The biggest political lesson Democrats have to understand is that the November election was lost in the industrial midwest because for decades Democrats failed to meet the real needs of working people.

That's the conclusion of a new paper from the Economic Policy Institute's Jeff Faux.

[Jeff Faux]: "The paper is about the contribution that the Democratic leadership's trade policies over the years have made to the disaster that happened in November.

The Executive Council of the 12.5-million-member AFL-CIO has voted overwhelmingly to endorse Rep. Keith Ellison to lead the Democratic National Committee. Over the past few weeks, several candidates have sought the endorsement of the AFL-CIO and met personally with members of the Political Committee, which ultimately recommended the endorsement.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten talking about Betsy Devos:
"The nominee for the Secretary of Education slot is the most ideological and anti-public education nominee that any party has ever selected.
How someone can be selected to be the chief spokesperson about the public schools and public education in America when they hate pubic education in America and have spent their adult lives undermining it is a real question."

Dan Duncan, President of the Northern Virginia Labor Federation:

"Organizing is the key right now. We can't lay down and say it's all over.
There's enough fighting spirit in here. Yes, people are shocked and they've been shocked because of these results. But it's time to move on.
It's time to remember that there's still a fight, there's still a campaign, there's still workers who need help."

Chuck Jones, President of United Steelworkers Local 1999 at the Carrier plant in Indianapolis, says Trump "lied his ass off" about saving Carrier jobs from being sent to Mexico.

Jones says while it's true that some jobs were saved, hundreds more jobs from Carrier are still going to Mexico. And Carrier's parent company is getting $7 million in tax credits from Indiana to add insult to injury to the people of Indiana.

Senator Bernie Sanders announced legislation Saturday to make sure Donald Trump keeps his promises to prevent companies from outsourcing jobs to other countries.  Sanders cited a Trump proposal on the campaign trail to stop Carrier from moving over 2000 jobs from Indiana to Mexico.  Sanders’ plan would withhold federal contracts from corporations that move more than 50 jobs to other countries, as well as federal tax breaks, loans and grants.  The legislation would also place a 35 percent tax on a company’s profits, similar to a Trump campaign call for a 35 percent tax o

President-Elect Donald Trump’s proposed trillion-dollar infrastructure plan has come under heavy fire from both sides of the aisle.  Rather than spending directly on building projects, Trump has proposed funding infrastructure through tax credits for private investors.  While Trump argues that the plan will pay for itself, economists are doubtful, causing fiscal conservatives to express reservations over supporting a plan that could increase the deficit.  Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders described the plan as a “scam” that only benefits billionaires and large companies