Progressive Democrat Issue 232

I hear some on the left complaining that Obama has done nothing and is just as bad as Bush. I understand a certain amount of frustration with the slow pace of reform, though I wasn't surprised that it would take time to change 8 years of disastrous policies. But I think it is borderline insane to ignore the many areas that have improved since Obama took office. Here is one example:

EPA Denies Permit for Infamous WV Mountaintop Removal Mine

This is huge. And NEVER would have happened during the Bush administration. Obama's EPA is genuinely doing its job for the first time in 8 years. It is easy to look only at the largest (and most difficult) issues. Healthcare reform, which has been a difficult issue since at least Theodore Roosevent unsuccessfully tried to reform our system. Iraq, where we have to get out but would prefer to do it without leaving a civil war behind. Afghanistan, which has been a difficult cluster of squabbling tribes since Alexander the Great, and yet there really are people there who attacked our country. Had Bush not messed up so badly, we wouldn't BE in Iraq and may have been able to succeed in Afghanistan. As it is, he not only failed in Afghanistan, but added Iraq to the mess.

Turning back to domestic policy, Obama's weekly address again addresses healthcare reform:



And lest you think Congressional Dems are all a disappointment, here is a video of Senator Al Franken grilling a lawyer for KBR (the Halliburton subsidiary that has allowed gang-rape, human trafficking, and whose poor management has electrocuted many US troops):



Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Barack Obama on Winning the Nobel Prize...and how YOU can help

Sotomayor's 1st week: 'Can I ask you something?'

Columbus Day

Carbon Neutral Batteries

New York City Focus: Endorsements for November's Election

Brooklyn, NY Focus

Queens, NY Focus

Bronx, NY Focus

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

Silicon Valley Area, CA Focus

Orange County, CA Focus

San Diego, CA Focus

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

Austin/Travis County, TX Focus

Houston/Harris County, TX. Focus

Dallas County, TX Focus

TEXAS FOCUS

Atlanta, GA Focus

Coweta County, GA Focus

Fayette County, GA Focus

GEORGIA FOCUS

Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania County, VA Focus

Charlottesville/Albemarle County, VA Foucus

Hanover County, VA Focus

VIRGINIA FOCUS

Passaic County, NJ Focus

Sussex County, NJ Focus

Warren County, NJ Focus

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

Alex Sink for Florida Governor

FLORIDA FOCUS

Progressive Majority Candidates in Washington State

WASHINGTON FOCUS

Progressive Majority Candidates in Pennsylvania

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

Arizona Focus: Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Incompetent Deputy

Arizona Focus: Support the Communities On The Front Lines at Big Mountain, Black Mesa, AZ.

ARIZONA FOCUS

Colorado Senator Bennet On Healthcare Reform

COLORADO FOCUS

IOWA FOCUS

The Greening of Detroit, MI

MICHIGAN FOCUS

Progressive Majority Canidates in Minnesota

MINNESOTA FOCUS

Wisconsin for Healthcare Reform: Facts and Actions

WISCONSIN FOCUS

North Carolina Justice Center: Myths About Health Reform

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

Illinois Focus: Melissa Bean and Bill Foster, Give Us Our Healthcare

ILLINOIS FOCUS

Nevada: Public Option Model that SAVES Money

NEVADA FOCUS