Posted by AzBlueMeanie: H/T Ezra Klein's Wonkblog. Suzy Khimm posts The Great Recession in five charts: Advertisement How brutal has the recession been to U.S. households? Americans are earning even less than they did 13 years ago. That’s according to new Census data released Tuesday, which found that real median income fell to $49,445 in … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: H/T Ezra Klein's Wonkblog. Sarah Kliff posts Dr. Seuss explains health policy: I’ve written a decent amount on the complex impact of the growing health care sector, which has included both more jobs (good) and higher costs (bad). Gregory Warner at Marketplace, however, has done me one better: he’s turned that story into … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Matt Browner Hamlin posts at Americablog.com More AGs drawing lines in the sand on bank settlement talks: Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has written a very powerful letter to Iowa AG Tom Miller, NY AG Eric Schneiderman and an associate AG at the Department of Justice stating where she stands on the … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Arizona Supreme Court takes up "King" Russell Pearce's challenge to his recall election today. The Supreme Court will not hear oral arguments and the justices will make a decision behind closed doors on Tuesday. They will base their decision on written arguments submitted by the parties. A decision is expected before the … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Something you never see in the supposedly "librul" media. Press release from the Congressional Progressive Caucus : Congressional Progressive Caucus Unveils the Rebuild the American Dream Framework:

Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Keith Ellison were joined by colleagues Jan Schakowsky, Lynn Woolsey, John Conyers, Charlie Rangel, Jim McDermott and Barbara Lee today to introduce the Rebuild the American Dream Framework and emergency jobs legislation.

The Framework is the result of the Speak Out for Good Jobs Now! Rebuild the American Dream tour, which many CPC members joined for events around the country throughout the summer. Thousands of Americans participated in the listening tour and had a chance to tell their stories. Caucus members collected these stories and brought them back to Washington in September, where they synthesized them into the Rebuild the American Dream Framework.

The Framework outlines six areas of focus for immediate and long term job creation: Make it in America Again, Rebuild America, Lead the Green Industrial Revolution, Jobs for the Next Generation, Not Just Jobs – Good Jobs, and Fair Taxes – Shared Sacrifice.

“The Congressional Progressive Caucus has been bird-dogging this issue all year, so we’re glad to see the conversation has finally turned to what the middle-class has been clamoring for—jobs, good-paying jobs that support a family,” Rep. Ellison said.

“Progressives have been saying all year that jobs should be our first priority. While Republicans blame working families and Social Security, the country has waited impatiently for a serious conversation about how we really help the American people get back to work,” Rep. Grijalva said. “This is the beginning of that conversation, and as far as I’m concerned it couldn’t have waited a minute longer. The next step is putting together a meaningful job creation package that matches the scope of the unemployment crisis we’re facing. Millions of Americans are ready and willing to work – the question now is whether the government will step up to provide opportunities where the private sector, acting alone, has not.”

Full text of the Rebuild the American Dream Framework is below the fold.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Two related stories today in which the Christian Taliban has scored successes in reducing women to second class citizens who are property of the state by depriving them of their constitutional rights and liberties. Here in Arizona, Planned Parenthood has decided not to appeal from a Court of Appeals decision regarding severwe … Read more

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings * = if they achieve a quorum, and enough "yes" votes show up.  More on that in a moment. The Senate Ethics Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in Senate Hearing Room 1 (SHR1).  They'll be considering action against Sen. Scott Bundgaard.  In February, … Read more