Rights and Democracy
Donald Kaul Signs Off
A New Kind of Scrutiny on the Campaign Trail
It used to be that journalists would join major candidates on the campaign trail, following them from coffee shops to parades and beyond as they tried to woo supporters and votes.
Year of the Gaffe
Maybe you think the presidential election will come down to the issues. That would mean looking at how Barack Obama and Mitt Romney differ on important matters — or, in many cases, how they don’t. Or perhaps the election might be all about money, and the shadowy Super PACs that will bombard us with TV advertising.
Pennsylvania’s High-Profile Pedophile Scandals
In one of those strange coincidences that make life read like a cheap novel, Jerry Sandusky and Monsignor William Lynn were convicted at almost the same moment by two Pennsylvania juries of charges growing out of sex scandals involving the molestation of underage youngsters.
Sabotaging Montana’s Campaign Finance Legacy
And now, the five corporate hacks controlling the Supreme Court have ratified the ridiculous argument of the front group, imperiously shoving Montana’s law into the ditch and re-imposing the rule of special interest money over the people’s will.
Mitt’s Gift of Gaffe
Arizona’s Immigration Bind
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer called a news conference in Phoenix after the Supreme Court released its ruling on her state’s “papers, please” immigration law. She announced that the key components of her law “unanimously have been vindicated by the highest court in the land.” She beamed as she called the decision “a victory for the rule of law.”
Papers, Please
Our Nation’s Failing Prisons
You can tell there’s good money in prisons these days — Wells Fargo is investing in them. And why not? Since America incarcerates more of its citizens per capita than any other country, jails look like a safe bet.
Big Cable’s Plan to Lock Down Your Future
Television is at a crossroads. There are two paths to choose from and two destinies for television viewers: one better, the other far worse. The path taken will have lasting political consequences.
