Category: Article

January 2, 2015

Mario Cuomo, the former New York governor who died Thursday at the age of 82, was an unabashed, unapologetic liberal who wore his heart and his political philosophy on his sleeve. He wasn’t afraid to say that a lot of what was going on in this country was unfair; that there were two Americas and two sets of rules for each of them. In his most famous speech, at the 1984 Democratic convention, he disavowed “nice but vague rhetoric,” the politician’s stock and trade, to tell what he believed were some important, tough truths about the U.S. He closed that speech with a dozen sentences that began – “we believe.”
Please click here to read the full article.

December 11, 2014

After last year’s government shutdown and the dysfunction and gridlock that have gripped the nation’s capital, it must be recognized that for Congress to produce a spending bill is an achievement. But amid the questionable provisions in the 1,600-page, $1.1 trillion measure–which include repealing part of the Dodd-Frank Act and allowing larger contributions to political party committees–is one that would overturn a District of Columbia initiative to legalize possession of a small amount of marijuana. Approved overwhelmingly by D.C. voters in November, the initiative is similar to measures passed in Oregon and Alaska last month.
Please click here to read the full article.

December 10, 2014

This week’s Gallup poll showing Barack Obama‘s standing with white millennials down to 34% reflects the severe disaffection young Americans have with not only the president but with both parties and the entire political system. Americans ages 20 to 34 are 21% of the U.S. population and the country’s largest adult demographic. But their participation rate in the November midterms was the worst of any age group. Only about 21% of adult millennials cast a ballot; exit polls showed that voters 30 and younger represented only 13% of the electorate.
Please click here to read the full article.

December 1, 2014

Proposals announced last week in the United Kingdom would give Scotland more autonomy over taxation, social programs, welfare spending, and election procedure. The changes were promised by Prime Minister David Cameron during the run-up to Scotland’s September referendum on independence–if Scotland did not secede. After the vote, which failed 55% to 45%, Alex Salmond, the Scottish National Party official who had led the charge for independence, stepped down as the country’s first minister (or political leader).
Please click here to read the full article.

November 21, 2014

Despite GOP threats to cut government funding or take legal action, some Republicans may be relieved that President Barack Obama is moving to address the nation’s immigration problems. Executive action allows Republicans to have the best of both worlds: progress on immigration policy without having to cast a vote that would anger conservatives opposed to leniency for illegal immigrants.
Please click here to read the full article.

November 18, 2014

So the first major congressional vote after the midterm elections, on the Keystone XL Pipeline, was primarily about political self-interest and big-money influence–even though that’s what voters just said they hate about Congress. Despite nine votes by the Republican-controlled House in favor of constructing the pipeline, the Democratic Senate leadership had refused, until Tuesday, to allow a vote on the pipeline.
Please click here to read the full article.

November 7, 2014

The disappearance and defeat of moderate legislators will make governing next year all the more difficult–something congressional leaders ought to keep in mind as they strategize for the next Congress. There’s a lot of finger-pointing going on inside the Democratic Party. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, a member of the House Democratic leadership and a supporter of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, said Thursday that the midterm elections were “focused around President Obama. And it was not decided on a House of Representatives strategy. We had base voters who were disappointed in the President and who did not come out.”
Please click here to read the full article.

November 6, 2014

Can the two parties bridge their differences and get a few things done over the next two years? The early signs aren’t good. President Barack Obama‘s behavior and statements at his news conference Wednesday suggested that he may be in denial about the definitive rejection of his management style, political leadership and policy direction that the American people handed him Tuesday. The president said that he is willing to work with congressional Republicans but also that he is not going to change his policy priorities or positions. His reaction seemed to be: Move along, nothing to see here, everything is going to proceed as normal.
Please click here to read the full article.

November 5, 2014

There are a lot of things for Democrats to be depressed about after Tuesday’s midterm outcomes, but two of the biggest are Virginia and Colorado, vital swing states where Democrats performed poorly and where unhappiness about Barack Obama really made the difference. In Colorado, incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Udall was defeated by Republican Cory Gardner by more than four points. In Virginia, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner appears to have won reelection by only about 12,000 votes over former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie. Mr. Gillespie has not ruled out seeking a recount, which Virginia law permits when the difference in vote totals is less than 1%.
Please click here to read the full article.