Cause and Effect
Yesterday, I talked about how the progressive agenda is good policy and good politics. Many of you sent in some great questions. Thank you for that. Make sure to take another look at yesterday's thread. I just responded to a few more. I enjoyed the dialogue and hope for more of the same today.
Now I'd like to discuss how the "culture of corruption" which dominates Washington is the source of many of the problems we now face, and why it is so important to make 2006 the year of the progressive.
During the last century America made great strides in job creation, health care, education, and the environment. People lived longer than their parents and often enjoyed a healthier life. The rule was that if you went to college, paid your taxes, and played by the rules, you and your family would prosper. That is no longer the case. Why?
Corrupt politicians like Tom Delay and lobbyist Jack Abramoff have transformed government from a public trust into a profit center. The future for working families has been put on hold in order to boost multi-millionaires' investment portfolios.
Job creation, health care, education, and the environment all have been casualties of a system where corporate interests have an unfair advantage over ordinary Americans.
I've seen it firsthand. Much of the most important work of Congress is done literally in the middle of the night, long after the camera crews go home, and our constituents are asleep. The Republican leadership twists arms, threatens members and holds the vote all night long until they get their way.
More than two years ago I wrote an op-ed for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch chronicling these Republican abuses of power. Click here to read.
Since then, the Republican leadership has continued to thwart the democratic process. The Central American Free Trade Agreement and the energy bill - both voted on in 2005 -- were opposed by the majority of House and Senate members. Both bills were written by K Street lobbyists. And both bills passed only after holding the votes open and twisting enough arms to change votes. Had members been allowed to vote their conscience, both bills would have failed.
The effects of this corruption are profound and far-reaching. The legislation may start in a glass-paneled office building on K Street, but the resulting Medicare Law, subsequent factory closings, and surge in pension cuts are felt hundreds of miles away in the homes and businesses of hard working Americans.
So how do we as progressive propose to fix the system?
First, progressives in Congress start with solid proposals. We fight for affordable prescription drug medicines -- and we show we mean it by crafting legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate bulk prices. We fight for fair trade policy that will bring good paying jobs back to states like Ohio -- and we show we mean it by crafting legislation that would penalize corporations that ship jobs overseas to avoid paying taxes. We fight for real energy policy reform to lower soaring energy prices -- and we show we mean it by crafting legislation that would invest in renewable energy and punish those who gouge consumers at the pump. And we keep fighting.
However, the reality is that it is difficult -- if not impossible -- to enact progressive policies with a corrupt party in power. The progressive community -- voters, bloggers, community activist, and elected officials must work together to effect real change.
So what can we do?
History shows us that a powerful tool against injustice is to shed light on it and to embarrass the powerful interests involved.
A few weeks ago in Cincinnati, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, a close ally of Martin Luther King, told me that he used to wake up every morning thinking about how to embarrass segregation. This was a man who had 16 sticks of dynamite explode just inches from his head while he slept in his Alabama home. Rev. Shuttlesworth responded by embarrassing the segregationists who hid under cover of darkness. The battle was hard, but civil rights activists prevailed because they were creative, courageous and persistent in their efforts to confront social and economic injustice.
Now is our call to action.
Progressives across the country must find ways to embarrass the Republicans in power who pervert our system of government for their own greedy self-interest. I will do my part in Congress -- and on the campaign trail. But I can't do it alone. Progressives need to work together as a community and keep talking with each other. Continue to shed light on the injustice and greed in Washington. And when the time comes, use the most powerful tool you have -- your vote -- to get rid of the corrupt politicians who feed off tax dollars like pigs at a trough.
Hold us all accountable. Insist on specifics. Demand to be heard. Continue to remind politicians and political candidates that we work for you.
But most of all -- keep talking. And keep fighting.
Thanks for taking the time to read today's post, I look forward to your questions and comments.
Overstating the quality of the intelligence used to justify the war in Iraq. They knew they were making overstatements when they made them.
Not allowing the 9/11 commission to investigate the issue of whether political pressures were brought to bear on intelligence analysis.
Interfering with the report on air quality in New York City after 9/11.
Interfering with reports on the evidence for Global Warming.
Keeping secret the agenda, minutes and identity of the participants in meetings concerning energy policy held by the Vice President.
Combining block grants to state's with overall funding cuts to educational and other programs.
Underestimating the contribution of the tax cuts to the Federal Deficit, and overestimating the contribution of the same cuts to economic recovery.
Interference with the Office of Management and Budget science oversight.
Under-reporting the costs of the Medicare drug program and threatening to fire the actuary who wanted to report the actual figures.
