Working Life

   If policy was constructed by the people, not the wishes of the lobbyists and corporate interests, we would never see a so-called "free trade" deal pass Congress again. That’s pretty much the upshot of the 2008 elections–though, believe me, this fight ain’t over yet.     I would argue that the issue of trade […]

Read the full story

   So much to say but…I’m going to be on CNBC this afternoon at 2:10 Eastern time to talk about labor’s prospects under an Obama Administration and, specfically, what to look for if the Employee Free Choice Act is passed. I’ll try to post the video clip later–if it exists.    UPDATE: here’s the link. […]

Read the full story

   Well, whatever happens today, I’m off early to do my citizens duty. in the meantime, I feel like I’m watching the Wizard of Oz. You have liberals joining with people like Robert Rubin saying "we really are so very much the same" and saying almost in unison we won’t tax the rich–in a serious […]

Read the full story

   I sent the below around a couple of weeks ago and I’m sticking to it. It’s, of course, very optimistic–that’s the kind of guy I am–but feel free to comment yourselves. The upshot: Obama wins 390 Electoral votes Democratis end up with 58 Senate seats (net gain of 9–could mean after run-off in the […]

Read the full story

Want to know where $40 billion of your taxpayer-financed bailout for bankers is going? Into the pockets of their executives. And that evidence comes straight from a hard-hitting piece in today’s Wall Street Journal.   The Wall Street Journal piece is entitled "Banks Owe Billions to Executives". It is written by Ellen Schultz, one of […]

Read the full story

   I was drinking my morning Joe here and, lo and behold, there is breaking news on the website of The Wall Street Journal: Exxon Mobil Corp. sets quarterly profit record for U.S corporations at $14.83 billion. Revenue rose 35% to $137.7 billion.    A profit record. Meaning, biggest ever. Revenue rose because millions of […]

Read the full story

   Regular readers know that I have been pointing out that the next shoe to drop will be a wave of bankruptcies that erupt because consumers have no more money to spend. Well, here we go: First came the mortgage crisis. Now comes the credit card crisis. After years of flooding Americans with credit card […]

Read the full story

   The momentum to merge General Motors and Chrysler is being given a strong push by the government (oh, no, socialism…industrial policy). I’m not saying I think the merger is a great idea but since both companies are leaking billions of dollars and may run out of cash in a year or less, it is […]

Read the full story

   So, I’ve always been a big admirer of the work the AFL-CIO and Change To Win do in the arena of capital strategies–meaning, trying to use the significant resources unions have, mainly in the pension funds that labor has a role in guiding, to force a change in corporate behavior. It isn’t the only […]

Read the full story

  The dictionary defines "travesty" as "a debased, distorted, or grossly inferior imitation". That is what I think of when I think of Norm Coleman on the anniversary of the death of Paul Wellstone. This is a personal feeling but, in my mind, there is no Senate seat I want taken from the Republicans more […]

Read the full story