“A bill passed Monday in the US House of Representatives and Thursday in the Senate would make it a felony—a serious criminal offense punishable by lengthy terms of incarceration—to participate in many forms of protest associated with the Occupy Wall Street protests of last year. Several commentators have dubbed it the “anti-Occupy” law, but its implications are far broader.”
After reading the implications of this bill, what are your thoughts? How will this impact protesting? Does this bill violate freedom to assembly?
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This article argues,
"In recent years, progressives have been more inclined to support privatization of state functions like prison management, to view equal opportunity in terms of a market-competition for increasingly scarce jobs, under-investing in worker rights, and using a rhetoric overly friendly to financial interests. If progressives want to affect substantive change these areas, they need to do more than come up with policy ideas. They need to reclaim the language of freedom."
Have Progressives bought into the conservative economic model? What does a Progressive economy entail?
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Progressive activists are outraged over tasteless comments made by Rush Limbaugh regarding a young woman testifying before congress about contraception coverage. How would you respond to Limbaugh? Why is contraception proving to be a politically contentious issue this year?
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While Romney supported the Wall Street bailouts, he opposed saving the American auto industry. How was he able to win Michigan? How can Progressives capitalize on his hypocrisy?
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Rick Santorum said he almost threw up in response to Kennedy's proclamation: "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute." How would you respond to Santorum? Also do you think right-wing politicians, like Santorum, or conservative judges present a serious threat to policies safeguarding the separation of church and state?
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“Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich…promised supporters at the California Republican Convention today that he would sign an executive order if elected to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project…Gingrich admonished what he called the Obama Administration’s systemic failure in energy policy, and accused it of deliberately raising gas prices.”
How would you respond to Gingrich’s blame of President Obama for the recent spike in gas prices? In what ways (if any) have the President’s energy policies impacted the cost of oil? What are your thoughts on President Obama’s energy policies?
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To thwart Romney and complicate the GOP nominating process, some Progressive groups are advocating that Democrats vote for Santorum in Republican primaries, particular in the Michigan election. Is this a good strategy?
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This article's author argues,
"The single largest contributor to this stagnation of middle class incomes has been the corporate attack on organized labor...The last thirty years shows conclusively that the "competitive market" -- absent collective bargaining -- simply does not assure that everyday employees share in the fruits of increased productivity or economic growth. "
Do you agree that a correlation exists between the decline of organized labor and the decline of the middle class? How can we combat right-wing attacks on unions? What can be done to restore collective bargaining in this country?
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Mitt Romney wants to raise the medicare eligibility age. What are your thoughts on this policy? Does the eligibility age need to be raised? Or can the program remain stable by other means?
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The President is proposing to cut the corporate tax rate. In this article, Robert Reich asks, "Why isn't the White House just proposing to close the loopholes without reducing overall corporate tax rates? That would generate more tax revenue that could be used for, say, public schools." What do you think of the President's decision?
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SCOTUS will reexamine the constitutionality of affirmative action polices in public universities. How is the court likely to rule on the case? Could their ruling potentially exacerbate racial inequalities at public universities?
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In This interview, Progressive icon Russ Feingold argues that we as nation have been asleep post-911, completely oblivious to global changes taking place. Feingold states, "We seem to be comfortable with not engaging the rest of the world." This complacency, moreover, leaves us vulnerable on numerous fronts. Are citizens of our nation too isolationist in their thinking? Do Progressive activists need to invest more effort and energy into studying foreign policy and global affairs?
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“Government checks would not solve the car companies’ long-term problems, Mr. Romney wrote in an opinion article that he asked The New York Times to publish. The better path, he suggested, was a court-administered restructuring that would leave the companies with costs more in line with the global competition. The article carried the headline “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt,” which critics continue to use against him.”
What are your thoughts on Romney’s responses to the bailout?
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In this article, Progressive economist Dean Baker states,
"...politicians and pundits want to distract people’s attention from unemployment by complaining about the deficit. They have deceived many people into thinking that the economy would somehow be stronger and there would be more jobs if the deficit was reduced...This view makes no sense. There are no businesses that are going to hire additional workers because the government laid off school teachers or firefighters..."
Do you agree that focusing primarily on budgets cuts right now is a bad move, one likely to exacerbate our economic woes?
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Rick Santorum is surging in the GOP primary in part due to invoking the "culture wars" and relgious rhetoric. What do you think of Santorum questioning the President's relgious values? Will religion be important in the 2012 elections?