I could go on. Connections to Harken, Enron/Ken Lay, Haliburton. Missing reconstruction money in Iraq. Approval of the torture American detainees.
You want to revitalize the American Progressive Left? Attack, Mr. Brown, attack.
January 10, 2006 8:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Congressman Brown:
Thanks for being at TPM Cafe. Can you go back a moment to yesterday's discusssion and respond to these notes I made after reading some framing materials in DemSpeak? How do you feel you can further the ideas in these notes?
Lakoff and Halpin have included some rather succinct Progressive values statements that are well worth savoring and sharing in our efforts here. For example:
The heart of progressive values is straightforward and clear: empathy (caring about and for people), responsibility (acting responsibly on that empathy), and fairness (providing opportunities for all and a level playing field from which to start). These values translate into a simple proposition: The common wealth of all Americans should be used for the common good and betterment of all Americans. In short, promoting the common good so that we can all benefit -- and focusing on the public interest rather than narrow individual gain -- is the central role of government. These are not just progressive values. They are America’s values.
... Since the days of the colonies, when the commonwealths of Massachusetts and Virginia were formed, Americans have pooled their common wealth for individual aspirations.
... This is a country where people pull together in the face of disaster. ... Empathy, mutual responsibility, fairness, and community -- all progressive values -- are part of this heritage...
It is time for progressives at all levels -- from our political leaders and policy-makers to our public intellectuals to our activists to ordinary Americans who care about their country -- to articulate our values, fundamental American values, and repeat them proudly and consistently...
Empathy, responsibility, and fairness. We should ask nothing less than these of ourselves and we should demand no less than these of our government.
"The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped." - Hubert Humphrey
January 10, 2006 8:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
But part of the problem is getting effective people on the air. If you saw Howard Dean on Blitzer the other day you will realize we need a dozen more Dean's that actually know the facts and aren't afraid to speak up.
The facts are on our side, now it's just a matter of getting a fair share of airtime.
I've been wondering if we couldn't start a campaign to get at least on progressive moderator on MSNBC. It seems to me that just one wouldn't be too many. Until we can combat the RW lies as they are being told, we're facing a much tougher battle.
January 10, 2006 8:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Congressman Brown, it is unfortunate that you and Hackett are running against each other. I hope you both continue to focus on DeWine and resist the urge to go negative in the primary.
I wish good fortune to you both!
January 10, 2006 9:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
January 10, 2006 9:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Republicans may be beyond embarrassment, but the media is probably less so. One tactic I would like to see tried is sending Dems to make statements on the sidewalk outside the studios where political shows are being broadcast with no participation from the progressive side.
Would it risk looking dorky? Not if the statements being made were angry and truthful, pointing out what is not being said on the news these days.
Look at the popularity of The Daily Show. You can’t tell me there isn’t a market for a real news/commentary show with the same viewpoint.
January 10, 2006 9:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm all for shining a bright light on the cockroaches currently in power, and would like to think that the voters would not return many of them if they realized what they were really voting for.
I've been reading about this sleazy business in the Marianas and would like to know how one can find out who went on these trips? Which Congressmen accepted luxury beach junkets in exchange for perpetuating a system of slave labor in a US territory? Every one of them should have to explain that to their constituents in 2006.
January 10, 2006 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree that good progressive policy can be good politics. I also understand that it is essentially impossible for Democrats to get much done in the House. But there are a few things that I would like to see incorporated into the progressive movement in Congress.
Poverty, including global poverty, is something our current leaders rarely discuss. The UN Millenium Development Goals suggest that if developed countries give merely 0.7% GDP, we can reduce global poverty significantly. Republicans like to talk about being pro-life, but 30,000 children around the world die EVERY DAY from mostly preventable causes like malnutrion and lack of cheap and effective vaccinations. Over 1,000 would-be mothers die because of poor prenatal care. And so on. Our country is not even close to the 0.7% requested. We can regain international credibility--and reclaim the "soul" of our country--by taking a leadership role in this area.
Yes, there is child poverty in the U.S. that needs to be addressed. Particularly striking is the disproportionate number of minority children who have entered poverty under the current president (after declining steadily under Clinton). Tack onto this the cuts in medicaid, food stamps, etc. and we are putting our children in precarious situations through no fault of their own. This at a time when the economy is supposed to be doing "great".
I could get really excited about a candidate/leader who finally champions children's sufferings even though they represent no voting constituency.
And yes, education is important too, but I probably already went on too long.
January 10, 2006 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Take Bob Taft, who is the most corrupt Governor in the history of Ohio. The two of you have a long history, he beat you statewide while you were the incumbent back in the early nineties.
