Pre-convention Labor Neighbor walk Sunday (WSLC Reports

► In today's Olympian -- No quick fix for state budget -- The U.S. Senate again delayed a key vote on giving $25 billion more medical- and school-funding aid to the states on Monday. Meanwhile, state Democratic leaders ruled out holding a special legislative session to fix budget holes related to the lack of federal aid. The alternative is having Gov. Gregoire order cuts of up to 4% that fall across the board -- nicking prisons, health care, higher education and other programs equally. So far, Gregoire hasn't announced a decision.

► In today's (Everett) Herald -- U.S. Senate postpones Medicaid vote -- Democrats postpone a vote that could bring millions of much-needed dollars to our state. The vote is now slated for Wednesday.

► At AFL-CIO Now -- Tell Senators to support state aid to preserve essential jobs -- Without such funding, the states that are facing huge budget shortfalls will be forced to begin massive layoffs that could cost nearly a million workers their jobs. Call TODAY at 1-877-442-6801 and tell your Senators to pass H.R. 1586 with essential aid to states and school districts.

► At SeattlePI.com -- Sen. Murray takes gloves off -- With two weeks to go until the deadline for mailing in primary ballots, Sen. Patty Murray and her campaign have gone negative for the first time in a new TV spot that depicts Republican Dino Rossi as "the best friend Wall Street and big banks can buy."

► At TPM.com -- Trumka to unions: Don't let frustration keep you from polls -- AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka implored state and local labor leaders and political organizers this morning to fight harder than ever in the fall elections, pleading with them to think about progress that's been made under President Obama and to "keep going." He said the election is a choice between moving ahead and Republicans wanting to return to the George W. Bush era, a choice between "the clean-up crew and the wrecking crew."

► At Huffington Post -- AFL-CIO prepared to spend $53 million in 2010, narrowing targets -- The AFL-CIO is already in the process of narrowing down the field of candidates it would support, implementing what is known as a "firewall" strategy to protect key Democratic incumbents.

► In today's (Everett) Herald -- Air Force's tanker deadline looks in doubt -- The U.S. Air Force has four months until it's slated to award a $35 billion contract for new refueling tankers, but already analysts are casting doubt on whether the Pentagon will make its deadline.

► At HeraldNet.com -- Boeing moves some defense work from Calif. to Okla.; warning for Wash.? -- Over the next two years, 550 positions with the C-130 and B-2 programs will be moved to Oklahoma City and some 250 jobs will be eliminated over the two years "to help Boeing provide a more competitive cost structure for customers." The aerospace workforce in Long Beach has dwindled to less than 5,000 workers today from 16,000 13 years ago.

► In today's Yakima H-R -- Yakima staring into deep budget hole -- The $2 million projected shortfall is not as bad as last year's deficit that forced a labor reduction of more than 20 staff positions. But the forecast for 2011 is a continuation of the same revenue problems that resulted in weeklong furloughs this year of more than 200 of the city's 735 employees.

► In today's Seattle Times -- City Council vote advances Highway 99 tunnel -- In an 8-1 vote Monday, the Seattle City Council kept its promise to move ahead on the proposed Highway 99 tunnel project and tried to thwart the chance that a referendum could be filed to stop it.

► At TheOlympian.com -- Employment Security Commissioner Karen Lee is leaving government -- Lee, who has been with Gov. Gregoire's administration since March 2005, will be CEO of Pioneer Human Services in Seattle, a non-profit organization with more than 1,000 employees in the state delivering social and health services to people on the margins of society.

► At Huffington Post -- To keep Bush tax cuts, GOP now touting jobs over deficit -- After months of insisting that the American public is acutely concerned with prioritizing deficit reduction, Republican lawmakers are now operating off of a different polling playbook: pitching the need to create jobs even if the deficit grows. In recent days, two of the top Republican leaders in the House have made that case that Congress must extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy -- not because doing so will trim the deficit (House Minority Whip Eric Cantor acknowledged on Monday that the deficit would grow) -- but because they say keeping taxes low for wealthy Americans making more than $200,000 per year would result in job growth.

► At Huffington Post -- Why we really shouldn't keep Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy (Robert Reich column) -- So-called supply-side economists argue that raising taxes on the well-off will slow economic growth. They say people at the top will have less incentive to work hard, invest and invent. Unfortunately for supply-siders, history has proven them wrong again and again. ... Although Wall Street's excesses were the proximate cause of the Great Recession, its fundamental cause lay in the nation's widening inequality. Why make it worse?

► In today's Seattle Times -- How Big Government saved General Motors (E.J. Dionne column) -- Many business folks ignore how much they depend on effective government so they can keep complaining about taxes and regulations. But honestly: Without government, we would have lost large parts of our auto industry. Doesn't this matter to anybody?

► At TPM.com -- Senate GOP leader calls for hearings to change birthright citizenship -- Birthright citizenship, a right based in the 14th Amendment and further elaborated on in court decisions in the late 19th century, was intended in part to guarantee citizenship for freed slaves and otherwise secure legal equality: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." Without the concept of birthright citizenship, it is possible for someone to be born without having citizenship in any country at all. Experts say any plans to change that right are "clearly unconstitutional."