Elizabeth Warren: "The American people ARE Progressive - and our day is coming."

[senz]

Don't let the media fool you. We Americans are VERY progressive.

“Our values are America’s values, and America’s values are progressive values.”

• 70% of Americans across this country support an increase of the federal minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour. Republicans may vote to keep workers in poverty, but on minimum wage, the American people are Progressives.
  
  
• Progressives believe that students shouldn’t be crushed by debt and the federal government should not make a profit on student loans. And so do 73% of Americans.
  
  
• Progressives believe people should be able to care for sick family members without fear of losing their jobs, and so do 80% of Americans.
  
  
• Progressives believe that millionaires and billionaires should pay the same tax rates as their secretaries, and so do two-thirds of all Americans.
  
  
• Progressives believe that after a lifetime of work, people deserve to retire in dignity and that means a commitment to strengthening and expanding Social Security—and 79% of likely voters in last year’s election also supported increasing Social Security benefits.
  
  
• Progressives believe in trade, but not the kind written behind closed doors by corporate lawyers that leave American workers eating dirt. Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor some sort of trade restrictions, and more than half oppose Fast Tracking trade deals.
  
  
• Progressives believe that powerful corporations and billionaires have far, far too much influence over our politics and their stranglehold over our government rigs the game. Nearly three-quarters of America agrees.
  
  
• Progressives believe that Wall Street needs stronger rules and tougher legal enforcement – and that, five years after Dodd-Frank – it’s time to stop pretending and really END Too Big to Fail with rules like the Glass-Steagall Act. And 79% of Americans believe Wall Street should be held accountable with tougher rules. Beltway Republicans may be willing to let the biggest banks break our economy again, but on Wall Street reform, the American people are Progressives.

We have a presidential election coming up. I think anyone running for that job – anyone who wants the power to make every key economic appointment and nomination across the federal government – should say loud and clear that they agree:

We don’t run this country for Wall Street and mega corporations. We run it for people.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/elizabeth-to-speak-at-netroots-nation-rally_55a938f8e4b03f76c5ee2be2

A 9 minute video of excerpts from Elizabeth Warren's 30-minute speech at the Netroots Nation annual convention in Phoenix Arizona (July, 2015) where she made these points:

The full video (29 minutes):

[MADem]

1. There's a lot of daylight between ten bucks and change an hour and fifteen bucks.

I don't see anything about "free college" there either.

She sounds like....Hillary!

[senz]

3. Especially the Glass-Steagall part, right?

[MADem]

7. There's a lot of daylight between ten dollar ten cent and fifteen bucks. nt

[Cassiopeia]

14. There's a lot of daylight between

Glass-Steagall and "cut it out."

[MADem]

17. I think, to the average minimum wage worker, Glass Steagall means nothing--but fifteen bucks an

hour is a sight to behold.

[Phlem]

22. And the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round,....

[Plucketeer]

26. ANYthing besides rhetoric would be an improvement

Fifteen an hour sounds better'n ten-ten or twelve. Hell, nine an hour would be an improvement - and Glass Steagall would be a raise (in essence) for us all.

[MADem]

54. I don't disagree, but Congress ain't voting for fifteen. They will vote for something like Ten/ten.

Warren gets that.

Like I said elsewhere in this thread: How do you eat an elephant? One forkful at a time.

[Plucketeer]

55. Yeah - not THIS Congress.

That's about to change.

[JDPriestly]

31. Free tuition. That's free college.

[MADem]

45. I missed where Senator Warren spoke those words....?

Perhaps you can point it out in the excerpt?

[Schema Thing]

49. Actually no, there's not. Not when $10.10 is immediate, and $15 is a few years future.

But if all you go for is $10 bucks, $10 bucks is where the minimum will stagnate for years and years to come.

[MADem]

53. So you're saying Elizabeth Warren is wrong?

I don't know anyone worth listening to who doesn't think we need to head in that direction, towards a livable wage.

But there are some people who want it NOW, and that--realistically--ain't happening.


