Rights and Democracy
Dodging the Media on the Campaign Trail
If you’re a political candidate these days, the name of the game is to talk to your “target audience” apparently without answering questions from them — or, God forbid, from a journalist.
Legislating Under the Influence
It’s all the rage in state legislatures and even in Congress. More than a dozen states are debating proposals to require jobless Americans who receive unemployment benefits to submit to mandatory drug testing.
Pee for Food
Black Women Make History Too
We celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in January, and now the country has moved into Black History Month. MLK left an enduring mark on our hearts and souls. But he was part of a team, and the other half of that team — his wife Coretta Scott King — made her own kind of history, with her husband and without him, both before and after his death.
Un-Presidential Primaries
Breaking news: Republicans have found their long-sought alternative to Mitt Romney.
Racist Double Whammy
Given that we now have an African-American president, many Americans feel comfortable sweeping the issue of racial discrimination under the rug. How bad can bias be if we elected Barack Obama?
Kaul’s New Super PAC Draws Donor
Thanks, Laurie. I hope your new bodice isn’t too uncomfortable.
Distorting Civil Rights History
Many prominent conservative politicians are making outrageous statements targeted at minority citizens this campaign season. They’re saying spurious things, like implying that African Americans prefer food stamps over pay checks, or that black people use “other people’s money” to get ahead.
The Lineup: Week of Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2012
Peter Hart casts a spotlight on the big-money effort underway to bypass the electoral system altogether, and Timothy Karr says the broadcast media should balance its quadrennial avalanche of election-year ads with solid coverage of the candidates and their issues.
The 1 Percent Candidate
Think big money and Wall Street have too much influence over national politics? Not to worry: A third-party presidential candidate bankrolled by hedge funds will fix all of that.
