Robert Reich

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Robert Reich Suggests a Republican for President

Staunch Democrat says Liz Cheney is exactly what the country needs right now

(Newser) - Robert Reich, who describes himself as both progressive and liberal, is floating the idea of a conservative for president. In a Substack post, the former Clinton labor secretary suggests GOP Rep. Liz Cheney might be precisely what the country needs. "I've been in and around American politics for...

4 Things Obama Must Do to Win

 4 Things 
 Obama 
 Must Do 
 to Win 
robert reich

4 Things Obama Must Do to Win

Robert Reich: It's time for a clear economic strategy

(Newser) - President Obama's economic message is that "we're on the right track" and we should give him more time. But if the economy "stalls"—about a 50-50 chance—the message won't hold up, writes Robert Reich in the Guardian . It's time for Obama to...

Finally, the Obama We Elected
 Finally, the Obama We Elected 
Robert Reich

Finally, the Obama We Elected

Last night's speech was incredibly important, Robert Reich writes

(Newser) - The speech President Obama gave last night in Osawatomie, Kansas, was the "most important economic speech of his presidency," writes former labor secretary Robert Reich. "Here, finally, is the Barack Obama many of us thought we had elected in 2008," one who actually fights Big Money...

Time for Big Business to Squash Tea Party

Corporate America must battle extremism

(Newser) - Big business may see the Tea Party as harmless, or perhaps even helpful, but it's time to “take a closer look:" the movement’s aspirations aren’t in its interests, writes Robert Reich in the Christian Science Monitor . Some 60% of Tea Partiers want, for example, to dump...

Hey Blue Dogs, We Need a Second Stimulus
Hey Blue Dogs, We Need a Second Stimulus
ROBERT REICH

Hey Blue Dogs, We Need a Second Stimulus

Rising unemployment makes it essential

(Newser) - The ever-worsening employment situation demands a second stimulus, writes former Labor Secretary Robert Reich . Yes, the first stimulus is only half-spent, but the remaining programs won’t affect mounting job losses. Blue Dog Democrats, worried about the deficit and 2010 elections, will be hard-pressed to support a second round, but...

Health Industry Shakedown Imperils Reform
Health Industry Shakedown Imperils Reform
OPINION

Health Industry Shakedown Imperils Reform

Obama must ignore lobbyists for insurers, doctors, drug makers

(Newser) - In dealing with pharmaceutical companies, insurers, and the AMA, President Obama should take a page from David Letterman's book and not fall prey to blackmail, writes former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Promises the administration made to those three constituencies in exchange for staying neutral or positive about health care reform...

Tax Breaks for New Jobs Gain Bipartisan Support

But some dismiss move as 'corporate welfare'

(Newser) - Support is building in Washington for the idea of giving companies tax breaks when they hire new workers. President Obama’s economic team has been exploring the possibility for weeks, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle like the idea of helping unemployed constituents. “There’s a lot...

Be Very Afraid: Goldman Sachs Is Smiling
Be Very Afraid: Goldman Sachs Is Smiling
OPINION

Be Very Afraid: Goldman Sachs Is Smiling

High-risk model hasn't changed, could lead to new crisis, says Reich

(Newser) - Goldman Sachs is back in the black, with trading and stock underwriting revenues at an all-time high—and that should scare you, former Clinton cabinet member Robert Reich writes in Salon. While Goldman's earnings may signal that the current crisis is abating, the bank hasn't modified high-risk strategies that forced...

Public Option Pivotal to Health Reform: Reich

Obama can't give in to critics

(Newser) - As wrangling over health care reform drags on, President Obama is putting the idea of a public option on the back burner. But public competition would drive private plans to offer better, less expensive care, cutting the massive costs that are hindering progress, writes Robert Reich in the Wall Street ...

Obama Must Tax Employer Health Insurance
Obama Must Tax Employer Health Insurance
OPINION

Obama Must Tax Employer Health Insurance

To pay for new system, he must tax old 'crazy' one: Reich

(Newser) - During the campaign, Barack Obama was scathing about John McCain’s plan to tax employer-provided health benefits. But Obama’s going to have to bite the bullet and tax them himself if he wants to pay for his own health care initiative, writes Robert Reich in Salon. Now that Congress...

Social Security Easily Fixed; Medicare Is Another 'Monster'

Worry about that, not easy-to-fix social security: Reich

(Newser) - After yesterday’s news that Social Security and Medicare funds will run out of money earlier than previously predicted, it’s the latter that should really scare us, former Labor secretary Robert Reich writes for Salon. A slight tax tweak fixes Social Security, but “Medicare is entirely different. It’...

Obama Attacks Tax Havens to Save Health Care: Reich

(Newser) - Offshore tax havens may not be fair, but they’ve been around for decades. So why is President Obama taking them on now, Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich asks in Salon. It’s not to try to keep jobs here, as the White House claims; the move might even drive...

50 Ways to Leave Hillary's Camp
 50 Ways to Leave Hillary's Camp 

50 Ways to Leave Hillary's Camp

Kerry, Richardson, Reich: stalwart Clintonites are jumping ship

(Newser) - As more longtime Clintonites succumb to Obamania and Hillary Clinton's superdelegate lead gradually diminishes, the former first couple is left to sift their friendships into past and present. But while the Clinton camp sees shifts toward Barack Obama as acts of betrayal, others consider them comeuppance for the Clintons' habit...

Reich, Nunn, Boren Endorse Obama
Reich, Nunn, Boren
Endorse Obama

Reich, Nunn, Boren Endorse Obama

Bill Clinton's former labor chief blasts Hillary's ads

(Newser) - Barack Obama today picked up endorsements from three Democratic Party bigwigs: Robert Reich, a longtime Clinton friend and ex-Labor Secretary, and two ex-senators with foreign policy clout—Sam Nunn of Georgia and David Boren of Oklahoma. Reich said he decided to endorse because he was "appalled" by Hillary Clinton's...

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