DCourage

The Nation: Bailout vs. Bull Market

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:50:21 -0500

By Glenn Hurowitz "There's always a bull market somewhere," goes the old Wall Street saw, and it's a principle that Washington needs to keep firmly in mind as it contemplates its trillion dollar financial bailout. Today, that bull market is in green investing, which includes everything from wind and solar power to forest conservation. Since 2001, the wind industry has grown 339 percent; the solar industry has grown a whopping 579 percent, and both are projected to continue their blockbuster double digit annual growth into the forseeable future. In contrast, the Dow Jones average has climbed just 2 percent during the same period, and is only barely hanging on at those levels because of the artificial boost produced by talk of the bailout. Instead of shoveling good money after bad, Congress should put its money into developing this booming green economy even further. Truly green companies aren't just providing returns to investors. They're also an employment engine that is offsetting the job losses related to the high price of oil and the housing collapse. Tens of thousands of people are today employed making wind turbines, installing solar panels, and making American cars more efficient. But those jobs could be only a very small beginning compared to what is possible. A recent report by the Center for American Progress estimates that investing just $100 billion in the green economy (or one seventh the amount contemplated in the administration's proposed Wall Street bailout) would create 2 million new jobs, with a significant percentage of those coming in the struggling manufacturing and construction sectors. In contrast, investing that much money in the financial services sector would generate just 1.1 million jobs, according to an analysis conducted by the study's authors, Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett-Peltier of the University of Massachusetts. In other words, Wall Street's offering about half the jobs for the same money: hardly a smart bet for the taxpayer. Read More

The Phoenix: Is Barack Obama Too Scared to Win?

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:04:30 -0500

Illustration: Dale Stephanos By Jeff Inglis ....The people who back Obama may be energetic young progressives, but they are not unlike the vast majority of Americans when it comes to what they look for in a candidate. Glenn Hurowitz, a longtime progressive activist, explains in his book Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party that a major factor determining any voter's choice is whether the candidate fights well (a characteristic described in polling data as being a "strong leader"). That trait, Hurowitz argues, trumps most other concerns -- even differences of opinion on major policy questions (though not party affiliation). His book, based on a new analysis of 40 years of election and polling data, suggests that the reason the far-right conservative movement has risen to control the American political system is not due to any particular intelligence or ability on the part of right-wing activists, who espouse positions vastly divergent from most Americans' values. The rise of the right has happened because Democrats and progressives refuse to stand and fight for what they believe in... Hurowitz's research shows that when progressives and Democrats take and hold principled stands on issues, they gain respect from voters (even those who disagree with the particular position) and emerge as popular leaders, even if their stand fails. So if Obama had objected, fought, and voted against the bill, people's opinion of his leadership abilities would have increased, whether or not the bill ultimately became law. Read More

Los Angeles Times: How the pope is saving Earth

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:39:55 -0500

By Glenn Hurowitz Pope Benedict XVI, like many world leaders, has spoken passionately about the urgent need to protect the planet from climate catastrophe. But unlike his fellow heads of state, the pontiff has actually created a carbon-neutral economy -- and done it cheaply and quickly. The Vatican announced last year that it would restore 37 acres of forest in Hungary that had been cut down in the Middle Ages. Those growing trees will absorb enough carbon dioxide to offset all the pollution from the fossil fuels used to power Vatican City. The reason this "Vatican model" succeeded while other countries struggle to achieve even modest emissions reductions is because of the unique qualities of forest conservation and restoration. Compared with other methods of reducing climate-changing pollution, such as switching to wind, solar or geothermal power, it's fast and relatively cheap. That's true on a small, Vatican City scale as well as a massive American scale. Read More

Politico: Why is McCain Joining the Bush Party?

