Rights and Democracy
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...
Jeb Bush Blows It on Race
The Republican Party has struggled for years to attract more voters of color. In a recent campaign appearance, candidate Jeb Bush offered yet another useful case study of how not to do it. At a campaign stop in South Carolina, the former Florida governor was asked how...
A Pilgrimage for Love, Justice, and Dignity
One hundred women walked 100 miles to welcome Pope Francis to Washington. Their goal? To bring attention to the U.S. immigration crisis — and to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. They started their pilgrimage outside the immigration detention facility in York,...
You Can’t Fire Us, We Quit
One by one the Republicans are falling away. First it was Rick "Oops" Perry. Maybe the former Texas governor hoped his new horn-rimmed glasses would make him look smarter after his flop in 2012. Alas, he still became the first of the 2016 candidates to walk the plank,...
Junipero Serra’s Unsaintly History
I greeted the pope's visit with enthusiasm. I might not be Catholic, but I appreciate Francis for his humility, his kindness, and his call for action to address the climate crisis. Then I heard the shocking news: During his visit, Pope Francis canonized Father...
Carly Fiorina Proves You Don’t Want a CEO for a President
In 1992, independent candidate Ross Perot chose Admiral James Stockdale, a complete unknown, as his presidential running mate. In his first debate, the VP candidate began by asking two good questions: "Who am I? Why am I here?" Carly Fiorina, the Republican...
Hating in Harmony
A Model for Democracy at the Grassroots Level
American democracy is the gritty history of workaday folks who get fed up with the stuffed suits, get organized, and get moving to stop the thievery. Gutsy, grassroots confrontation is necessary for reclaiming, maintaining, and advancing our democratic values. To see...
The Real Target of the Planned Parenthood Attacks
In the first two Republican presidential debates, the candidates slugged it out over who hated Planned Parenthood the most. Virtually every hopeful promised to defund the organization. Some of them, including Senator Ted Cruz, are vowing to force the issue — even if...
Taking it Lying Down vs. Plain Old Lying
The Republicans have finally found someone to man up to Donald Trump, who's threatening to turn their presidential primaries into a Saturday Night Live skit. She’s a woman. At the latest Republican debate, with a stage-full of candidates straining at the leash to...
