Last week, Michigan Republicans jammed through legislation making Michigan a “right to work” state. If you’re not familiar with “Right to Work” acts, they basically give workers the right to work for less. President Obama may have saved the jobs of Michigan autoworkers, but Michigan Republicans just found a way to make those jobs worth a lot less. The law includes a provision intended to make it harder to overturn it with a ballot referendum. At least Republicans learned something from Wisconsin and Ohio—if you you’re going to screw people, make sure they stay screwed.
There’s a new movement to get money out of politics. Take a look at what they’re proposing... before money finds out about this. It’s called the American Anti-Corruption Act. The Act closes the revolving door between Congress and K Street. That’s not even an accurate metaphor anymore—the door has been completely removed. As it stands now, Congressmen who leave office can take high paying jobs with organizations whose purpose is to influence Congress—a process we call “Jim DeMint-ing.” The Act also aims to stop the influence of secret money on elections. This Act is essentially trying to unite the citizens... to fight Citizens United.
GOP Congressman Bob Corker says that Republicans should agree to raising taxes on the rich... because later they can use the debt ceiling to slash Social Security and Medicare. So they’ll agree to one common sense idea, if we consent to one absolutely crazy idea. Corker said the debt ceiling limit gives Republicans “leverage.” Yes, if by “leverage” you mean “the ability to hold the American people hostage.”
Even if we go over the fiscal cliff and taxes on the middle class go up in January, there is a way that Obama can protect the middle class from the tax hike. That’s where we’re at—we need lifeboats to save us from Republicans. Even if the tax rates go up, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has the power to decide how much is actually withheld from paychecks. So just because Congress lets us go over the cliff, that doesn’t mean we have to fall. We would end up like the Coyote in the Roadrunner cartoons when he goes over the cliff—we’ll be suspended in midair. The problem with that—and with the paycheck withholding fix—is that it only works for a little while
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