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:53:26 -0500

By Glenn Hurowitz It's no secret that over the past several months, John McCain's Straight Talk Express has become the Zig Zag Local. After a career as a maverick, McCain suddenly decided to embrace the conservative establishment in hopes of building something like the money and grass-roots machine that powered President Bush to victory. The weird thing about this newly obedient McCain, however, is that he's drawing close to the Bush establishment at the very moment when it and its policies are widely blamed for America's deepening malaise. At a time when the rest of the country is experiencing a Bush hangover, McCain is just popping the champagne. He's gone from being a maverick who defies the establishment to a kind of gonzo maverick who defies the people -- and that's a very dangerous thing for a presidential candidate. When, for instance, President Bush pushed his tax cuts for the ultra-rich during the early years of his administration, McCain opposed them, even though the tax cuts enjoyed relatively strong public support. Now, when Bush and his economic policies have fallen into disrepute, McCain is campaigning to make them permanent. Read More

Los Angeles Times: Clean Hair or Clean Air

Fri, 23 May 2008 10:49:50 -0500

UPDATE: Featured on NPR's Bryant Park Project. Check out www.theproblemwithpalmoil.org for more information. By Glenn Hurowitz While showering a few weeks ago, I realized I had run out of conditioner. So I reached up and grabbed my wife's bottle -- Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers, "with essences of nourishing palm." The label caught me slightly by surprise. As an environmental journalist, I've been writing about the ecologically destructive effect of palm oil for some time now. Whether it's used as an additive in soap, cosmetics or food, or processed into a biofuel, palm oil is one of the worst culprits in the climate crisis. Most of it comes from the disappearing, ultra-carbon-rich rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, of which a whopping 25,000 square miles have been cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations. That burning releases enough carbon dioxide into the air to rank Indonesia as the No. 3 such polluter in the world. It also destroys the last remaining habitat for orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and other endangered wildlife. So what was this deadly oil doing in our otherwise ecologically friendly apartment? I started to inspect other items on our shelves. Despite our efforts to keep our family green, we'd admitted into our home several products containing palm oil: Burt's Bees soap, chocolate truffles from Trader Joe's, Kashi breakfast bars, Whole Foods water crackers and many others. Read More

Victory! Scott Kleeb Win Makes Democratic Courage Three for Three

Wed, 14 May 2008 10:04:53 -0500

U.S. Senate candidate Scott Kleeb, the first of Democratic Courage's Daring Dozen candidates, won his primary last night with 69 percent of the vote. Democratic Courage president Glenn Hurowitz wrote the following message to Democratic Courage members:

Dear Supporter, I have some great news to report: Nebraska U.S. Senate candidate Scott Kleeb, the first of Democratic Courage's Daring Dozen candidates, won his primary last night with 69 percent of the vote! Thanks to everyone who contributed to help make this victory possible. This is a great win for progressives. Scott is a champion in fighting the climate crisis, expanding health care, and bringing the war in Iraq to a responsible end. His victory in a conservative state (while being outspent) shows that his brand of courage can work anywhere (it also makes Democratic Courage three for three in congressional primaries!).

Hillary's Popular Vote Problem

Wed, 07 May 2008 11:53:57 -0500

Wharton professor Gregory P. Nini and author Glenn Hurowitz (Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party) have updated their widely covered studies of the popular vote and the popular will in the 2008 Democratic primary nominating contest and the Michigan and Florida vote. Among the conclusions of the update: * Because of dramatically lower turnout in caucus states, caucus state residents are underrepresented in national popular vote tallies by a factor of 6. * Even if primaries had been held everywhere, caucus states would still favor Obama, albeit by a smaller margin, based on demographic characteristics. Giving all states equal representation in the popular vote by holding primaries everywhere (and accounting for demographic differences between caucus and primary voters) would boost Obama's current popular vote margin by approximately 600,000 votes. * If Michigan and Florida's current vote totals are included, Clinton would need to win only about 53 percent of upcoming primary votes to claim a popular vote lead. However, if vastly lower turnout in caucus states is factored in, Obama's lead returns to 689,000, an almost insurmountable advantage. * 1/3 of Floridians and 60 % of Michiganders stayed home during their primaries because they didn't think their votes would count. Based on demographic projections from the results in other states, regular primaries there would have produced a Clinton win in Florida and an Obama win in Michigan. The study is available for download at http://www.dcourage.com/Popular%20Vote%20Study.pdf. Glenn Hurowitz is available at 202-552-1828. Professor Nini is available at 215-898-7770 or 202-285-0652.