How do you eat an elephant? One forkful at a time.

Elizabeth Warren gets that. I wish the people who claim to be her fans did, too.

[Schema Thing]

56. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren Tell Obama To 'Fight For $15' With Executive Power

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/18/elizabeth-warren-minimum-wage_n_2900984.html


WASHINGTON -- The Fight for $15 labor movement has found some high-profile allies in the U.S. Senate, and now they're asking President Barack Obama to get onboard.

In a letter to the White House led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Friday, 18 senators, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), asked Obama to issue a "model employer" executive order, which would give contracting preference to firms that pay a living wage, offer health care and sick leave, and guarantee union rights for workers.

"Mr. President, the stroke of your pen can have transformative impact for millions of workers," the letter states. "As low-wage fast food, retail and federal contract workers continue to strike in growing numbers to 'Fight for $15 and a Union,' we urge you to harness the power of the presidency to help these workers achieve the American Dream."

The letter notes that the president has held up for-profit companies like Costco as high-road employers, so the federal government itself should "invest our taxpayer dollars to incentivize model employers that commit to creating good jobs and to rebuilding America's ailing middle class."

[MADem]

58. Did you even READ the article you linked to? Just because the phrase "Fight for 15" was in the

article, does NOT mean EW was throwing down for it. She's one of those "awful" incrementalists, like Hillary Clinton--who is aiming higher than ten bucks and ten cents, FWIW.

Here, let's look at the parts that are SALIENT to this discussion:

It didn't appear that Warren was actually trying to make the case for a $22 an hour minimum wage, but rather highlighting the results of a recent study that showed flat minimum wage growth over the past 40-plus years coinciding with surging inequality across a number of economic indicators.

Warren went on to argue that raising the federal minimum wage to over $10 an hour in incremental steps over the next two years -- a cause championed by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address and since taken up in the Senate -- would not be as damaging for businesses as some critics have argued.

Now....like I said when a first jumped into this pool--there's a lot of daylight between ten dollar, ten cents and fifteen bucks.

[Schema Thing]

59. yes I read it. Why would you question if I read it? It support Warren and Bernie

pushing for $15.00 per hour. Full stop. Over a few years, yes.


As opposed to Hillary:


"Many U.S. cities and municipalities have established a higher minimum wage than the federal rate. Bernie Sanders, who is Clinton's chief challenger for the Democratic Party nomination for the 2016 presidential election, has said the federal minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour.

"I'm more comfortable saying let's get to $12," Clinton said at Grinnell, "in a reasonable, expeditious way."


No Hillary, let's fight for $15 "in a reasonable, expeditious way".

[MADem]

60. Because it does not support the thesis you are trying to advance.

Hillary is two bucks ahead of Warren. Warren is fighting for ten dollars and ten cents in a few years--that is what she SAID.

I still think you didn't read the doggone thing, given your most recent response to me.

[House of Roberts]

2. I've been meaning to look this up.

Thanks.

[senz]

4. You're welcome!

We must keep these principles in mind as the primaries draw near.

[Mc Mike]

5. Thanks, senz. Rec. nt.

[senz]

13. It is good to know that our values are widely shared across the nation.

You're very welcome, Mc Mike, and thank you!

[Mc Mike]

48. Right. So many indys and gopers are just blinkered or deceived.

They're not on board with the repugs' actual policy agendas, and would find them abhorrent if they understood them.

Thanks, again, s.

[onehandle]

6. Hey. I was told earlier today that Warren feels about Hillary the same way about Wall Street.

Still waiting for proof.

[DhhD]

23. Look at the Bills that Warren and Sanders have introduced together and are running beside

each other with. They are Senators that have no Insider money backers. Hillary is else where.

[onehandle]

50. Hillary and Warren have worked together many times since the 90s.

I think the 'Not Hillary' Party is projecting something that has nothing to do with Warren or Sanders.

[farleftlib]

8. Public opinion and the public's best interests have little effect on policymaking

Special interests rule in Washington. Methinks we the people are getting sick and tired of being kicked to the curb.

