MORNING MESSAGE
Republican
politicians, it is said, fear their activist base, while Democrats have disdain
for theirs. The adage is particularly true for the Clinton crowd ... But the
populist movements of this time offer Hillary an answer, not a threat ... they
are inviting her to join the emerging majority of Americans and champion the
change we need ... Hillary is an unlikely champion ... She’ll lead the charge
only if populist movements and upheavals make her do it. This isn’t a time to
stand down in the name of party unity. This is a time to turn up the
heat.
Hillary 2016 Begins
Hillary
Clinton video announcement offers nod to populism: “‘Americans have fought
their way back from tough economic times. But the deck is still stacked in favor
of those at the top,’ Clinton says … That begins to touch on a campaign
rationale — too many people have been dealt bad hands by the still-uncertain
economy, but I’m on your side to help fix it — but leaves for later any detailed
assessment of her policy prescriptions on the economy…”
W.
Post’s Aaron Blake adds: “It’s not quite ‘the system is rigged’ — Warren’s
most well-known slogan — but the sentiment is almost identical, and there’s no
way it’s a coincidence.”
Liberal
groups challenge Clinton to adopt “bold” stands. Time: “‘We hope Hillary
Clinton thinks big and takes on powerful interests on behalf of everyday working
families,’ said PCCC cofounder Adam Green in a statement … DFA executive
director Charles Chamberlain said that Clinton has earned the respect of
progressives ‘because of her deep commitment to the rights of women and
children,’ but suggested in a statement that she would have to do more to earn
their support in the long run.”
Mayor
de Blasio withholds endorsement. NYT: “In a televised moment rich with
political intrigue, Mr. de Blasio repeatedly declined to offer Mrs. Clinton his
blessing during an interview on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ saying he would hold off
until learning more about his former boss’s economic platform.”
Robert
Kuttner awaits the details: “Clinton cannot sustain this sort of
aspirational politics in the more than 18 months between now and November 2015
without getting very specific … There are some very creative people around her,
like campaign chair John Podesta, who hope to bridge the gap between the program
Clinton needs to run on and the campaign’s financial backers. But this is an
awfully tricky straddle.”
Sen.
Marco Rubio jumps in today. W. Post: “Rubio’s road to the White House faces
several hurdles, including his youth and inexperience on the national political
stage and his previous work to broker an ambitious bipartisan immigration reform
plan … he would soon alienate many tea party voters by backing a bi-partisan
immigration proposal that included a path to citizenship for undocumented
immigrants — which he’d opposed during his Senate campaign … He later discarded
the idea of a comprehensive immigration bill in favor of an incremental approach
conditioned on first tightening border security.”
Liberal
donors develop strategy to win back state legislatures. W. Post: “The plan
embraced by the Democracy Alliance, an organization that advises some of the
Democrats’ top contributors, puts an urgent new focus on financing groups that
can help the party regain influence in time for the next congressional
redistricting process, after the 2020 elections. The blueprint approved by the
alliance board calls on donors to help expand state-level organizing and
lobbying for measures addressing climate change, voting rights and economic
inequality.”
Fast-Track Bill To Hit Senate
Bipartisan
fast-track bill expected to be introduced this week. Politico: “Senate
Finance Committee leaders Orrin Hatch and Ron Wyden appear poised to introduce a
‘fast track’ trade promotion authority bill along with House Ways and Means
Committee Chairman Paul Ryan … Proponents need to act fast or risk losing their
opportunity to move the bill in the upcoming six-week work session because of
competing demands for floor time … Union groups, environmental advocates and
other opponents are promising an ‘unprecedented week of action filled with
grassroots activity to pressure Congress’ to kill the legislation.”
“Fast
Track to Lost Jobs and Lower Wages” argues EPI’s Robert Scott: “Expanding
exports alone is not enough to ensure that trade adds jobs to the economy.
Increases in U.S. exports tend to create jobs in the United States, but
increases in imports lead to job loss–by destroying existing jobs and preventing
new job creation–as imports displace goods that otherwise would have been made
in the United States by American workers.”
Obama To Press Budget Fight
Obama
campaigns for his budget this week. The Hill: “President Obama will travel
to Charlotte, N.C. on Wednesday to meet with working women and plug his budget
proposal … In interviews on Monday with local television stations from
Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio and Maine, Obama will talk about his
tax plans and draw contrasts with Republicans. The president will continue his
attacks on a GOP plan to repeal the estate tax … The president will attend a
White House event on Thursday honoring individuals and companies who have pushed
for paid sick and family leave, equal pay and ending pregnancy
discrimination…”
Low-wage
workers still rely on public assistance, NYT investigates: “Nearly
three-quarters of the people helped by programs geared to the poor are members
of a family headed by a worker, according to a new study by the Berkeley Center
for Labor Research and Education at the University of California. As a result,
taxpayers are providing not only support to the poor but also, in effect, a huge
subsidy for employers of low-wage workers, from giants like McDonald’s and
Walmart to mom-and-pop businesses.”
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
»