The Daring Dozen

Mon, 05 May 2008 21:43:25 -0500

Democratic Courage today announced the first two members of its "Daring Dozen" congressional candidates - chosen for their progressive values and their backbone. Democratic Courage will be asking its members to contribute to their campaigns and take part in grassroots efforts on their behalf. Scott Kleeb, Nebraska Senate, primary. Scott Kleeb is taking on Tony Raimondo in the May 13 primary. "Although he's running in one of the most Republican states in the country, Scott Kleeb has the courage to say what he believes and say it proudly," said Democratic Courage president Glenn Hurowitz. "He's fighting for progressive solutions to the climate crisis, for America's economic anxiety, and the lack of affordable health care, and Nebraskans are responding." Raimondo was a lifelong Republican until five months ago. Bob Lord, Arizona-03 Bob Lord is running to represent Arizona's Third District against Republican John Shadegg. "It takes someone with real backbone to take on John Shadegg and the Republican machine, but Bob Lord's got it," Hurowitz said. "Bob is standing up against Shadegg's legacy of corruption, oil industry influence peddling, and bankrupt ideas, and that message is resonating in this conservative district." Read More

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram: Wall of Contempt

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:20:14 -0500

Originally Published April 20, 2008 By Glenn Hurowitz The concrete wall rising along the Mexican border is supposed to help keep illegal immigrants out of America. But it's precisely because it will do nothing of the sort that its politician defenders are willing to throw billions of dollars and hordes of political capital into constructing it. Those politicians know something they hope their constituents won't figure out: Walls don't work. A 10-foot wall does nothing to stop someone with an 11-foot ladder. The Border Patrol has admitted that there are dozens of tunnels under the wall. People fly over in small airplanes. More than 40 percent of illegal immigrants to this country come here legally and then overstay their visas. There are ways to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants: more border security guards, deployment of a high-tech "virtual fence" (though technical glitches are slowing this down), vehicle barriers and (above all) enforcing America's immigration laws, including penalties against employers who hire undocumented workers. Indeed, according to border mayors and law enforcement officers I interviewed, the wall will perversely weaken our border security. "We're fortunate that right now Mexicans have positive feelings about America and have provided invaluable assistance to the United States in several criminal investigations," McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez told me while I was investigating the wall for Grist Magazine. "But if you really want a security problem, have Mexicans hate the United States, and I'll show you a security problem." Read More

The Politico: Who Will Be Tibet's Charlie Wilson?

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:39:10 -0500

By Glenn Hurowitz The evil empire is invading. The victims are blamed and called terrorists. The world politely wrings its hands, takes some symbolic action and goes about its business. It's Tibet in 2008, but it was also Afghanistan in 1979, when the Soviet Union sent its legions of tanks across the Oxus River to crush Afghan independence. And the U.S.-Afghan experience can teach us a lot about how the United States should deal with China. Initially, the United States did little to help Afghanistan during the years immediately following the Soviet invasion besides offering some paltry aid and a boycott of the 1980 Olympics. Meanwhile, the Soviets sent in their troops and their helicopters and slaughtered whole villages of Afghans. But Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-Texas) changed that. As chronicled in George Crile's extraordinary book "Charlie Wilson's War" (and the eponymous movie starring Tom Hanks), Wilson saw what few others did: that the mighty Soviet empire could be beaten with a little serious American help. And so Wilson obtained billions in funding for arms and training for the Afghans, and soon enough the Afghan freedom fighters were downing Soviet helicopters, ultimately forcing the Soviets to withdraw. Suddenly, the myth of Soviet invincibility had been destroyed -- and the USSR was no longer able to contain its citizenry's longing for liberty. Read More

