Progressive

Progressive-around-town Adam Green has set up a Facebook group called “I support a real progressive against Arlen Specter,” which is what it sounds like: a place to pledge $25 if a more liberal candidate runs against Specter in the Democratic primary. So far they have 286 members, which would make for $7150, which isn’t nothing, [...]

An editorial in today’s Wall Street Journal attacks President Obama’s cap-and-trade plan to curb carbon emissions as a “regressive” policy:
Hit hardest would be the “95% of working families” Mr. Obama keeps mentioning, usually omitting that his no-new-taxes pledge comes with the caveat “unless you use energy.” Putting a price on carbon is regressive by definition [...]

Over at The Huffington Post, Sam Stein has a piece on something kind-of-but-not-totally-similar to a piece I’m working on: progressive-Jewish reactions to Gaza. Sam’s piece is Obama-focused and mine isn’t. But check this out:
“You talk a progressive game but what do you say when Obama isn’t signaling a direction on the Middle East?” said a [...]

The Obama transition formally announced Jack Lew and Jim Steinberg as deputy secretaries of state just now. On Lew, my pal Mark Kleiman, who knows the guy, remarks, “He’s just one of those people who aren’t even tempted to cut corners, or at least that’s the way he comes across.” Interesting.
But here are two more: [...]

And just like that, as if to reassure those on “the Left” that he’s still tuned in to their concerns, comes this report, from First Read:

Atrios, utilizing his trademark, uh, panache, offers a very well-reasoned response to the small but vocal segment of “the Left” who are angry about President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet choices so far: