41 Articles

Thursday, November 5, 2009
GOP Health Reform: “The Insurance Industry Profit Enhancement Act”
(2 comments) At last, House Republicans have presented their version of health care reform. As with many of their proposals, the GOP health plan is nothing more than “old wine in new bottles.” Here is a point-by-point recap of the plan's main provisions along with commentary on what those provisions actually entail.

Sunday, November 1, 2009
Lieberman on Health Reform: Disingenuous or Dishonest?
(8 comments) Joe Lieberman argues in the November 1 Hartford Courant that the country cannot afford a public health care option right now because the national debt is “out of control.” He's tight when he says the debt is out of control. He's wrong when he says health care has contributed “significantly” to it and that a public option would only make things worse. Is he being disingenuous or dishonest?

Friday, October 16, 2009
Nobel Notes: CAN OBAMA ACCEPT THE PRIZE?
(3 comments) In an editorial in the October 16, 2009 Washington Post, Ronald D. Rotunda and J. Peter Pham argue that President Obama may be barred by the Constitution from accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. Could they be right?

Monday, October 12, 2009
NOBEL NOTE TO THE RIGHT: DO IT YOURSELF!
(5 comments) The Nobel Institute's decision to award the 2009 Peace Prize to Barack Obama leaves the wingnut right with just one time-honored option: If you don't like it, do it yourself.

Friday, September 18, 2009
Ohio Botches Another One
(5 comments) The State of Ohio botched a lethal injection for the third time in three years. Governor Strickland now must decide what to do. I think he should return Romell Broom to a cell in general population, to live and die in prison.

Sunday, September 6, 2009
WILL GOP REBUT OBAMA'S EDUCATION SPEECH?
(2 comments) Instead of feigning outrage at the prospect of President Obama addressing school children at the start of the school year, Republicans could simply demand equal time for a rebuttal. Here's how I imagine GOP Chairman Michael Steele might respond to President Obama's opening-day remarks. Parody.

Monday, April 27, 2009
Bob Fenn: An Appreciation
(2 comments) I depart from my usual topics to remember here my colleague, mentor, and friend Bob Fenn. Bob died on April 24, 2009. Bob Fenn was a man of perspective, proportion, passion, possibility, and persistence. He was one of the most progressive and visionary thinkers I have ever known. I shall miss him.

Friday, March 27, 2009
BOEHNER'S BOGUS BUDGET
Responding to President Obama's challenge on Tuesday evening, Republicans on Thursday unveiled their version of the FY 2010 federal budget. They should have stayed home. If they were looking for a way to tell the American people that Republicans think "We the People" are gullible and stupid, they found it.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
EFCA: "Third Way?" No Way!
(2 comments) The debate over the Employee Free Choice Act heats up as Costco, Starbucks, and Whole Foods, fronted by Washington veteran Lanny Davis, join forces to stop it. But the "Third Way" they propose is not the middle ground in the debate; it's more like the middle finger to workers and customers.

Friday, March 20, 2009
Duplicate Payments to AIG Counterparties?
Could some banks be paid twice for the same troubled assets - once from the TARP fund and once again as an AIG counterparty? It's possible. Here's a draft of a letter to send you can send to your elected representatives.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009
EFCA: WILL THE SKY REALLY FALL?
(7 comments) Will the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) drive up unemployment? Research sponsored by the "Alliance to Save Main Street Jobs" says YES – it will drive up unemployment and a whole lot more. A closer look at the research-for-hire discounts that research and shows that the business group is using statistics the way a drunk uses a lamppost: for support, not for illumination.

Friday, March 13, 2009
Stop the 'Vilification'? We've Only Just Begun.
(5 comments) Jamie Dimon thinks the banking system can recover by year end if US officials stop the "constant vilification of corporate America" and work with the financial sector to end the crisis. He thinks all the criticism is hurting the country. We will not erect operational impediments to economic recovery, but we have every intention of finding out what went wrong, turning things around, and holding people accountable.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
HOW TO AVOID THE UNION
(3 comments) The Employee Free Choice Act has Republicans fulminating and managers running for cover. This article is for managers everywhere: the single best way to avoid having your people unionize is to treat them well enough in the first place that they see little benefit to joining the union now. If you think it's too late to start, read on ...

Friday, February 6, 2009
Shameful? Yes. Surprising? No.
(3 comments) President Barack Obama, referring to recent bonus payments at Wall Street firms, said, "That is the height of irresponsibility. It is shameful." Shameful? Yes. Surprising? Not in the least. Here are five lessons I learned during 33 years in and around some of the country's largest financial services firms.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A Nation of Deadbeats?
(10 comments) GOP chairman Michael Steele needs to rethink what it means to create a job and to hold one. Or he should look for a new one for himself.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009
WHAT OUR FIRM WOULD DO WITH A TAX CUT
(4 comments) Republicans continue to see tax cuts as the cure for all our economic woes. Here is what our firm would do with a tax windfall, and it's not what John Boehner thinks.

Thursday, November 13, 2008
OBAMA WON IN THE "RACE CHASM"
The Race Chasm Effect threatened to derail Obama's candidacy in 2008. It's not the same as the Bradley Effect but it could have led to the same result.

