Section » Politics
In Spite of it All.
This summer we are seeing the age-old conflicts of American political life played out in the context of health care reform. The progressives steamroll forward, while conservatives attempt to erect any roadblock they can. Centrist factions emerge – here the Blue Dogs — seeking political gain in moderating between extremes, as Jefferson called
Comments Off • Read this story »
More Articles
Envisioning America’s Energy Future
Ever since the energy crisis in the 1970s, we have known that our dependence on foreign oil weakens us and impedes our progress as a nation. By perpetuating an infrastructure and culture that consume tremendous amounts of oil, we have handed immense political leverage to countries that, to be frank,
The First Hundred
Fair or not, new presidents have been judged on their first 100 days since FDR, who in his first three months as president ushered in some of the most dramatic and transformational policy changes that our country has ever experienced. But, more than any of his specific policies or programs, it was
The SEC Fiddled While Rome Burned (Part 3 of 3)
Botching the Bernie Madoff Ponzi swindle and thus failing to prevent tens of billions in losses was pretty bad press for the SEC. But the more one looks into the agency’s conduct in the Bush years, the more missteps become apparent. Take Allied Capital, a D.C.-based finance firm that makes loans
Government According to Limbaugh
What is the proper role of government in our society? Ronald Reagan staked out the conservative position in his first inaugural on January 20, 1981 when he famously stated: “Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.” This is the view that takes government
Keeping Promises
David Sanger of the New York Times calls it “breathtaking.” Paul Krugman calls it “very, very good.” Frank
Comments Off • Read this story »
California Open Primaries Would Help Independents
Independents would be the true beneficiaries of California’s open primary initiative because primaries will occur on a more level playing field. It gives independents a greater chance to win the primary, and thus win the election, by opening the field to competition, regardless of party affiliation
Comments Off • Read this story »
Support the Open Primary Ballot Initiative In California
Are you exasperated by the partisan bickering and gridlock in Washington that continues despite the best efforts of an enlightened, forward-looking President? What about the ideological rancor within the California legislature leading to over three months of an embarrassing budget stalemate, while
The SEC Fiddled While Rome Burned (Part 2 of 3)
Part 2 of 3. In 1992, the Securities & Exchange Commission was presented with a trail straight into Bernie Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme. But the SEC ignored it. Then, in 2000, in a memo urging the SEC promptly to investigate Madoff, an independent forensic accountant outlined his
Comments Off • Read this story »
The SEC Fiddled While Rome Burned (Part 1 of 3)
Part 1 of 3. In 2004, the Securities & Exchange Commission made a decision that doomed our economy to failure. In a meeting lasting less than an hour on April 28, 2004, the agency approved of a rule that let the country’s five largest investment banks–including Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers,
