[lbo-talk] Obama and the Progressive Caucus

[Chuck Grimes]

``Tension filled the room when Caucus Chair Karen Bernal read out the 
resolution. It included sharp criticism of Obama's willingness to sell out 
the liberal agenda, including the "unilateral closed-door budget offer to 
slash Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, thus endangering the New Deal 
and War on Poverty safety nets," and his "willingness to extend the Bush tax 
cuts for millionaires and bail out big banks withoutending the foreclosure 
crisis that displaces American working families." Obama's signature policy 
initiatives were not spared in the resolution, including the "health 
insurance bill that enriches private insurance companies while ignoring 
growing support for single-payer health care or robust public options." 
Anger at the foreign policy of the Obama administration (including "illegal 
secret CIA drone attacks and unauthorized wars") came alongside frustration 
at the continued assault on civil liberties (Patriot Act, FBI raids of 
anti-war progressives). The list goes on and on. No daylight separates these 
criticisms and those that are published at Counterpunch...''

http://www.counterpunch.org/prashad08022011.html

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This is a pretty interesting essay. It reports on a meeting of Progressive 
and some of the Black caucus July 30.

And for those who can stand Amy Goodman, this was pretty good summary of the 
economic state we're in. It's an interview with William Hartung on the 
economy and ridiculus recession, and Michael Hudson on the military budget.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/8/2/after_months_of_partisan_wrangling_wall