Rights and Democracy
Shut Up and Work
For the first time in 17 years, Congress failed to provide the funding to keep the entire government running. So now you have two classes of government service and two classes of employees: "essential" and "non-essential." If you run a national park, you aren't...
Attack of the Zombie Lawmakers
Barack Obama’s shutting down of the government is the most self-destructive thing to happen since Poland attacked Nazi Germany in 1939. Oh wait! It was Germany that attacked Poland, wasn’t it? Yes, but Adolf Hitler, the chancellor of Germany, said that Poland was the...
The Values Divide
There's a lot of talk about how polarized the country is today. Sometimes that polarization is more than about partisan politics — it's about real differences in values. Take the House Republicans' recent votes to deny food and health care to millions of Americans....
It’s All Their Fault
Everyone pretty much agrees that what's going on in Washington right now ranks up there with the dumbest, most destructive episodes in our history. We are a great and powerful country, on the cusp of achieving that "Shining City upon a Hill" status that Puritan leader...
Shutting the Whole Thing Down
Citizens United, the Sequel
Did you get sick of that barrage of attack ads during last year's elections? Brace yourself: It could get worse. One deep-pocketed Alabama donor named Shaun McCutcheon, joined by the Republican National Committee, will soon ask the Supreme Court to let him put even...
No North Colorado on the Horizon
National media outlets from The Wall Street Journal to The Washington Post and beyond have put the national spotlight on an alleged "movement" by a dozen Colorado counties to secede and form their own western state. Actually, this is a wacky media stunt by right-wing...
Saluting Nixon
There are some things I thought I'd never hear myself say. One of them is "Hip-hip hooray for Nixon!" That would give me a tongue cramp if I tried to say it about Tricky Dick, but this burst of praise goes out to the governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon. Facing Republican...
Higher Education Takes the Low Road
College lifts us From the mob, But not all do A nifty job. Before World War II, college was mostly for the rich. Starting with the GI Bill, which gave thousands of WW II vets a shot at getting an advanced degree, education became a more common route for upward...
Good Governance Must Start With the Courts
The highest court in America has been in the spotlight lately. Following its historic decisions on marriage equality and voting rights, Americans recognize the importance that the Supreme Court's decisions can have on our lives as well as the power they have to shape...