What we need is a ..... revolution.

[Kath1]

9. Right on, Elizabeth!

I love her.

[TheProgressive]

10. Let's see here...

Senator Sanders is Progressive while Clinton is basically a non-progressive republican...

Looks like Ms. Warren would be more inclined to support Sanders...

[senz]

11. In the same speech, she said

Anyone who wants to be President should appoint only people who have already demonstrated they are independent, who have already demonstrated that they can hold giant banks accountable, who have already demonstrated that they embrace the kind of ambitious economic policies that we need to rebuild opportunity and a strong middle class in this country.

We can’t afford to nibble around the edges any more. Money and influence peddling is strangling our country. Insider Washington is calling the shots. We need leadership that is willing to fight for this country, leadership that is willing to make working people a first priority, leadership that recognizes the importance of major, structural change – on everything from Wall Street regulation to tax policy to education to trade. We need leaders to show they understand the urgency of the moment, leaders to show some backbone and ambition.

So it certainly would appear that you are correct.

[TheProgressive]

12. Every single day that goes by...

...is another day I know Senator Sanders will be a great President of the US!

[SmittynMo]

15. She's gonna team up with Bernie,

and it will then be all but over. Slam dunk, Done deal!!!!!

[Live and Learn]

16. Go Warren!! nt

[pnwmom]

18. And she signed a letter urging Hillary to run for President.

Did she write a letter to Bernie, too?

[DhhD]

24. I believe that Warren sent out Happy Holidays cards to everyone too. Hillary got one, IMO.

[pnwmom]

25. But she didn't send a public letter to Bernie urging him to run for President.

Which is not the same thing as a Holiday card.

[senz]

33. She didnt "send" it, she signed it. It was a group letter

from all the female Democratic senators encouraging one of their own to go for it.

That's all it was.

[pnwmom]

34. Not just "one of their own." A particular person. Hillary Clinton. She has been able

to endorse Bernie at any time, and hasn't.

If she regretted signing the letter for Hillary, why hasn't she said so? If she'd prefer Bernie, why hasn't she endorsed him?

[senz]

36. She has not endorsed anyone for president.

The group letter to Hillary from all the female Democratic senators was not an endorsement. It was friendly encouragement for one of their own to go for it. It was a nice, collegial gesture.

Why isn't that enough for you?

[pnwmom]

37. It was more than a nice, collegial gesture. She wouldn't have signed it

if she hadn't meant it. That's not the kind of person she is.

And she backed it up in interviews.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2014/04/27/elizabeth-warren-i-hope-hillary-clinton-runs-for-president/

Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she hopes Hillary Rodham Clinton runs for president in 2016 — the latest in a series of declarations of support by the Massachusetts Democrat, who some have speculated could seek the Oval Office herself.

"All of the women — Democratic women I should say — of the Senate urged Hillary Clinton to run, and I hope she does. Hillary is terrific," Warren said during an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC's "This Week," noting that she was one of several senators to sign a letter urging Clinton to run in 2016.

[senz]

40. Yes, yes, I've seen that.

Of course she meant that Hillary should go for it. Why not? Senator Warren is a nice person, as well as a good politician.

And of course she'd say "Hillary is terrific." Why not? Surely Hillary is terrific, as are most of the Democratic senators. It's not a terribly well thought-out, personal compliment. But it's friendly and nice.

However, you cannot conclude from those nice gestures that Elizabeth Warren subscribes to Hillary's views on the issues. You cannot conclude that until Senator Warren formally endorses Hillary. And even if she were to do so, it may very well be for purely political purposes -- for instance, if Hillary were to win the nomination, Elizabeth would have to endorse her, as would Bernie and all the Democrats. That would be quite different from agreeing with Hillary's position on the issues, or even thinking highly of her for that matter.

[Oilwellian]

41. The letter wasn't an endorsement

Perhaps Bernie didn't get the letter because he didn't have enough estrogen. The original letter, you know, signed by all of the Dem women in the Senate, encouraged a fellow female colleague to run for the Presidency. Senator Warren has not endorsed a candidate for president to date. If you want, you can call her office on Monday to verify that fact.