After Taft's disgraceful first term, you were going to run against him. But instead, there was the deal cut so that you would get a "safe" congressional district drawn and Taft wouldn't face you as an opponent.
So let's talk about the "culture of corruption" and "cause and effect" -- your congressional district was the cause of Taft getting a second term, coingate, Noe, and all of the other corruption that we've seen. As the Republicans like to do, this corruption moves money (from the state to GOP campaign coffers) and lo and behold Governor Taft was able to carry Ohio for Bush.
Quite a price to pay to get you not to run.
January 10, 2006 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Mr. Brown how are you going to clean up the government and reshape the Democratic Party in your homestate. The Democrats in Ohio have lost statewide races for several years similiar to how you lost your last state wide race. I want a reformer. Paul Hackett presents a new brand of Democrats to rally on in Ohio. He represents what Ohio and America can be. You represent the Ohio of losing elections. Until, you give me a reason to support you over Paul Hackett, and show me that you won't lose once again like your last state wide race I have no choice but to campaign my hardest to make sure you are not our nominee. Ohio Democrat voters want someone that can win, reshape our party, present progressive agenda. You only present one thing a progressive agenda, something Paul Hackett does as well. I trust him, way more than you because I do not think you changed much since the last time you lost a state wide race.
January 10, 2006 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I understand you are here to discuss your stand on the issues, but I want urge you to put some time and effort into informing yourself and then helping to expose the sham of electronic voting.
The GAO released a report Oct. '05 acknowledging many of the problems, but it was essentially ignored by the corporate press and our elected officials - except for the few who are tirelessly working on the problem. A brief overview can be found at this Free Press article.
There are many groups and individuals working to expose the facts of the multitude of "glitches" in the 1994, 2000 and 2004 elections, how easily (and secretly) hackable the vote tabulators are, how Blackwell was aware of this fact when he decided to blanket the state with Diebold Touchscreens, and more recently of financial ties between Abramoff, Greenburg Trauig and Diebold. Those documents can be viewed here:
Black Box Voting.org
I do understand that your focus and time is on critical issue-related and fund-raising affairs, but I hope you also understand that if corrupt, Republican owned, supporting and backed corporations are supplying the machines that COUNT the votes (while refusing to allow the software to be inspected and transparent) - you could well be wasting a lot of time, energy and money.
Perhaps you can have someone on your staff look in to the mountains of information - (VoteTrustUSA, VotersUnite, BlackBoxVoting.org, etc.) and a website I personally helped work on for close to a year that we just recently launched, Who's Counting. I would urge at least reading The Companies and the Technology Chapters there to get an idea of what we're up against.Thank you Congreeman Brown.
January 10, 2006 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
January 10, 2006 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
>>>"And both bills passed only after holding the votes open and twisting enough arms to change votes. Had members been allowed to vote their conscience, both bills would have failed."
The members were allowed to vote their conscience. Instead they opted to take the money or cave in. There's no need for a conscience on a 435-0 vote. There is on a 212-211 vote.
January 10, 2006 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
You mean like the Right-wing Republicans have promised to do to FDR's New Deal?
January 10, 2006 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to take issue with your formulation that workers can no longer expect to "go to school, pay your taxes, and play by the rules" to prosper because of Republican corruption. Yes, turning government in to an instrument of mitigating the risk of corporations by shifting it on to families is a major problem, but that's just a slipstream effect. The major impetus threatening the old industrial order of high employment, secured pensions, working for a single employer, etc., have been washed away by myriad global economic and social forces, and there's no cramming them back in the bottle. Indeed, we should be looking at expanding the tremendous opportunities they present instead of pretending that we can roll back time.
By all means, attack Republican corruption, and underscore that Republican solutions gut working families, but whatever you do don't pretend a march backwards is the solution. There are radical progressive solutions--universal free higher education, state of the art midcareer retraining, universal health care, and so on--but these need to be tempered with the understanding that they'r enot going to be delivered from the same sources as they were in the past. Simply cleaning up the neighborhood isn't going to make families more secure for tomorrow.
January 10, 2006 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Vic, I agree. Almost every major issue the Republicans have addressed is to undo the New Deal, the EPA, food safety. All the issues we care about.
The reason I wear a pin of a canary in a cage on my lapel came home to all of us last week when those 12 mine workers were killed.
As many of you know, the pin symbolizes the canary that was taken into the mines a hundred years ago before there were mine safety laws or strong unions to protect the workers in case the gas in the mines were toxic.
That represents what we stand for as a country. Civil rights, rights for the disabled, prohibition of child labor, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, clean drinking water and food safety.
