Rights and Democracy
No Game-Changer
In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama deftly nudged the national debate further away from the dominant austerity framework that brought us the misguided budget deal on New Year's Day. He also brought much-needed attention to the critical jobs...
Bulwark of Ignorance
The other day, House Speaker John Boehner accused Barack Obama of being mean to the Republican Party. Our president, he said, was trying to "annihilate" the party and "shove us into the dustbin of history." Would that it were so. If ever a political party needed...
The. Very. Best. Valentine. Ever.
This year I came up with the best Valentine's Day gift ever for my wife and daughter. It's inexpensive and, unlike a bouquet of flowers, should last beyond their lifetimes. They'll love it! I can't think of a better way to express how much I love them. Rather than...
Dumped by Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable's decision to drop Al Jazeera English from its lineup, right after AJE had purchased Current TV and that network's carriage deals for $500 million, raised questions about the cable operator's motives. But whatever the particulars and politics of this...
Obama’s Battle Hymn of the Republic
I don't think President Barack Obama gave a good inaugural address this time. I think it was a great one. He began with the principles of freedom and equality that inform our founding document, the Declaration of Independence, and followed our journey through the many...
Uttering the G Word
Wow. In his second inaugural speech, President Barack Obama finally sounded like the guy progressives thought would be governing the United States starting in 2009. If he puts those poetic words into action, he may leave a much stronger legacy after eight years than...
Why I’m Singing the Inauguration Blues
President Barack Obama's second inauguration definitely had its high points: his uncharacteristically liberal speech, weather that broke 30 degrees, and a tour-de-force from inaugural poet Richard Blanco. This was my first barely-up-close-and-not-so-personal...
Border Fears Riddled with Holes
Senator John Cornyn recently discussed immigration reform at a meeting of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. "I think there have to be some conditions satisfied. One is that people know we've done everything we can to secure the border," the Republican said at the...
A Chance to Invest in TV News
If you live in a swing state you might be wondering, what happened to all the money television stations got for airing the nonstop spew of political ads right up until Election Day? You'd think television stations, whose news departments at least try to lay claim to...
Forget Fake Girlfriends, Republicans Have an Imaginary President
The bizarre story of Manti Te'o, the Notre Dame football player, and his dying girlfriend gives new meaning to the term "fantasy football." Te'o very nearly rode the heart-rending story of his tragic online romance into a Heisman Trophy (college football's highest...
