See The New Families USA Ad (Was: My, What Big Vetoes You Have!)

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Wednesday October 03, 2007 · 8:54 AM PDT

2007/10/03 · 08:54

As you might've seen, Bush just vetoed the SCHIP bill just as he promised. Way to go, Republicans! So much for that whole "compassionate conservative" thing! No, when Bush comes to shove, it's working class families that end up in the mud puddle. Or much worse.

Anyway, on behalf of Families USA, I'd like to share this commercial they're running. It might remind you a bit of the old Monster.com commercials, or the MoveOn ad which should have run at the Super Bowl.

Here's the commercial itself:

Here's a bit of background on how the commercial came to be. And below the jump, some myths and facts about the SCHIP bill...

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Tuesday September 04, 2007 · 12:09 PM PDT

2007/09/04 · 12:09

John Edwards is pretty good when it comes to the credit card industry. To be sure, he has made an issue out of it, while I can't find much anything about the issue on either Hillary Clinton's or Barack Obama's websites. I'll give credit where it's due: He's willing to take on issues that matter to real Americans.

But then the flip-side of that is that I'm addressing this diary to him, and not to the others. They should listen too. But I think Edwards is the only one who might, and maybe is the one who can make the best political use as well.

More below the jump.

Poll

32 votes Show Results

Is it reasonable to asssure credit card fees be cost-based and justified?

32 votes Vote Now!

Is it reasonable to asssure credit card fees be cost-based and justified?

Yes, and I hope JRE will add it to his issues.

27 votes

Yes, but it doesn't belong in his platform.

1 vote

No, I don't get what you're talking about.

3 votes

No, I like paying higher credit card fees!

1 vote

Mortgage Crunch Moves to Credit Cards

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Monday August 27, 2007 · 10:35 AM PDT

2007/08/27 · 10:35

I’m sure none of us needs a reminder as to why we despise the credit card industry. However, the mortgage industry mayhem that’s been all the buzz is now moving to the credit card industry as lenders try to recoup the damage. To alleviate their pain, credit card companies will now look to us by conveniently raising rates and fees. It’s only a matter of time until you and I feel the impact but it is imperative that you become aware. Aside from some legal gobbledygook we’ll get in the mail, the card issuers won’t be the ones to inform us we’ll be footing the bill for the problems they created in the first pace.

I saw this coming from a mile away. Credit card companies and banks need to get the money back somehow. Say goodbye to the no-fee balance transfer and farewell to the zero percent introductory APR. Say hello to higher minimum payments and interest rates. The Truth About Credit Cards reports that Capital One plans to raise interest rates on some cards to almost 14 percent, up from 5 percent.

And consumers aren’t the only targets. More after the jump.

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Monday July 23, 2007 · 11:52 AM PDT

2007/07/23 · 11:52

The Center for American Progress's Action Fund launched a new viral video campaign last week.

Unfortunately, it hit the same day as Blogosphere Day, so I think it didn't get the attention it should have. I've been asked to help give it an extra push, and I'm more than happy to. The issue is flexible fuels, which is a big issue right now as the Senate is considering a major new energy bill.

The CAPAF project features a series of clever videos, with some inspired appearances by Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Matt Damon, Sarah Silverman, Jason Biggs and a few others, including the serial killer guy from Saw.

Links to all the videos and a bit more information below the fold...

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Friday July 20, 2007 · 7:34 AM PDT

2007/07/20 · 07:34

You gotta love it. As I reported here earlier in the month, Rep. Conyers' antitrust committee was planning for hearings looking into the credit card companies' practices regarding interchange -- the hiddenest fee of all, charged to merchants but which the card companies keep retailers from telling customers about, even as it raises all prices.

Will something finally get done on this overlooked issue? More from Conyers and more on this question below the fold.

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Friday July 06, 2007 · 7:57 AM PDT

2007/07/06 · 07:57

Good news for small businesses on the horizon: It looks like Rep. Conyers and the House Judiciary committee on Antitrust that he heads up are going to take a closer look at the credit card companies' practices as they relate to small businesses. As I've covered before earlier in the year, this will be the fourth time this year congress has taken an interest in unfair practices by the banking industry. But it's the first time that one has focused specifically on an issue that matters to anyone who has a merchant account, from Costco to the Kwik-E-Mart.

