April Fool’s Day

By Jennifer J. Foster

The jokes about April Fool’s Day and politics and government are so easy, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

But if you want a different spin on it, check out Rich Galen’s column today.

He has lots of points that would be great jokes ... if only they weren’t true.

Read it here.

... And tread carefully around the coffee at the office today.

What is ‘progressive’?

By Jennifer J. Foster

There’s an interesting thread over on Left in Alabama asking readers to list Alabama’s progressive leaders. The idea seems to be to create a list of “progressive folks who might/should be persuaded to run for office.“

“Progressive is the obvious requirement,“ post author Mooncat writes.

And therein lies the rub: What’s “progressive?“

This word re-entered the American political lexicon back when former U.S. Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) ran for president in 2003-2004. Edwards, a self-proclaimed progressive, focused on worker’s rights and America’s middle class. (Who can forget the whole “Two Americas” theme?)

But I’ve heard pundits and candidates alike define progressivism in a variety of ways—incorporating themes including environmental advocacy, tax reform, health care reform, education policy and more.

So what is it, exactly?

And whatever it is, is it a standard set of beliefs and principles, or does it change in relation to the prevailing themes dominating the two major political parties?

And is it the same basic thing to most of its adherents? Or is it different things to different people?

Let’s think critically about this. “Progressivism” has become a buzzword, and it’s being thrown around a lot these days.

What do you think? What does progressivism mean to you?