CARMONA: NOM’s Summer of Love?
Jay Carmona, Columnist – Debut Column
By not denouncing violent signs and rhetoric, as well as freely associating with groups widely known to be hate groups, NOM is advocating for the opposite of a world of happy families and children: a world where deviation from norms and “tradition”—nay, innovation—is punished with violence, where you are judged not by the good you do in the world but by whom you love and how you love them.
LIFSON: A Team of Rivals
Matthew Lifson, Columnist
Between the post-Watergate nomination of Jimmy Carter, Al Gore’s loss in 2000 after eight years of prosperity, and the fumbling of the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, Democrats have a well deserved reputation for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Recent infighting between Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), however, suggests that Democrats have no monopoly on dysfunction and the GOP may not have the discipline to continue their unified front beyond November.
McCAFFREY: A Growing Dichotomy
Kathleen McCaffrey, Associate Editor
A Google search of the phrase “American middle class” brings you to a .gov website about the “Middle Class Task Force” that displays a quote from Vice President Joe Biden, director of the initiative. This is perhaps the most blatant sign that the U.S. middle class is doomed.
BLAIR: Welcome to the Age of Women
Paul Blair, Guest Columnist
2010 is the year of women, not because we will be electing a couple more women into office, but because they truly are engaging in our political discussion like never before. As they hold signs in protest, contribute to political campaigns and perhaps successfully run for office, they are involved like never before.
BILBO: Andrew Breitbart’s Post-Racial Racism
Tyler Bilbo, Columnist
The worst consequence of Andrew Breitbart’s attack on Shirley Sherrod is the gulf that it increases between an increasingly post-racial group of white Americans and the vast majority of black people who refuse to accept the realities of racial injustice.
MCNAMARA: Electric Cars Driving American Sustainability
Lindsay McNamara, Columnist
What will it take for the United States to be more energy independent: more cars like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, a change in American transportation habits or a combination of both?
STORM: TOMS: A Compassionate Compromise?
Meg Storm, Columnist
Is it possible that in this time of government run bailouts and a growing population in need of financial assistance that a small shoe company with the motto “One for One” is actually changing the face of giving, while blurring the line between welfare and charity?
CUEVAS: Clearing the Air for Air Safety
New York State’s plan to exterminate two-thirds of its Canada geese population is part of an even greater regional scheme to reduce the population in 17 Atlantic states by nearly half. Officials are calling it a mass euthanizing for the sake of “aviation and passenger and property safety,” but isn’t slicing the population a bit extreme?
STROSTER: Obama Can Do Only So Much
Lianna Stroster discusses the reasons for Obama’s waning approval ratings and begs Americans to be more realistic in our presidential expectations. Do low ratings reflect reviews of Obama specifically, or do they reflect our unquenchable demand for immediate satisfaction?
PETERSON: A Civilian Wrestles With War
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
Whether or not one agrees with a war, he should not surrender to its leaders carte blanche. The more that people engage with war, the more familiar they will be with its costs and benefits, the more they will be able to understand its necessity and to apprehend its excesses.
BAIN: An American Fable – Race Baiting and Crying Wolf
Sam Bain, Columnist
All too often, conservatives are the ones accused of racism by liberals who claim to be proponents of fairness and equality. But it’s the left that’s using race as a political wedge to dishonorably gain votes and lash out against opponents.
PANDYA: Reactionary Politics and Financial Reform
Om Pandya, Columnist
On Wednesday, President Obama signed new financial reforms into law. But its punitive measures – designed to punish financial institutions – will ultimately hurt the consumer the most. And unfortunately, instead of being a responsible piece of legislation that could prevent the next crisis, it’s yet another example of the reactionary politics we have come to expect from the Obama administration.
LIFSON: Incumbent Mind Tricks
Matthew Lifson, Columnist
Americans tell each other they can’t stand career politicians, but there is no better predictor of electoral success than incumbency. Over the last ten years, the average reelection rate was 96% for congressmen and 85% for senators. Even during extraordinary election years like 1994, when Republicans took back Congress armed with their Contract with America, the reelection rate for incumbents was 90% in the House and 92% in the Senate.
RUSHFORD: We Must Not Forget About the Oil (Spills)
Stephanie Rushford, Columnist
The news crews will soon leave the Gulf of Mexico, enabling Americans to forget about the Gulf oil spill. But, Americans must not be shocked by more large-scale spills in future if they are complacent in doing nothing to change the status quo.
MCNAMARA: Silent Springs, Silent Suffering
Lindsay McNamara, Columnist
Instead of allowing anything to sit on our bathroom shelves and under our kitchen sinks, a company should first have to prove that a chemical will do no harm — instead of, like DDT, destroying ecosystems and leading to cancer.