Good Things

While self-destructive leaders of the Republican Party are groveling before party chairman (as opposed to RNC chairman) Rush Limbaugh, other positive developments have emerged in Washington.

Two of these are noted today by Glenn Greenwald on his blog. U.S. Representative Rush Holt (D.-N.J.), from whose congressional district the anthrax letters of 2001 were mailed, has, according to a press release

introduced the Anthrax Attacks Investigation Act of 2009, legislation that would establish a Congressional commission to investigate the 2001 anthrax attacks and the federal government’s response to and investigation of the attacks. . . .

The Federal Bureau of Investigation implicated research scientist Bruce Ivins, who shortly thereafter committed suicide. However, doubt on the Bureau's conclusion has been cast by several researchers, including microbiologist Gerry Andrews, bioweapons expert Dr. Meryl Nass, and Dr. Alan Pearson, Director of the Biological and Chemical Weapons Control Program at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. And given the impact of the anthrax scare on creating the hysteria over the threat of attack from foreign-bred terrorists, a full investigation of the FBI's investigation is critical.

Greenwald and Jane Hamsher of firedoglake last week created Accountability Now PAC, whose press release on February 25 indicated it plans

to use primaries to hold incumbents to account for voting with corporate interests instead of their constituents. The new PAC is a grassroots effort devoted to compelling real accountability in Washington by closing the gap between citizens and their elected representatives in Washington, DC....

"Accountability Now PAC will recruit, coordinate, and support primary challenges against vulnerable Congressional incumbents who have become more responsive to corporate America than to their constituents,” said Accountability Now’s new Executive Director, Jeff Hauser. “

And a couple of weeks ago, 23 Democratic members of the U.S. House formed the Populist Caucus. Headed by Bruce Braley of Iowa, whose website pledges the organization is "devoted solely to addressing middle class economic issues," which are:

1)Creating Good Jobs and a Secure Retirement: Creating and retaining good-paying jobs in America, providing fair wages, proper benefits, a level playing field at the negotiating table, and ensuring American workers have secure, solvent retirement plans;

2)Cutting Taxes for the Middle Class: Cutting taxes for the middle class and establishing an equitable tax structure;

3)Affordable Healthcare: Providing affordable, accessible, quality health care for all Americans;

4)Quality, Affordable Education: Ensuring quality primary education for all American children, and affordable college education for all who want it;

5)Fair Trade: Defending American competitiveness by fighting for fair trade principles;

6)Protecting Consumers: Protecting consumers, so that Americans can have faith in the safety and effectiveness of the products they purchase.

It's an excellent agenda, hopefully providing a counterweight to the Blue Dog Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition, two representatives of the euphemistically-termed "moderate" wing of the Democratic Party, sympathetic to corporate interests and hostile to middle-class interests.