I'm trying to boil down to a headline what I think progressives should take from Mark Schmidt's Fresh Start for Campaign Reform. Essentially, the thirty year project to limit "bad" campaign contributions should be dropped, kaput. It's close to hopeless, given the First Amendment and the endless loopholes big money finds.

Instead, focus on putting MORE MONEY into the system, "good" money representing those with less financial resources. Instead of trying to limit the speech of the wealthy, amplify the voices of poor and working families through public financing.

But let me add a few observations and points beyond Mark's:

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When the Montana State Senate voted overwhelmingly two weeks ago to oppose approval of reauthorization of "Fast Track" Trade Promotion authority for new trade deals, it sent a powerful message that the American people and state governments are tiring of misguided trade deals. Other states look to join Montana in sending that message.

As Jeff Faux, myself and others noted in the trade discussion over the last few weeks, instead of delivering promised economic growth, those trade rules have led to enormous trade deficits, lost jobs and an undermining of state democratic powers to regulate large corporations in the public interest. This post is looking more closely at that assault on state democratic powers.

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The bright idea from the rightwing is to give individuals incentives to save money on health care, thereby driving down costs and freeing up money for lower costs and/or greater coverage.  Sounds like a nice idea and would make sense if average users of health care had much effect on health care costs.  But they don't.  See this table:

Share of health care spenders   * Cumulative share of US medical spending
Top 1%  *  30%
Top 5%  *  58%
Top 10% *  72%
Top 30% * 90%

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