The issue is that Republicans have tried to dismantle all of those things. I think we fight this campaign on those issues.
Do you want to roll back all the progress of the last 100 years that has helped people live healthier lives?
Or do you want to continue to move forward?
January 10, 2006 1:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Vic & Ohio Patriot,
Republicans have assaulted all that we stand for. They do it in the halls of Congress often in the middle of the night, as I wrote about today.
They also do it in the executive orders and the commissions and the studies that Vic points out where former lobbyists for the drug industry now work at the FDA.
Lobbyists that used to work for chemical companies now are at the EPA where they're quietly undoing so much of what we care about.
Vic says attack, attack, attack. I'd expand on that by pointing out what they're doing, educate people on what they're doing and then make the contrast. Sometimes that means attacking Republicans, but sometimes it just means showing the public what they've done.
January 10, 2006 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I appreciate what Kewalo says about MSNBC. We're always trying to work the refs, so they will play fair with us. That's the importance of the blogs.
Those of you who stand up for progressive values on the blogs can make a difference as we continue to push the media to be fair.
January 10, 2006 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I really appreciate Marc's comments. You've seen me run a campaign, which I'll continue to run, that focuses on Mike Dewine.
Every time I point out a vote of Mike Dewine that is bad for Ohio, it helps Paul Hackett. And every time Paul Hackett does the same, it helps me.
The winner of this primary will come out stronger, if we keep the focus of this race on Mike Dewine and the Republicans who have failed this state.
January 10, 2006 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kara, I think that's a hard question, but it has to be the Iraq War. It causes so many divisions in our country. It's created enemies around the world. It has contributed to more terrorism. It costs us a million and half dollars a week. That's money that we can't spend on education or health care. And it has killed and maimed far too many Americans.
January 10, 2006 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
In my book "The Myths of Free Trade" I devoted several pages to what Tom Delay and his friends did in the Mariana Islands.
What's happend there symbolizes in a nutshell the whole Abramoff scandal.
You can find a ton of information about lobbyists and law makers through the disclosure forms filed with the clerk of the House. http://clerk.house.gov/
January 10, 2006 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
GQMartinez, you speak eloquently about international health.
Again, the Iraq War costs us over a million dollars a week, yet we can't do vaccinations that would prevent the death of the over 400,000 children who die a year of measels.
We and the rest of the rich world have done much less than we should to cure tuberculosis that kills 500 people in India a day.
Imagine if our response to September 11 would have included responding to global poverty and global disease in addition to the war on terror.
January 10, 2006 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Blue88, I'm proud of my successful record fighting for progressive government for the past 30 years. I fought against the Iraq War on the House floor. I led the opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement. I've won 13 out of 14 elections. And I'm going to win this year.
January 10, 2006 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jen, I support optical scanners, because you've got the best of both worlds with that system. You've got the paper ballot which can be read by a computer and can be recounted by hand later. It is not only also the safest form of voting, but also the one which the largest number of voters will feel comfortable with.
January 10, 2006 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Congress as a body no longer refers to Citizens, but in fact refers to constituants as "the American People". I am deeply concerned that external forces (foriegn governments, and illegal aliens) are in fact carrying too much weight in legislation that benefits multi-national corporations and non-citizen residents above the interests of American Citizens.
January 10, 2006 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am a 35 year old father of (soon to be) two who has been an active voter all of my adult life. As a father, I'm concerned about the nation and world that I'll be leaving to my children.
What makes this even more vital, to me, is the fact that my family belongs to a minority religion (Wicca). Our current President once said that he doesn't consider Wicca to be a valid religion, and his water-carrying for the extremist religious right has my wife and I concerned for the future our children will face as the children of a non-majority religion.
What's even more disheartening is the fact that some Democrats talk as if they would like to begin pandering to these same religious extremists in a mistaken move towards the "center".
What I would like to ask you (and Mr. Hackett as well) is how would you approach guaranteeing religious civil libertoes to all Americans, and not just the majority?
Thank you.
January 10, 2006 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would like to know where exactly you stand on the issues of the previous elections? In what way did you help or support the constituents in your district? What do you intend to do, if elected, to prevent further "mishaps" from happening again; assuming you think anything went wrong?Thank you for your time.
January 10, 2006 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed, "cleaning up after the elephant" could be one of the political slogans of the upcoming era.
January 10, 2006 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rep. Brown,
Congratulations on making it through your first posting day, answering many of the poster's questions and comments, and coming back for a another round!
Your comments on the "culture of corruption" are prescient, but I believe there is another term for what has been going on since the elections of 2000:
Fascism.
