TheNextReport

Stimule Us Can anyone be surprised that not one Republican in the House voted for the Obama stimulus package? In the midst of the worst economic crisis to hit the country since the Great Depression, a crisis brought about largely by the de-regulation philosophy of the Republican party, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republican leadership have opted to return to the strategy of Newt Gingrich and walk in lock-step like lemmings over the political cliff. They do this, not surprisingly, while asking the rest of the country to follow. It is truly astonishing that in the midst of global financial collapse, Republican leaders are once again peddling trickle-down economics - read tax cuts for the wealthy - as the answer to our economic needs. By opposing the rescue plan laid out be the administration, the GOP seems determined to gamble that electorate hasn't yet wised up, that in spite of the election of a new president and Congress, voters still don't understand wh

Farewell and Good Riddance: George W. Bush said his goodbyes to the nation last night, telling us of all the successes of his administration as Vice-president Dick Cheney nodded out in the audience. One couldn't have expected more than this ultimate, final insult from the august team that has brought the country the blessings of war and financial ruin. These last eight years should stand as a bitter lesson, not only to all Americans, but to all of those around the world who have been convinced that democracy has value. The lesson should read: Do not elect ignorant people to office; require standards of basic intelligence and ethics from your leaders; don't elect businessmen; do not be fooled by those who play with your fears while their hands are in your pockets.

Drill Baby Drill Now that the price of gasoline has dropped below two dollars a gallon and the country is focusing on the overall disaster we know as the US economy, what happened to all of the frenzied calls for expanded oil drilling that characterized the presidential election? It wasn't terribly long ago that both Democrats and Republicans, both Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain, were insisting that new oil wells would play a vital role in the energy scheme of a new administration. Dire predictions of dwindling supply, accelerating demand and runaway prices at the pump drove the political discourse. In poll after poll, Americans voiced their support of drilling off the coasts of California, Florida and other previously prohibited locations, convinced there was no alternative. The Alaskan Wildlife Refuge, long considered sacrosanct by those who cherish the environment, was clearly in jeopardy. All the while, oil companies reported record earnings as the Bush administration repeatedly blo