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This article's author states,
"Unions promote democracy in the work place. Unions provide a voice for workers so that the administration does not have all the power. When you take unions out of the picture, which is what right-to-work legislation is trying to do, you return to a time when big business owners were the masters and their workers had no rights."
How should Progressives respond to the GOP/Tea Party efforts to pass right-to-work laws?
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A year ago, the world watched as Wisconsin protestors stood up against Governor Walker's attack on collective bargaining rights. Is collective bargaining now a thing of the past or are Progressives rebuilding the labor rights movement? What are now the most important goals for labor rights activists?
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In a forthcoming ad due to air in Michigan Romney defends an earlier oped piece he wrote in 2008 arguing against the bailouts that Detroit should be allowed to go bankrupt.
“Mr. Romney says he always favored what he calls a “managed bankruptcy” for the auto companies that would have allowed the businesses to restructure and emerge stronger than before. He criticized Mr. Obama for choosing what he called a “bailout” of the industry that benefited big labor unions.”
What do you think of Romney’s critique of the bailouts? Do you think the bailouts benefitted labor unions? How would Romney’s notion of “managed bankruptcy” have impacted the economy?
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Although the economy is showing some resilience, Soros predicts,
" I'm worried that the politics of the election are going to interfere and put a lid on this –because the Republicans don't want to face elections where Obama can claim to have sort of seen the economy recover. So they will continue to push for austerity, no new taxes, and therefore cutting of services, which will depress economic activity and employment."
Is this a legitimate fear? If so, how can Progressives prevent right-wing policies from depressing the economy?
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This article's authors states,"America is facing an election that is about more than candidate personalities, or even policy platforms; it is about the war of ideas, and at stake is nothing less than our collective political and economic future. Progressives can only win this long-term battle by finally articulating a deeper and more coherent vision of progressive political economy, one that sharply contrasts with conservative ideals."
What does a Progressive political economy entail? How does Progressive economic thinking contrast to the free-market fundamentalism of the GOP/Tea Party?
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Speaking of the President's reversal on super PACs, former Senator Russ Feingold says,
" It is a dumb approach...I think people will see it as phony that Democrats start playing by Republican rules. People will see us as weak and not being a true alternative and just being the same as the other guy. And as I have said before, to me this is dancing with the devil."
Do you think the President is dancing with the devil? Can Progressives survive politically without super PACs?
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Rick Santorum accuses the left of using colleges for "indoctrination." What is his strategy in using this rhetoric? How would you respond?
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“The White House says it wants to allay the concerns of Catholic church-affiliated employers over a new requirement for them to provide birth control coverage regardless of their religious beliefs….Press secretary Jay Carney said President Obama's focus is making sure that women employed by Catholic church-affiliated employers like hospitals, colleges or charities are able to get contraception. At the same time, Carney said Obama wants to respect religious beliefs and convictions”
What are your thoughts on this proposal? Is such a compromise even possible without denying some non-religiously affiliated women access as well? Would forcing coverage on Catholics constitute a violation of fr4eedom of religion? Or would possibly denying non-Catholics constitute a violation of separation of church and state? Is there a way to prevent the violation of freedom of religion here without violating separation of church and state?
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Could the cause of universal healthcare die at the hands of the Supreme Court? Was the President unwise to push for an individual mandate to purchase insurance or was it a necessary initiative?
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“A federal appeals court plans to announce whether it thinks California's same-sex marriage ban violates the civil rights of gays and lesbians….Supporters and opponents of Proposition 8 have said they would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if they lose in the intermediate court.”
What are your thoughts on this recent development on Prop 8? Does this pave the way for potentially legalizing gay marriage? Do you think the current Supreme Court would rule in favor? How might the 2012 election impact potential upcoming Supreme Court decisions such as this one?
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This Daily Kos article gives arguments issue by issue as to why or if Progressives should support Obama in 2012 based on his policies and past actions. Among the arguments the author gives is that: “A loss by President Obama in November would be disastrous for progressives in terms of the [Supreme] Court.”. The author reminds us of Obama’s support of supported improving the fairness of the tax code and on the economy, the author argues “While many of us firmly believe that President Obama's 2009 stimulus package was woefully inadequate, his reelection remains a political test for the view that the government has a major role in the economy.” The author wraps up their article urging reluctant Progressives engage in “this type of issue by issue analysis…in evaluating their support for President Obama's reelection.” What are your thoughts on these arguments?
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Due to the Citizens United decision, PAC money will be flooding media markets throughout the 2012 election. What kind of an effect will this have on the outcome of the Presidential election? What can Progressives do to stay competitive in a post- Citizens United world?