Fascism, as defined by Mussolini. The corporatization of the state. Where the party in power declares that the state is incapable of fulfilling it's duties efficiently, and that the private sector can do these things more efficiently and at a lower cost. The corporations assume the role as provider of government services, and the capacity of the government is reduced.
Any of this sound familiar? School vouchers, privatized schools, faith-based organizations to provide services and subsidized by the taxpayers, corporations providing every service to our military (from laundry to food service to logistics), private retirement accounts...
I'm not saying that some things should not have a private component. Indeed, the "surge" capability needed to provide care in disasters, medical service in epidemics, etc., is a rightful role for the private sector.
But here's the rub....
In the full blown fascist corporate state, the corporations end up writing the rules. And they do it through lobbyists. And the only thing the "government" is left with is being the enforcer of corporate mandates. The DeLay/Abramoff money machine is only one (arguably the most aggregious) example of this.
If the stench of the DeLay/Abramoff/K St. Project is ever going to be lifted from Capital Hill, we need to get back to a functioning government providing services- efficiently, honestly, and when in a public-private partnership with business, transparently.
I would appreciate your outline of the measures needed to return the government to representative democracy, from it's current state of corporatized looting.
Notrol
January 10, 2006 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
It seems like every blogger in Ohio is pissed off that you are too much of a coward to meet the bloggers. It is weak that you'll come here but won't talk to the people closely following the race. This is a cowardly move.
January 10, 2006 6:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ohcatfan,
For a "blogger", you have surprisingly little history here at the cafe, so I will apologize to Rep. Brown for you, and remind you that "ad hominem" attacks on guests and commenters are not only in bad blog form, but unacceptable in this forum.
The level of discourse on TPMCafe is prized as one of the few places you can hear well grounded and thoughtful disagreements, and learn from them.
Notrol
January 10, 2006 7:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
January 10, 2006 8:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
As I said before I do not think you are the right candidate for this race. Paul Hackett is the right man to lead an insurgency in Ohio politics to turn Ohio blue. He inspires people. If you were to be the nominee could you win? Yes, if you hit the cities most imortantly Cleveland and get them to come out the vote you can win, but I do not want that kind of win. Kerry relied on that kind of strategy and it did not pay off. Paul Hackett like Ted Strickland can win over or garner enough votes in rural very conservative districts like Hackett showed in his race. There is a lot of bad feelings to your descision to get into the race after Paul Hackett said he would. I hope that you consider running for another elected office because I think a Strickland, Hackett, and yourself could sweep the races and you could feed off eachother with straight ticket votes. I live in Oxford Ohio in Butler County and let me say this down here you are going to have a hard time to convert voters. Paul Hackett, can win in this district or put up good numbers in this county. You may have won 13 out of 14 races, but again congressman you live in a safe Democrat district. My opinion would have changed dramatically if you did not lose your last statewide race, or put up the numbers of Strickland or Hackett in more conservative districts. Again congressman please help put Ohio, our party, by uniting behind Hackett, and run for another statewide office that needs to be won. Thank you for responding to my comment.
January 10, 2006 9:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with that Sherrod please keep the focus on DeWine. I just wish you had not decided to challenge Hackett in the first place. Hackett and you are too good of Dems to be fighting each other. I only hope that you decided to unite behind Hackett, and further help out our party by running for another state wide office and position yourself for future races such as 2010 Senate Race, and succeed Ted Strickland when he wins. I pray that Ohio turns blue our state has been run down too much by Republican rule. Keep up the good work in the House Mr. Brown, and please Brown fight the Republicans in another race.
January 10, 2006 11:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
January 11, 2006 4:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
<span class="Apple-style-span">H</span><span class="Apple-style-span">aving surprisingly little history here at the cafe myself, I'm curious. It's bad blog form and unacceptable for Ohcatfan to launch an "ad hominem" attack against Brown by calling him a coward, but it's good blog form and acceptable for Brown to attack "c</span><span class="Apple-style-span">orrupt politicians like Tom Delay and lobbyist Jack Abramoff"?</span><span class="Apple-style-span">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span">Thanks for the clarification.</span>
January 11, 2006 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am not familiar with the rules or regulations concerning mine safety, but I do have some experience with OSHA and workplace safety issues. OSHA makes available a wide range of resources to employers to help them improve working conditions including free on-site consultation for small businesses and partnerships with other businesses in their industry. Check out thier web site: http://www.osha.gov/index.html especially thier section on compliance assistance. It's an example of the right way to do it.
January 12, 2006 6:43 AM | Reply | Permalink