Rights and Democracy
The Night the Cold War Ended
It was November 9, 1989. I was at the library at Northwestern University, putting the final touches on my first book — which happened to be about Soviet foreign policy. In a mad rush to beat my deadline, I dashed out and dropped the manuscript in the FedEx box just...
Taking Stock of the Money Midterms
The 2014 midterm elections sure looked like a blowout for the Republican Party. But leave it to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to call the real winner: big money. "Incredible night for money in politics!" gushed one of the show's satirical correspondents. Indeed, in...
Who Killed Gilberto Soto?
On a November night 25 years ago, six priests — along with their housekeeper and her daughter — were murdered in cold blood by Salvadoran army officers who had invaded their residence at the Jesuit-run Central American University. This month, priests, activists, and...
How Did We Get Here?
Dick Tuck, the legendary political prankster and wit, once ran for local office in San Francisco and lost. His concession speech, in its entirety: "The people have spoken — the bastards." Now, you know me — I wouldn’t say anything like that about the recent elections....
Blocking the Vote
When she heard that the GOP had nailed a Senate majority, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska grabbed a chair, lifted it over her head and shouted "I'm the chair, maaaaaaan!" The presumptive next chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's victory dance...
Statue of Free Enterprise
How Shy People Stole Our Elections
A big surprise from this year's elections is that American politics has become dominated by the least likely of participants: shy people. That's strange, since running for office is an ego game, attracting those comfortable with self-promotion. But the hot new trend...
Don’t Worry, Get Stoned
Want to know the real winner of the 2014 mid-term elections? Weed! The nation's capital will soon have fun-filled "flower" fests in its lovely parks. Gardens will be green with the grasshopper with no legs. Kitchens will be filled the seductive smell of "space...
Stand Up and Fight
Debacle. Bloodbath. Drubbing. Call it what you will. For Democrats, this was an ugly Election Day. But there's no mandate for right-wing policies in its aftermath. Arkansas voters chose to raise the minimum wage while electing a senator who opposes doing so. Colorado...
In OtherWords: November 5, 2014
This week in OtherWords, Robert L. Borosage gives Democrats some advice in the wake of their lackluster performance in the mid-term elections and Jill Richardson suggests that doctors should prescribe fruits and veggies for more of their patients. Do you want to make...