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The GOP Presidential candidates believe that the economy will recover if we slash funding to public services and social programs. In this article, Krugman points out that this is the same philosophy that the British government has used in a failed attempt to stimulate their economy. What do you think of austerity measures? What can we learn from Britain?
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This article encourages Progressives to be active in social media, claiming,
“Social Media is going to be one of the central battlegrounds in the 2012 election cycle in the US. The corporate right understands this very well, and they have invested mass sums from their war chest to send in legions of mindless astroturfers to try to control content aggregation and spin.”
The article then summarizes the various the types of social media out there and states Progressives should be more active across the social media spectrum outside of Facebook and Twitter. What are your thoughts? What role do you think social media will play in the 2012 election cycle?
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Occupy Oakland’s tactics over the past few months has caused quite a bit of controversy, between Occupy the Ports, and the more recent attempts to claim a new protest space, among which culminated in the burning of an American flag. A recent poll of the San Francisco Bay area by SurveyUSA reports that support of Occupy has decreased drastically among people who reportedly used to support or participate in the movement. What are your thoughts on the state of the Occupy movements, especially in Oakland? Do you agree with some of its critics that Occupy should be trying to work more with labor groups and unions rather than focusing on takeovers of buildings? What advice would you give to Occupy movements across the country?
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The so-called “Buffet rule” has been causing a lot of stir recently, especially after President’s Obama State of the Union speech last week.“[Senator] Whitehouse is expected to introduce the Paying a Fair Share Act on Wednesday. His proposal would codify the "Buffett Rule," named after billionaire Warren Buffett: It would require people who make more than $1 million to pay a 30 percent effective tax rate. Tax loopholes now allow some of the wealthiest Americans to pay lower tax rates than people in the middle class.”
What are your thoughts on the “Buffet rule”? What impact will it have on the economy?
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This NYTimes article reports on the poor working conditions of overseas factories for Apple products. Among the problems cited are violations of both working conditions and safety hazards. But begs the question of whether companies should be sending jobs overseas in the first. Many argue that we should keep the jobs in America despite cost. Others argue that Americans would be either unwilling or unable to pay increased prices in order to keep those jobs in America. What are your thoughts? Would you support outsourcing jobs overseas if working conditions were fair and safe? If so, why? If not, how would you encourage companies to keep jobs in America? How can we hold companies accountable for the fair and safe working conditions of their workers wherever they are?
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicates that she wants to leave American politics. What is her legacy as First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State? Do Progressives need her in a leadership position? Could she be a strong Progressive contender for the White House in 2016?
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In this provocative article, the author argues that adding a Constitutional amendment to end corporate Personhood could actually backfire on the Progressive movement. This is because the language of such an amendment could end up restricting Constitutional rights possessed by groups such businesses, unions, and grass-roots movements. The author concludes by arguing that progressives should instead work through the executive and legislative branches to curb corporate influence in Washington. Do you agree? Are there potential dangers with adding a Constitutional amendment on Personhood? What is the best way for progressives to take on the Citizens United decision?
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"We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules"
By stressing equality, fairness, and social mobility, has the President crafted a message that can win in 2012? Can Occupy protestors coalesce around the President's agenda?
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What did you think of the State of the Union address? What are your thoughts to the accusations that it was more of a campaign speech than a SOTU? Did you agree with the President’s talking points? What were your thoughts on his program for education, immigration, and infrastructure? What do you think of his home refinancing plan? His foreign policy agenda? What, if anything, in his speech did you disagree with? How will this impact the President’s 2012 campaign?
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What do you think should be the focus for President Obama's State of the Union address tonight? What aspects of rebuilding the economy should be prioritized?
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Newt Gingrich has recently been criticized for calling President Obama the “the most effective food-stamp president in American history,” citing the 46% increase in food stamp use since December 2008. The NAACP criticized Gingrich calling this characterization “inaccurate” or “divisive”. Others still have labeled the statement racist. What are your thoughts on this? How would you respond to this?
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Now that Gingrich has won in SC, how does that impact who is likely to win the GOP primary? Given the suspected role of the Bain ad in Gingrich’s win, what role do you think ads (positive or negative) will play in the remainder of this election cycle? Are there ways that President Obama should change his 2012 campaign to reflect the results of these recent primaries/caucuses? What strategies should the President try to counteract or defend against potential smear ads?
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Ron Paul is a rising star among many young activists and he is even wining over some Progressive minded voters . Yet, his stances on education, a women's right to choose, labor unions, the separation of church and state, civil rights and host a of other issues are antithetical to the Progressive movement. Why is he growing in popularity? Is it a problem that so many young people are being drawn into his coalition?
