The outrage on the right over the Obama administration’s efforts to provide women with insurance coverage for contraception has been so surreal, I haven’t known how to approach it. I shouldn’t have ignored the story for so long, though, because it’s a big deal. So here goes.

Yesterday, the House oversight committee held a bizarre hearing, entitled “Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?” At that hearing, a panel full of men, and not a single woman, tried to explain how it was their religious right to prevent women from gaining access to contraception.

Conservatives, let me explain how this works. Under the First Amendment, you have every right to exercise your beliefs. You do not have the right to impose religious law on others. Yet that’s exactly what you’re demanding.

Read More

We’re totally building a streak here, folks. A couple more months of continuing good news like this, and growing consumer confidence will turn into a virtuous circle that will propel the economy forward. 

The number of Americans filing for new unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell to a near four-year low last week, suggesting the labor market recovery was quickening.

Other data on Thursday showing solid expansion in factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic area this month and builders breaking more ground on new residential projects in January offered more evidence of a sustained momentum in the economy. [Reuters, via Political Wire]

This is really exciting stuff. I began my career just as the economy was turning sour in 2008, so I’ve spent my entire career to date coping with a crummy economy. After four years of pain, the recovery is going to feel great. 

But as I’ve written a few times, we can’t back off now. We need to keep working to push the economy forward. That’s why President Obama’s budget has the right idea:

The Economic Policy Institute released an analysis today of the programs in President Obama’s newly proposed budget plan which are aimed at boosting job growth. All told, it would yield approximately 1.5 million new jobs in fiscal year 2012, and around 1.3 million in 2013….

Read More

Terrible news, everyone: The economy is improving.

I suppose I should clarify that statement. For most of us, it’s very good news. It’s only terrible news if you’re a Republican who anticipated riding a continuing recession to victory in November. Now Republicans in Congress are working desperately to reverse what they see as a devastating trend.

Unfortunately for us, there are a few tools at the Republicans’ disposal. I’ve written before about how Republicans may once again try to block an extension of the payroll tax cut. Now they’re also threatening to block an extension of unemployment benefits.

A Democratic bid for a breakthrough on payroll-tax negotiations fell flat on Thursday, as Congress closes in on a Feb. 29 deadline with few signs of progress.

If Congress fails to act: the Social Security payroll tax that comes out of every paycheck will revert back to 6.2 percent from the current 4.2 percent tax “holiday,” doctors treating Medicare patients will see their reimbursements drop 27 percent as the “doc fix” expires, and millions of long-term unemployed workers will lose benefits.

On Thursday, Republicans on the panel rejected a new Democratic proposal to cut federal unemployment insurance from its current 99 weeks to 93 weeks. Republicans propose cutting back insurance to a maximum of 59 weeks.

While the economy is getting better, and hopefully seems to be picking up steam, the fact remains that it has a long way to go. If we start pulling the rug out from under the unemployed, many of whom have been searching for jobs for years at this point, we’re just going to prolong the recession.

Of course, maybe the Republican understand that. To them, maybe that’s a feature, not a bug.

I’ve written a lot lately about how Congressional Republicans are rooting for the economic recovery to fail — in fact, it’s central to their electoral strategy. Despite their best efforts, though, the recovery appears to be gathering strength. That’s why they’re resorting to desperate tactics like demanding the Federal Reserve stop trying to improve the economy.

But there’s one potent weapon left in the Republicans’ arsenal: they could kill the payroll tax cut that’s expiring at the end of this month, costing middle-class workers money and weakening consumer demand. More and more, it’s looking like they may actually happen:

Top Democrats are openly calling into doubt the chances that Congressional negotiators will reach an agreement to renew the payroll tax cut before it expires at the end of the month. The culprit, they say, is a deep schism within the Republican conference over whether the the tax holiday is a good policy or just a political gimmick to help President Obama win re-election.

The consequences of failure would result in a typical middle-class worker taking home about $1000 less this year, just as demand is starting to return to the U.S. economy and the unemployed are beginning to find work.

As a fiscal stimulus goes, the payroll tax cut is a weak one. However, it has at least had some effect, and our economy stills needs all the help it can get. Taking this money out of consumers’ hands could do a lot of economic damage. Unfortunately, that may be just what the GOP wants.

The Republicans are getting desperate for some change in the economy — by which I mean they really need it to start failing again. They spent over a year trying to hold the economy back, but they failed. Now they’re going to ever-more ridiculous lengths to try to salvage the 2012 election, even if it means harming out-of-work Americans.

For example, did you ever think you would see a news story like this?

Republicans Sharply Question Bernanke for Fed’s Focus on Job Market

WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans criticized the Federal Reserve on Thursday for working to reduce unemployment and revive the housing market rather than maintaining a single-minded focus on inflation….

Really? You don’t want the Fed — which should actually be doing a lot more to help the economy rebound — trying to restore the economy? That’s one of the most insane things I’ve heard in a long time.

[Via Nancy Pelosi’s press office]

This is great news:

[Senator Sheldon Whitehouse] will introduce a bill that would ensure that millionaires paying lower tax rates than middle class taxpayers would henceforth pay a 30 percent tax rate.

…under the proposal, those making more than $1 million a year would be required to calculate their overall tax rate, taking into account all their income and the full sum of what they pay in taxes. If that amount adds up to less than 30 percent, they would be required to make up the difference.

Is this a stunt? Sure, in some respects. Whitehouse is certainly proposing the bill knowing full well that it will be voted down, at least. But it does illustrate a very real difference between the Democrats’ and Republicans’ ideologies. The Democrats truly support the bill, and would happily implement it. Likewise, the Republicans truly oppose it; they’re not being trapped with some sort of gimmick that forces them to take a stance they don’t actually hold.

The difference between the two parties on soaring inequality — and the preferential treatment the rich receive — will be a key deciding point in this election. I’m very glad the Democrats are taking steps to ensure that the public understands where the parties stand.