Rights and Democracy
Please Don’t Shoot the Moderators
We were treated to a classic man-bites-dog moment at the latest Republican presidential debate. There the moderators were, CNBC’s finest, lying in ambush with their carefully crafted “when did you stop beating your wife” questions at the ready. But as soon as they...
Why Are We Hearing So Much about Those Damn Danes?
If you ask Bernie Sanders about his version of socialism, you'll probably hear a lot about the small Scandinavian country perhaps best known for inventing Legos. Anderson Cooper experienced this firsthand when he asked about the Vermont senator's embrace of democratic...
Instead of Pardoning a Turkey, Obama Should Free This Man
As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve got a suggestion for President Barack Obama. Instead of following the White House tradition and “pardoning“ a turkey destined for a holiday dinner table, Obama should extend that courtesy to some of the thousands of human beings caged...
Staffing Up for Corruption
Oh, great — just what America's Big Money politics needed: more campaign consultants. Already, candidates are walled off from people, reality, and any honesty about themselves by a battalion of highly specialized consultants controlling everything from issues to...
Who Can Corral the Crazy Caucus?
House Republicans are in turmoil. House Speaker John Boehner gave up his position because he couldn’t stand the job anymore. Next in line was Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who started running but quickly backed off. Rep. Paul Ryan says he’s thinking about taking the job, even...
Oddballs Like These Make Hillary’s Odds Good
Eight years ago in New Hampshire, when the question of Hillary Clinton’s likability came up during the Democratic presidential debate, Barack Obama said, memorably: “You’re likable enough, Hillary.” That condescending comment earned him the scorn among some liberals...
What Clinton Got Wrong About Snowden
Hillary Clinton is wrong about Edward Snowden. Again. The presidential candidate and former secretary of state insisted during the recent Democratic debate that Snowden should have remained in the United States to voice his concerns about government spying on U.S....
Your Internet Provider Is Distorting Free Speech
Earlier this year, the Newseum Institute asked 1,000 Americans to name their rights under the First Amendment. A clear majority listed freedom of speech first — before freedom of religion, assembly, and other core civil liberties. And that makes sense. Protecting free...
The Sad Fate of America’s Whistleblowers
What is it about whistleblowers that the powers that be can't stand? When I blew the whistle on the CIA’s illegal torture program, I was derided in many quarters as a traitor. My detractors in the government attacked me for violating my secrecy agreement, even as they...
The Reverend Who Won the Airwaves
Toward the end of his life, civil rights champion and Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall was asked how he wanted to be remembered. "He did the best he could with what he had," Marshall replied. That's really the most any of us can do, and those who achieve it...