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What are your opinions on the anti-piracy legislation which many corporations and politicians have been crafting?
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In this article, Professor Chernus argues that if the President relies primarily on
invoking facts and policies in his re-election bid, our nation will be on track to elect a GOP President. Because "political psychologists like George Lakoff and Drew Westen would say to the Dems, 'There you go again,' thinking that a laundry list of true facts and popular policies can win elections. Sorry folks. The only way to beat a narrative that looks strong but wrong is with a narrative that looks strong and right (morally right, not conservative right-wing)." What is Professor Chernus getting at? What kind of moral narrative do Progressives need to win in 2012?
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In this George Stephanopoulos interview, Stephen Colbert talks about his presidential “exploratory committee” and the former-Colbert PAC’s anti-Romney ad. What are your thoughts on Colbert’s recent political actions, including his attempts to educate the public on the ramifications of Citizens United and SuperPACS through his TV show? What do you think of his previous attempts to sponsor the SC GOP along with a Citizens United referendum? Would Colbert make a viable third-party candidate?
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This article's author points out, "Lately, critics of public sector unions...claim that collective bargaining by government is responsible for today's budget deficits; that public sector unions, in league with allies in the Democratic Party, are lining the pockets of their members at taxpayers' expense. The facts don't support these allegations. There is little correlation between states that have public sector collective bargaining and states with large deficits" So why does the right demonize public sector unions? How should Progressives respond?
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Dr. King heroically fought for racial and economic justice in this country. Is our nation on track to realize his dream of equality in the US?
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In this interview, McCain criticizes Citizens United, stating that he has predicted that SuperPACs will “destroy the political process.” When asked why Romney or others don’t stand against Citizens United, McCain replied “Because they won’t stop…. as long as unlimited amounts of money are there, there not attributable to the candidate, it’s going to happen. ..We had campaign contribution limitations for a reason and the United States Supreme Court basically did away with all of that and we’re going to pay a heavy price for that ….” What is your response to McCain’s statements? Do McCain’s criticisms indicate a potential turn in Conservative politics?
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“Conservatism is the theoretical voice of this animus against the agency of the subordinate classes. It provides the most consistent and profound argument for why the lower orders should not be allowed to exercise their independent will, to govern themselves or the polity. Submission is their first duty”
The author reminds us that Conservative as a political stance is always a reactive stance and argues that given the increasing prominence of more Progressive stances (universal healthcare, public education, taxing the rich, etc. ) the Conservative backlash in politics is predictable. What are your thoughts on this article?
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New Statesman has put out a list of who they consider to be the top 20 US Progressives. Is there anyone you would add to this list? Who do you think the most important Progressive voices in this country are and why?
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Mitt Romney claims that his business background qualifies him to be President and provides him with insights to fix the US economy. What do you think of Romney's claims? Were his enterprises at Bain Capital, as the below article argues, unethical and indicative of a broken political system?
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Why are some Progressives interested in Ron Paul? Is Ron Paul in anyway a Progressive? What kind of President would he make?
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South Carolina’s Justice Dept declined to “preclear” the state’s new voter ID law, requiring a picture ID on the basis that it discriminates against minorities and therefore violates the Voter Rights Act. Texas is facing a similar situation. What are your thoughts on these voter ID laws? Do these voter ID laws successfully protect against voter fraud? In your opinion do they violate the Voting Rights Act?
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Is there reason to be optimistic about the economy going into the 2012? Do you think that the the economy will improve enough to help the President's re-election efforts?
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What are your thoughts on President Obama's defense strategy just released Thursday? Is a 'leaner' military a 'weaker' one? How would you respond?
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Occupy movements are now coordinating to "Occupy Congress" Jan 17th in protest of Congress' recent actions (and inactions). What are your thoughts on this tactic? Is this an effective method to communicate to Congress?
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After the Iowa caucus results in which Romney and Santorum were basically tied for first, what impact if any do you think McCain's endorsement of Romney on the next round of caucuses? In what ways could Santorum or Romney be a threat to President Obama in the 2012 elections?
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What advice would you give the President as he plans his reelection strategy? What should be the top priorities for Progressive activists in the 2012 elections?
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With the Iowa caucuses approaching, it seems appropriate to discuss how important exactly is the Iowa caucus for determining the 2012 GOP candidate? The author of this article seems to think that Iowa is perhaps not as representative of general American public opinion as we have been led to think. What are your thoughts? How important is Iowa? Will Iowa have a significant impact on the next upcoming caucuses?
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