but is up by 0.5 percentage point over
the year … average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls
rose by 3 cents to $24.78. Over the year, average hourly earnings have risen by
2.0 percent.”
Right-Wing Bedevils Boehner
Right-wing
Freedom Caucus threatens Boehner’s ability to govern. Politico: “Although
they clearly lost the fight over DHS funding, the Freedom Caucus is beginning to
show that it is a force that requires leadership’s attention. They are showing
legislative sophistication, defying the perception of a ragtag collection of
demagogues … With the backing of popular conservatives, they have changed the
definition of what legislation meets conservative muster …”
Dems
won’t let Boehner get overthrown. The Hill: “…Democrats from across an
ideological spectrum say they’d rather see Boehner remain atop the House than
replace him with a more conservative Speaker who would almost certainly be less
willing to reach across the aisle in search of compromise … ‘Then we would get
Scalise or somebody? Geez, come on,’ said [Rep. Raul] Grijalva, who referenced
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.). ‘We can be suicidal, but not
stupid.'”
“Center-right”
group runs ads to protect Boehner allies. Politico: “The American Action
Network, a group allied with House Republican leadership, is placing a
six-figure buy for television advertisements to thank several GOP lawmakers for
voting to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The beneficiaries of AAN’s
$350,000 TV campaign are Reps. Renee Ellmers of North Carolina, Susan Brooks and
Todd Young of Indiana and Dan Benishek of Michigan.”
While Pelosi Remains a Force
Pelosi
still wields power. W. Post: “Their strategy? Stick together when the other
side doesn’t. It sounds simple enough. But it wasn’t always clear to Democratic
leaders that they could pull it off … Democrats say they are optimistic about
holding members together in the next big legislative debates. But they could
encounter difficulties in [other] areas … There are some potential rough
patches, like trade…”
“Pelosi
hears from moderates on economic agenda” reports Politico: “Nearly 30
members of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderates, huddled with the
California Democrat in a closed-door lunch meeting to sell a more centrist
economic message than the one touted by the White House and national Democrats
last year … The group is calling for tax reform that ‘helps businesses compete,’
trade deals to expand exports and infrastructure investment…”
Democratic
women propose free birth control in Medicaid. The Hill: “The bill would also
launch a study of the abortion access, create new training programs for nurses
who specialize in women’s health and ensure that all hospitals provide emergency
contraception to rape victims.”
Anti-Union Momentum In Midwest
Gov.
Scott Walker leads anti-union charge in Midwest. Politico: “With passage
expected as early as Friday, right to work — which allows workers not to pay
dues to a union that bargains collectively on their behalf — is progressing
through the states more swiftly than at any time since the 1950s. And where once
such measures were confined largely to the South and West, they‘re now taking
root in Midwestern union strongholds like Indiana and Michigan, which passed
right-to-work laws in 2012.”
Papa
John’s found liable for wage theft. Reuters: “A New York judge ordered a
Papa John’s pizza restaurant franchise and its owner to fork over more than $2
million after short-changing hundreds of delivery workers and shaving hours from
their paychecks … The judgment comes amid a national debate over minimum wage
laws that has sparked protests by fast-food employees and prompted cities across
the United States to propose wage increases for their lowest-paid workers.”
Big
Pizza symbol of corrupt politics, says NYT’s Paul Krugman: “Pizza Hut gives
a remarkable 99 percent of its money to Republicans … the politics of pizza
these days resemble those of, say, coal or tobacco … a case study in the toxic
mix of big money, blind ideology, and popular prejudices…”
Progressive
Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to
activists. Progressive Breakfast is a project of the Campaign for America's
Future. more
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