New Study Shows Obama Would Have Won Primaries in Caucus States

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:13:53 -0500

UPDATE: Featured on Time Magazine's Swampland blog, Keith Olbermann on Countdown, and on Huffington Post, Open Left, and MyDD. A new study by Wharton professor Gregory P. Nini and Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party author Glenn Hurowitz casts serious doubt on the use of the popular vote to provide legitimacy in the current Democratic nominating contest. The study projects that 4.1 million additional people would likely have voted in caucus states had primaries been held in those states instead - because of the vastly higher participation rates in primaries. "Using popular vote numbers to claim victory in this process means dismissing the popular will of the voters in 13 states that had caucuses," Hurowitz said. "Given the bizarro hodgepodge of systems in use, the popular vote doesn't represent the popular will." The study also estimates that, in a true popular vote system where all states held primaries, Obama's popular vote lead would have increased from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent, because voters in caucus states would have slightly favored Obama based on demographic projections. A pdf of the study is available for download here. Nini and Hurowitz previously published a study discussing problems with the Michigan and Florida votes and collaborated on Hurowitz's new book, Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party. Hurowitz is also the president of the Democratic Courage political action committee. CONTACT: Glenn Hurowitz, 202-552-1828, / Gregory P. Nini, 215-898-7770,

Glenn Hurowitz on NBC San Francisco

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:28:04 -0500

Democratic Courage president Glenn Hurowitz sat down recently with Henry Tenenbaum on NBC in San Francisco to discuss Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and all the unlikely scenarios that could arise in this zany primary season. Click below to watch.

Wharton Study: FL/MI Results Unrepresentative

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:26:54 -0500

UPDATE: Covered by Time's Swampland Blog, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, and discussed by Jack Cafferty on CNN's Situation Room. Wharton professor Gregory P. Nini (the statistical whiz behind many of the calculations in Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party) and I just authored this new paper showing that more than two million additional people would have voted in those primaries had they thought the results would be counted.

Among the proposed alternatives for seating the delegates from Florida and Michigan is to use the results of the primaries that already happened, based on the argument that doing so would avoid disenfranchising the 1.7 million Floridians and 600,000 Michiganders who already voted. However, doing so would disenfranchise many people from FL and MI who did not vote in the earlier primaries because they did not expect their delegates would be seated at the convention. Based on a statistical comparison with turnout in other states' primaries, it appears that roughly two million more people would have voted in FL and MI had they expected their delegates would be seated.

Download the fully study here.

Victory! Kucinich Wins His Congressional Primary

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:25:03 -0500

Progressive hero Dennis Kucinich faced down an opponent backed by some of America's biggest corporations to hold onto his Congressional seat. Congress will be a better place as a result, with Kucinich fighting hard to shape the agenda in a progressive direction - no matter what the polls say. We're also proud to report that Kucinich's victory means Democratic Courage is two for two in our endorsed candidates winning (Donna Edwards's victory ousting an entrenched incumbent In Maryland was the first). Thanks to all Democratic Courage members and volunteers who supported Kucinich's campaign. Thought I'd share a photo from one of the Democratic Courage phonebanks on Kucinich's behalf: Democratic Courage volunteers Brad Johnson, Sam Goldman, and Moira Chapin phonebanking for Dennis Kucinich.

The Green(er) GOP

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:33:17 -0500

Originally published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram By GLENN HUROWITZ Special to the Star-Telegram With John McCain all but assured of the Republican nomination, things are looking up for the planet. Since 2000, McCain has been a consistent advocate of America's taking action to solve the climate crisis. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama favor even bolder action. But the Republican results make one thing clear: The debate in this country about global warming will no longer be about whether it exists or whether America should do anything about it, but rather how much we should do, and how quickly. Even Mike Huckabee, despite the contempt in which he apparently holds most science, favors cutting greenhouse gas emissions and raising fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. "We can't justify destroying a planet that doesn't belong to us, and if we believe that God did create this world for our pleasure and wants us to enjoy it, then all the more reason that we should take care of it," he told Grist magazine. The Republicans who tried to out-conservative their opponents by presenting themselves as the most anti-green candidate have fallen by the wayside. Fred Thompson started his campaign by mocking scientific evidence of global warming and then said he would consider allowing oil drilling in the Everglades. That earned an attack from Mitt Romney, who said, "There are certain places in America that are national treasures, and the Everglades is one of those." Read More