Daily Digest – January 21: State of the Union Asks Congress to Actually Work on Policy

The Problem With Obama’s Bold SOTU (MoJo)

David Corn thinks President Obama needs to advance a stronger narrative about the GOP’s obstructionism preventing his policy agenda from becoming reality.

In State of the Union Speech, Obama Defiantly Sets an Ambitious Agenda (NYT)

Michael D. Shear and Julie Hirschfeld Davis call the president’s tone “defiant” as he called on Republicans to join him in an extensive domestic agenda.

Rebounding Economy Gives President Breathing Room at State of the Union (AJAM)

Naureen Khan says President Obama was able to make his ambitious proposals because the economy is in the best shape it’s been in his six years in office.

The Economy Has Improved. The GOP’s Talking Points Have Not. (TNR)

The five Republican responses to the State of the Union show that the GOP is still claiming the president’s major achievements will crush the economy – but they aren’t, writes Danny Vinik.

Toward a New Solidarity (TAP)

Rich Yeselson says that if the “labor question” is to return to the forefront of political thinking, the labor movement’s best shot is to fight for all workers, not just its own members.

Debunking the Chatter: The Truth About Wall Street’s Volcker Rule Assault (Medium)

Alexis Goldstein breaks down the Wall Street public relations apparatus’s push against the Volcker Rule, pointing out inaccurate data and straight-up falsehoods in their fact sheets.

New on Next New Deal

The 2003 Dividend Tax Cut Did Nothing to Help the Real Economy

Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal looks at the data available on the 2003 dividend tax cut, which shows that the corporations affected disgorged more cash to shareholders, but didn’t raise wages or investment.