[pnwmom]

42. It's not an endorsement but it was more than she sent to Bernie. Why doesn't she just

clear this up and endorse him, if he's her preferred candidate?

It must be an awfully close call in her opinion.

[Enthusiast]

19. Kicked and recommended!

This illustrates that Bernie Sanders is a centrist on his policy proposals.

My guess is Elizabeth Warren will become Bernie's running mate creating an unbeatable team.

[litlbilly]

30. It is looking more and more like that everyday. Saw the video of Elizabeth and Bill Moyers on Hill

and the bankruptcy bill, there is no way in hell she would ever back Hillary. She is lining up to either endorse Bernie and or be his running mate. It's coming, feel it in my bones, and my bones have been dead on since 1968.

[HughBeaumont]

20. I really want so badly to believe that.

But I simply cannot.

This nation cannot seem to kick failed domestic and foreign policies. This nation's love for the extremely wealthy is beyond disturbing. It's penchant for violence and mean-spiritedness is a plague. It's unwillingness to help the least of us is barbaric.

[Iliyah]

27. OK a nation

[Omaha Steve]

21. Thanks for posting

K&R!

OS

[ornotna]

28. Quotes and links!

How are you able to do that???




Nice post.

[senz]

32. Thanks, ornotna - it's easy

For the quotes set off w/blue background, copy and paste the quote into the "Message text" part of the reply form, then select the quote in your message text and press the "excerpt" button.

Links can be copied directly -- just copy and paste the URL, which is the address, the character string that starts with http and (usually) ends with html

For embedded videos, just copy the URL from the address area of the youtube video page and paste it into the "Message text" of the reply form. You can play with it and test it on yourself using the preview feature. You don't have to post the reply if you just want to use it for practice.

DU has a modified HTML reference sheet here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/12561674 It's the first item in the Welcome & Help Forum.

Sometimes I don't explain things so well. If anyone else is reading this and would like to explain it more clearly, please do.

[ornotna]

35. I'm sorry

I was being sarcastic because the were so many "claims" being made without proof. I should have used the sarcasm smiley.


It is a good post though.

And you explained beautifully, thanks for taking the time to do so.

[senz]

38. Sorry, I must be sarcasm challenged.

Now I feel rather embarrassed.

However, all the quoted material in my OP was taken directly from the Huffington Post link that I provided in the OP. You can also hear her saying the quoted material in the longer video.

I guess I'll let my explanation stand in case some brand new person comes along and finds it useful.

[ornotna]

43. It was my fault

No reason to feel embarrassed, there is a reason that smiley is there and I should have used it.

[enid602]

29. Warren

I guess I would be more inclined to view Elizabeth's comments as an endorsement of BS if she instead said:

The minimum wage will be %15.00/hr
College/University will be free of cost.
There will be greater sick leave for family care (I think Hillary said this as well).
The wealthiest should pay 90% taxes, like under FDR.
Substantial SS payment hikes (that will go well among Millenials).
I never met a trade deal I liked.
Corporations and the wealthy have far too much influence in politics (I think Hillary said this as well).
The business model for capitalism is corruption.

[pnwmom]

44. I think she likes them both a lot and that's why she hasn't endorsed

one or the other.

[enid602]

46. you're right

Maybe we should as well.

[w0nderer]

39. K & R for visibility of this N/T

[raouldukelives]

47. K&R The only people who want it to run for Wall St are in Wall St.

Some of them vote, some of them don't, but all of them do everything they can to assure nothing ever gets better for anyone but themselves.

[Martin Eden]

51. millionaires and billionaires should pay HIGHER tax rates than their secretaries

I think the majority of Americans would agree.

Other than a slight rewording on that one point, the list is spot on.

[Octafish]

52. Kick for a Senator who tells it like it is.

There is no substitute for Integrity.

[lordsummerisle]

57. Would have been nice

If more of all these progressives had come out for the 2014 elections...