The committee hasn't made this public yet, but I'm hearing that this hearing is going to happen very soon, in July. So when is it? And what's the details? More after the jump...

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Saturday June 02, 2007 · 8:14 PM PDT

2007/06/02 · 20:14

I can't tell. It's something I've been professionally active about for the past few months, writing about it here on Daily Kos and elsewhere. I keep seeing news stories in local coverage about it -- I do have "interchange" but not much more. An interesting tidbit on the state of the situation and some questions after the jump:

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Tuesday May 22, 2007 · 8:14 AM PDT

2007/05/22 · 08:14

To paraphrase William Burroughs, gas price surges can be like one of those moments where everyone sees what's on the end of every fork. High gas prices force us to make decisions based on what matters most, and force us to be cleverer, and more efficient.

The environmentalist point of this is obvious -- when prices were high in the 1970s, we started to make cars more fuel-efficient. (One has to think that this can only be good news for the trend toward hybrid-fuel vehicles.) But can we also make our purchases more cost-efficient?

On that note, here's something I found this in the latest issue of BusinessWeek. It doesn't seem to be online and it's short enough, so I'll transcribe:

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Wednesday May 02, 2007 · 2:39 PM PDT

2007/05/02 · 14:39

MasterCard's profits surged 70% last quarter, AP is reporting just this afternoon. The profit alone was $214 million, and it's a company record.

Here's what I want to know: We get upset when oil companies reap outsized windfalls on the backs of everyday consumers. Why don't we get similarly outraged when the credit card companies do the same?

I attempt to answer that below the fold...

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Wednesday April 25, 2007 · 8:00 AM PDT

2007/04/25 · 08:00

I hope you like paying for things you didn't know you were paying for, because you're about to get to do a lot more of that soon. Last month I noted that new MasterCard interchange fee rates were going to put the hurt on merchants and consumers alike. Well, this time it's Visa, and if they have anything to say about it (and they do) you'll be paying more at the register without even knowing about it.

But it's not all bad news. Thanks to the efforts by Carl Levin and Chris Dodd, targeting the "tricks and traps" and hidden fees by the big card companies (i.e. the banks -- J.P. Morgan Chase, Wachovia, Citi, etc) are starting to pay off, because state lawmakers are starting to introduce legislation to attack the issue.

Read on:

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Friday April 13, 2007 · 9:35 AM PDT

2007/04/13 · 09:35

Yeah, you know this movie. Classic tale. Well, the neocon bloggers have set their sights on a new target: Artistic discretion. And it's kind of pissing me off.

Not content to drag down the Associated Press in Iraq and demonize any reporter who tells the truth, now the far-right blog goons are going after none other than PBS and WETA, the affiliate here in DC that produces a lot of great programming. The right has never liked PBS, or NPR, or any public use of the airwaves, but that's not what it's about this time.

This time it's personal. (More after the jump.)

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Wednesday April 04, 2007 · 9:50 AM PDT

2007/04/04 · 09:50

Hope you don't mind me flogging the subject of the Interchange Fee once again, but the LA Times ran a great story this week on the matter. Here's the lede:

Credit card companies have always taken their cut when a customer uses plastic, part of the cost of doing business electronically.

But a surge in the fees has sparked an intense dispute, with small merchants complaining that the higher charges are forcing them to raise prices and, in some cases, threatening to drive them out of business.

For more of the story, and details on how much this actually costing YOU, follow me below the fold:

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See The New Families USA Ad (Was: My, What Big Vetoes You Have!)

How Edwards Can Win Over Small Business Owners

Mortgage Crunch Moves to Credit Cards

No Pimping Needed -- Just Clean This Ride

Conyers: "It doesn't look so good for the credit card companies."

Conyers Looking Into Credit Card Merchant Practices

The Interchange Issue -- Gaining Traction?

If Any Good Can Come From High Gas Prices, Here's One You Might Not Think Of

Europe Can Rein in Visa and MasterCard... Why Can't We?

Visa Wants You To Pay More, State Dems Starting To Take Action

Neocon Makes Movie, PBS Rejects Movie, Neocon Summons Mighty Wurlitzer

Elizabeth Warren, Chris Dodd, GAO Agree: Credit Card Fees Are Too High