Legal Commentary

The Big Progressive Project: Addressing Income Inequality

By Big Tent Democrat

Kevin Drum writes:

So when Ross [Douthat] says "the chances for a rolling series of progressive victories have diminished," I think that's mistaken. There was never any real appetite for a rolling series of big progressive victories in the first place. There was healthcare reform plus a long list of tweaks and smaller projects. And that's what we're likely to get. [. . .] But big ticket items? There probably aren't any [. . .]

I could not disagree more. The biggest progressive ticket item for me is addressing income inequality. I am always amazed that people forget this. Indeed, it is emblematic of the problem that people forget (except for trotting out Marjorie Margolies Mezhvinsky last week) the truly most progressive initiative since Medicare, - the 1993 Clinton tax initiative (which lowered taxes on the poor and raised them on the rich), and the most anti-progressive policy of the Bush years (cutting taxes for the wealthy) when they discuss progressive goals. This used to be the heart and soul of Democratic politics and policy. It seems no longer.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 23, 2010 (boomark / email).