Winning Progressive

For this weekend’s reading list, we have articles on strategy for liberals, government subsidies to corporations, how John McCain never really was an independent maverick, the steps needed to improve service sector jobs, and how Bush v. Gore played a role in stopping the GOP’s voter suppression efforts in 2012.

A Strategic Plan for Liberals – a collection of essays from leading liberals about how we can build more political power and move the country to the left over the coming years and decades.

As Companies Seek Tax Deals, Governments Pay High Price - an in-depth investigative report by the New York Times about the approximately $80 billion per year that state and local governments spend in corporate subsidies in a desperate attempt to lure businesses away from other communities. The article includes an interesting interactive map of the subsidies, and a video report about the costly subsidies battle between Kansas and Missouri over businesses located in the Kansas City area.

The Man Who Never Was – as Senator John McCain (R-AZ) continues his outlandish battle against Susan Rice, this 2010 article reminds us that it is questionable whether the independent maverick that many people view McCain as ever really existed.

Economic Recovery and Social Investment - a report detailing various steps that need to be taken to transform the service sector of our economy into one that provides good jobs.

The 2012 Voting Wars, Judicial Backstops, and the Resurrection of Bush v. Gore – a law review article on the legal battles regarding the GOP’s voter suppression efforts and how the Supreme Court’s infamous Bush v. Gore decision was relied on by courts to find such efforts unconstitutional.

For this weekend’s reading list, we have articles about how Rep. Issa’s “Fast and Furious” investigation is a witch hunt, supply-side economic theory does not work in reality, the federal government will pick up the costs of health care reform’s Medicaid expansion, the importance of liberals reclaiming our nation’s historical narrative, and the benefits of the earned income tax credit.

The Truth About the Fast and Furious Scandal – a detailed investigation shows that the alleged gun walking that Rep. Darrell Issa is accusing Attorney General Eric Holder of failing to stop never actually occurred.  Instead, ATF agents say that the biggest hurdle they face in stopping gun running from Mexico is our nation’s weak gun laws.

Three New Critiques of Arthur Laffer’s Supply-Side Model Show Tax Cuts as Junk Economics – Three new studies showing that income and estate tax reductions do not lead to the economic growth that conservatives claim they will.

Federal Government Will Pick Up Nearly All Costs of Health Care Reform’s Medicaid Expansion – a study showing that the federal government would pick up 93% of the costs of the Medicaid expansion included in the Affordable Care Act.  Unfortunately, it is widely believed that after the Supreme Court limited the penalty on states that decline to go along with the Medicaid expansion that a number of states, mostly in the South, will likely decline to expand Medicaid.

Why History Matters to Liberalism – an essay arguing that it is critical to the future of liberalism that we push back against the false conservative claim that our nation was formed almost entirely on ruggedly individualistic values.

Studies Show Earned Income Tax Credit Encourages Work and Success in School and Reduces Poverty – a summary of a series of studies showing significant benefits from the earned income tax credit.