The rotten fruit of the Reagan Revolution
April will be the most devastating month our country has suffered in decades. Tens of thousands of Americans will die in the coming weeks and there’s very little we can do about it. We’ll read stories of hospitals overwhelmed, people dying alone on stretchers in...
We have enough data to act, but what comes next
Conservatives pushing back against the recent orders to stay indoors claim the government had insufficient data to make those calls. They ask for more time to collect data before taking such drastic measures as shutting down our society. Unfortunately, the coronavirus...
The Pickett’s Charge approach to coronavirus
In Congress, there seems to be a general consensus that the country needs to take extreme measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. They’re arguing over the response to the economic fallout, but few elected Republicans are criticizing the public health response....
The blame game is not good politics right now
This week, Gallup released polls showing Donald Trump’s approval ratings improving by about five points. By a large margin, people approve of the way he’s handling the crisis. Trump’s rating bump is fueled mainly by more independents and Democrats rallying to his...
Cooper has a plan but the federal government needs one now
The apparent lack of a grand plan is one of the most frustrating aspects of Trump’s daily updates. Every day, he’s got some new or speculative development. We’re close to a vaccine one day. We’ve found an effective treatment the next. We’re social distancing for two...
A party unprepared to lead
The Republican response to the pandemic hitting our country right now has been pathetic. They lie about it, profit off of it, protect the rich, and screw the working class. When the pitch forks come out, at least they’ll know where to go this time. Every day, the...
Get the bill right
Last night, Democrats stopped Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans from rushing through an aid package that’s supposed to blunt the damage to the economy caused by the coronavirus. Republicans howled that Democrats are holding up help to families and businesses in...
Bank Run Burr and the failure of free market extremism
Back during the financial crisis that led to the Great Recession, Richard Burr took the knowledge he got from being a Senator to tell his wife to pull as much money from their account as possible. He earned the nickname “Bank Run” Burr. Now, he’s at it again, but on...
Clearly not ready to lead
Yesterday, Governor Cooper ordered all bars and restaurants closed to halt the spread of the coronavirus. While it’s economically and socially painful, it’s a necessary step if we want to save lives. Other states have taken similar measures. All of Italy is...
Flattening the curve
Governor Roy Cooper closed schools across the state on Saturday. It was the right thing to do. The coronavirus that is spreading rapidly across the country right now can’t be stopped but it might be slowed. They call it bending the curve or flattening the curve. If we...
