It used to be "slightly left of center". The budget, taxes, economy from that other side.

By: Daniel Becker
HT: Digby

More people need to hear this perspective regarding the economy and the budget debate if only to remind them that there is another perspective…if only to hear what it sounds like when a congress person is actually fighting and working for you. You, the one without enough money to influence congress.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, the president has talked about corporate — corporate tax reform. And he said, in two years, in — for 2012, he’s going to propose letting all those tax cuts expire that were allowed to continue in December.
You spent, what, eight-and-a-half-hours on the floor of the Senate in December in a — in a protest against that. Are you confident the president is going to let the tax cuts expire?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: No, of course I’m not. I mean, that’s what the president said when he ran for president. And yet, when the Republicans stood up to him and said, we want to give more tax breaks, extend the Bush tax breaks, essentially, the president gave in.
When the Republicans said that, we want to lower the estate tax, Judy, which appeals — which only applies to the top three-tenths of 1 percent — these are not rich folks — these the very richest people in America — the president gave into that.
So, the president may tell us that he has this in mind, but I think the record is that he has not fought for those principles. The American people want him to fight for those principles.
And I think what this whole budget debate is about is do we stand up and say, no, we’re not going to cut programs for those who need it?
The other issue that I think we have to talk about is, in the president’s budget, he talks about Social Security. And he makes me a little bit nervous, because I think, as many of our listeners know, the Social Security trust fund today has a $2.6 trillion surplus.
Social Security can pay out every benefit owed to every eligible American for the next 27 years. Social Security, because it is funded by the payroll tax, hasn’t contributed one nickel to the deficit.
See, there is another voice, and some are finally experiencing the results of ignoring it. Remember this! Remember what a congress person sounds like when they are for real about working and fight for you. No more excuses you did not know. This is what you will sound like once you decide to influence congress.