Friday, October 31, 2008
ONLY A MAVERICK
(1 comments) John McCain would like us to think he is a true contrarian. He isn't; he is only a maverick.

Saturday, October 11, 2008
"WE THE (FRINGE) PEOPLE ..."
(8 comments) In 2005 – 2006, Maryland State Police infiltrated at least 32 progressive activist groups and added the names of 53 people and groups to terrorist watch lists. The governor's special investigator says the police "overreached" and police have offered to remove the names from those watch lists. This is not good enough.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008
EASIER TO ASK FORGIVENESS THAN PERMISSION
Paulson and Bernanke only mistake was asking for permission in the first place. They didn't get it so they spent the money anyway.

Saturday, September 13, 2008
BUSH IN DRAG
(1 comments) In selecting Sarah Palin, John McCain picked as his running mate a veritable clone of George W. Bush himself. He has brought "McBush" to life.

Thursday, August 28, 2008
PARTY UNITY CUTS BOTH WAYS
Party leaders ask us to unite to win the November election. I am willing to do that, but Senate Democrats have to be willing to unite in the confirmation (or rejection) of future Supreme Court nominees. Their track record since the 1980s is not good.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008
JUSTICE OR BLOOD LUST: TOMMY ARTHUR'S CLOSE CALL
(6 comments) The Alabama Supreme Court stayed Thomas Arthur's execution after another man confessed to the murder. The prosecutor was disappointed with the Court. Alabamians should be more than disappointed with the prosecutor.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008
NEVER TOO LATE FOR AN EXECUTION
On Monday, lame-duck president George W. Bush approved the execution of Army Private Ronald Gray. Gray has been on death row for 20 years. It will probably be Bush's last execution and, as usual, he got it wrong.

Sunday, July 27, 2008
MARYLAND STATE POLICE TARGETED ACTIVISTS
(1 comments) Maryland State Police infiltrated peace and anti-death penalty activist groups in 2005 - 2006. The State's response so far has been completely inadequate.

Saturday, July 19, 2008
Cold Comfort in Cold Beer
After eight disastrous years under George W. Bush, the US is effectively insolvent. One result: iconic American assets, like Anheuser-Busch, are now susceptible to foreign takeover. The next president must take five steps at once to keep American businesses in American hands.

Sunday, April 20, 2008
HOPE OR EXPERIENCE? The Pennsylvania Primary
(1 comments) A Clinton victory in Pennsylvania will force superdelegates to choose: hope or experience?

Sunday, April 6, 2008
DO SENATORS MAKE GOOD PRESIDENTS?
(13 comments) Margaret Bassett asked, "Do Senators Make Good Presidents?" Not necessarily. Presidents tend to be viewed more favorably if they have not served in the US Senate.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008
MEMO TO WILMER: Give Sliter A Chance
(1 comments) Brian Sliter, a registered sex offender, is running for mayor of Wilmer, Texas. Voters should take his candidacy seriously.

Thursday, March 6, 2008
SUPERDELEGATES: Think Beyond 'Delegates,' Think 'Electoral Votes'
(3 comments) Neither Clinton nor Obama will have enough delegates after primary season to secure the nomination. The nomination will belong to the superdelegates, who must think beyond 'delegates' to 'electoral votes.'

Monday, November 5, 2007
WHERE IS THE PUNISHMENT IN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?
(1 comments) If being dead is not a punishment and the execution process is not punishing, where is the punishment? It's in the incarceration. We should not truncate that punishment.

Friday, May 5, 2006
"IT DON'T WORK!"
This week featured another botched execution, this time in Ohio.

Monday, May 1, 2006
IMMIGRATION, 2: WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
The size and scope of the undocumented immigrant problem narrows the range of possible solutions. Here is an approach that might work.

Monday, May 1, 2006
IMMIGRATION, 1: WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
The size and scope of the undocumented immigrant problem narrows the range of possible solutions. Part 1 of 2 parts.

Friday, February 24, 2006
Capital Punishment: Don't Improve It, Get Rid of It

Friday, February 10, 2006
Carter and Lowery Spoke Truth to Power
(1 comments) Critics have charged that remarks made at Coretta Scott King’s funeral by former President Jimmy Carter and the Reverend Joseph Lowery were outrageous, inappropriate, and out of line. Were they?

Wednesday, February 1, 2006
Democrats Elevate Alito to Supreme Court
Fifteen Democratic senators are responsible for Samuel Alito’s confirmation as a Supreme Court Justice. A little party unity from now on won’t kill us … and we may even win some elections.

Saturday, January 28, 2006
The 2006 Elections: Let's Give Credit Where It's Due
It's an election year and Republicans will again run on 9/11, the war on terror, and liberals' lack of patriotism. Let's not let them get away with it.

Monday, January 9, 2006
Stop Clarence Ray Allen's Execution
(1 comments) If he's executed on January 17, Ray Allen will become, at 76, the oldest man executed in the US in more than 50 years. It's not too late to stop it.

Sunday, December 18, 2005
The Wartime President
A semi-serious review of the wars of George W. Bush.

Saturday, December 17, 2005
TERMINATOR TO WILLIAMS: “HASTA LA VISTA, TOOKIE!” – II
(1 comments)