Two Former Labor Secretaries: Why We Support Employee Free Choice
Ray Marshall, secretary of labor from 1977 to 1981, and Robert Reich, secretary of labor from 1993 to 1997, have borne witness to a big shift in the economy and the power of workers over past decades. They’ve seen an economy weakened by inequality, corporate greed and the decreasing ability of workers to bargain for their fair

State GOP staffer sends racist image of Obama.
Over the weekend, a GOP official in South Carolina posted a comment to Facebook comparing Michelle Obama to an escaped gorilla. Now, in a second instance of Republicans playing the race card against the Obamas, Wonkette notes that a racist e-mail was sent out by a legislative staffer for Tennessee GOP state senator Diane Black. The staffer, Sherri Goforth, e-mailed this composite picture of the country’s 44 presidents, which represents President Obama with only a set of eyes:

Chicago pols hail retiring priest
A slew of high-ranking Democratic office holders showed up at St. Andrew Catholic Church on Chicago's North Side last week to wish a happy retirement to the Rev. Jack Farry, a local priest known for his involvement in civil rights and other social justice issues. It was a respectful nod to a popular figure and yet another demonstration that in Chicago anyway pols still pay more than lip service to the notion that 'all politics is local.'

Companies praise new law on construction safety
Union and construction companies today praised a new law they said aims to create a culture of safety on local work sites and make construction workers safer. The new bill, signed into law by Gov. Jim Gibbons on Wednesday, requires all construction workers and supervisors to attend health and safety course training within 15 days of being hired.

OSHA cites Wal-Mart in NY worker's '08 crowd death
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) — The death of a temporary employee who was crushed in a stampede of post-Thanksgiving shoppers at a Wal-Mart store could have been prevented, federal officials said Tuesday as they proposed fining the world's largest retailer $7,000 — as much money as it makes in about 18 seconds

The Healthcare War is Now Official
Yesterday the American Medical Association came out against a public option for health care. And yesterday the President reaffirmed his support for it. The next weeks will show what Obama is made of -- whether he's willing and able to take on the most formidable lobbying coalition he has faced so far on an issue that will define his presidency.

Green Jobs Programs to Drive Economic Recovery
Over the past few decades, the U.S. has failed to invest in the growth of both urban and rural America, leaving many families and communities struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, we face an environmental crisis in the form of global climate change and the challenge of reducing our dependence on fossil fuel.

How many more were wrongly jailed because of 'wonder dog'?
Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell today called on Gov. Charlie Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum and Brevard-Seminole State Attorney Norm Wolfinger to investigate how many more innocent people were put in Florida prisons because of the testimony of a now-discredited dog handler.

More Die on Job in New York State Because of Bush’s Safety and Health Cuts
Eight years of Bush administration cutbacks in funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), particularly for an adequate inspection force, puts New York state workers at greater risk of dying on the job, a new report reveals.

Obama Open to Reining in Medical Suits
WASHINGTON — The American Medical Association has long battled Democrats who oppose protecting doctors from malpractice lawsuits. But during a private meeting at the White House last month, association officials said, they found one Democrat willing to entertain the idea: President Obama.