“The rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.” This is something I’d like to see President Obama demonstrate during Wednesday night’s State of the Union address. He’ll need to announce some bold proposals for reining in Wall Street, for investing in communities and creating jobs. Something showing that he has a lot of fight in him, that he is willing to stand up to entrenched power in both parties as well as the bullies on the Right.

An open letter to CEOs who recently testified before Congress about the financial meltdown:

Each year, on this day set aside to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, I enjoy reading speeches from across the nation and noting the themes that people are drawing upon from Dr. King's life and work. This year, three themes stand out:

--- Solidarity with and support for the people of Haiti. Not just relief during this time of tragedy, which is important, but looking at underlying structural and historical roots of the human-made tragedy of poverty. 

--- Renewed commitment to peace, including just withdrawals from Iraq and Afganistan.

A reflection on the year that is ending: As I recall the tumults and triumphs of 2009, I am reminded of the positive shifts in political discourse, especially  during the first quarter, about the role of communities, markets and government in rebuilding our economy. The hope that so many of us felt was real, and, despite recent set-backs, we can still tap it.

Which right-wing fear-mongerer will you imitate this Halloween? They are far more scary and dangerous than the traditional Halloween ghosts and ghouls. And lampooning Glenn Beck can be very cathartic. But we need to do more than don masks. We need to stand up to the red-baiters and spewers of hate. And we need to stand together. 

Chicago is the place to be October 25-27. Thousands of workers and community leaders will gather to show Wall Street and Congress we want real reforms that fix our financial system and make the economy work for all of us. If you are wavering about joining us, here are 10 reasons you should be there:

10. Wall Street is partying Like It’s 1999.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr spent what would be his final months organizing a Poor People's Campaign. This campaign put together a Bill of Rights that included income support, jobs programs, healthcare and affordable housing. Responses from many law-makers led Dr. King to accuse Congress of hostility towards the poor. That was in 1968. Unfortunately, we see signs of hostility towards the poor in today’s debates about healthcare, support for homeowners, proposals to create jobs and proposals to regulate Wall Street.

Emboldened by their successes in the healthcare reform debate, the Right is ready to crush all attempts to re-regulate Wall Street. These past two months, conservatives have revived an old tactic -- red-baiting. We are sure to see more red-baiting during the fight for financial reforms. Why would our opponents use such a retro tactic as red-baiting? Because red-baiting has been an effective way of branding community and labor organizers and progressive reformers as un-American. This tactic has worked very well for them in the past. Are we going to let them get away with it this time?

Ever since the teabaggers hit DC on Labor Day weekend there’s been a lot of talk about populism. With a few notable exceptions (like Frank Rich), commentators have been equating ‘populism’ with nativism, ignorance and unbridled rage. To be sure, this is one face of populism, and it isn’t pretty. But, there are other strands of populism that are more democratic and inclusive, strands that grow from a sense of justice in both economic and social spheres.

In a recent Wall Street Journal column, Thomas Frank chides progressives for allowing the free-market Right to monopolize the word ‘freedom.’  Frank gamely proposes that ‘freedom’ should be our theme.  To reclaim it, we must stand with those who have encouraged our nation to embrace a wider vision of freedom.