At the risk of becoming just another social media site, the Watercooler is seeking to learn more about the folks who read and write for The Seminal.  We’re doing this by asking you to explain how and why you got your screenname.  We’ll get the ball rolling with a few of our regular authors: Bill Egnor (aka "somethingthedogsaid"):   "In 2005 I was arguing with a conservative friend of mine about the war in Iraq. At one point he slams his beer down and tells me my ide... Read Full Story

Crossposted at Daily Kos. Well now. After years (decades?) of marginalizing and outright ignoring labor issues, it appears in the last week or two that Jobs are all of a sudden a hot topic. This is very exciting! Jobs, wages, employment, income, the means of supporting one’s standard of living, is one of the most fundamental components of political economy, of social organization. Yet I wonder. The title presupposes something important, that the state of jobs in 21st century America is ... Read Full Story

There was a phone call today with farm leaders from the National Farmers Union and affiliated groups. Their message to those Senators who are not on board yet with a public health insurance option? Rural America needs a public health insurance option most. The facts in rural America are stark. Roger Johnson, President of the National Farmers Union, noted that rural people spend 22% more on premiums and out of pocket costs than their urban counterparts do. They’re also 70% more likely to... Read Full Story

There is a famous saying “Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. These are the words of George Santayana, and they are usually misquoted. Mr. Santayana was right as far as he went in this, if you do not remember what happened before, then you cannot profit from the mistakes of the past. It is a good warning when thinking about the protections our Constitution affords us. Over the last 100 years, there has been an evolution in the thinking on what our First Amendment ... Read Full Story

As I discussed the other day, Republicans and right wing leaders thrive on a culture of victimhood. Developing this meme has meant cultivating a fantasy land where an imaginary liberal media dominates discourse (and Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Joe Scarborough, Pat Buchanan, Anne Coulter, Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs and the rest are somehow overlooked), it means imagining President Obama, himself a Christian, as being hostile to Christians, it means fantasizin... Read Full Story

I believe that Republicans are poised to cement their complete opposition to everything Obama and reap a huge political win by twisting their political principles to oppose further escalation of troops in Afghanistan. Unless, of course, Obama can be convinced not to send more troops. Obama’s decision about whether to send more troops in Afghanistan is expected on December 1st, and he may well be going with an increase of around 30,000 towards a war we don’t have a way to win. We&#... Read Full Story

So, the Catholic Bishop of Providence wrote a letter to Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) in 2007 telling Kennedy that it was "inappropriate" for him to receive communion and "respectfully" asking that Kennedy "refrain" from doing so.  The Bishop did this because of Kennedy’s support of abortion rights.  The Bishop has said that "obstinate" opposition to church doctrine on abortion should cause a Catholic public official to reconsider his or her members... Read Full Story

Do you remember the "Made in the USA" commercials from the 1980’s? They featured high-profile stars such as Sammy Davis, Jr. and Bob Hope, and they implored the public to buy clothing and other products manufactured in the United States. The campaign was a dismal failure. In 1965, 95% of clothing bought in the US was made in the US. Today, that figure is down to 5%. Consequently, once thriving textile communities throughout the South have been decimated – a tale that has... Read Full Story

As debate on health care moves forward in the Senate, it seems like a good time for a reminder: There is no such thing as a good trigger for the public health insurance option. In fact, triggers are nothing but a plan to kill the public option. Why? 1. The status quo is unacceptable The logic at the heart of a trigger is that the status quo is ok, as long as it doesn’t get worse. A trigger says that some condition must be met in the future for a public health insurance option to be crea... Read Full Story

It’s old news to say that media insiders prefer gossip to substance when it comes to "covering" policy debates.  However, I still find it interesting to observe when this reality is made crystal clear.  Mika Brzezinski pulled the curtain aside today on Morning Joe when she asserted that "whether or not" additional stimulus is needed to help the economy, she doesn’t see how there’s any "appetite" for more stimulus given the current "narrativ... Read Full Story