LIFSON: Obama’s Next Two Years
Matthew Lifson, Columnist
When Republicans storm Congress, we will learn whether Obama is a leader capable of growing his office or just a lucky figurehead temporarily enabled by overwhelming Democratic majorities.
BAIN: The Blame Game
Sam Bain, Columnist
When a grown man acts immature, you have what is called a man child. And when you have a President who blames the opposition party instead of tackling problems, you have Barack Obama. President Obama’s two year mark in office is coming up quicker than he seems to know. With his approval rating dropping to 41% and democrats breaking ranks with the party, the president has nowhere to look but inward when considering what went wrong.
MARIN & PETERSON: Recovering the Civil-Military Relationship
Paul Marin & Tim Peterson
To optimize the civil-military relationship is to reinforce its mutual incentive: victory. Both sides must uphold strategies of success over tactics of dominance to ensure a shared objective and recover trust.
McCAFFREY: First Their Hearts, Second in the Cities
A staple in Illinois politics, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced Tuesday that he would not seek re-election for his position. Daley has served twenty-one years as mayor, following in the footsteps of his father, Richard J. Daley, who also served as mayor for twenty-one years. While I have a strong contention for the type of Chicago “machine style” politics that the duo made famous, I am impressed by their ability to do what no recent Mayor of New York City has been able to do – retain popularity past a second term.
SIEFF: Austerity and the American Economy
Adam Sieff, Columnist
European nations, facing crisis, have adopted extreme austerity measures and there is a growing call in the US for sharp reductions in funding. But not all austerity is created equal. Hopefully, we won’t find out the hard way.
STROSTER: Craigslist Censorship to Stop Human Trafficking
Lianna Stroster, Columnist
Craigslist users have seen a change in the website’s homepage over the past few days. Under the “services” section, there is now a black “censored” label over the “adult services” tab. Is this new “censored” label a violation of the website’s First Amendment right, or is it not protected because the section has been aiding human trafficking through the World Wide Web?
HOLLINSHEAD: Religious Freedom Must Triumph Over Islamophobia
Kevin Hollinshead, Columnist
The proposed Muslim center near Ground Zero will ultimately help the U.S. recover from the wounds of 9/11. Some victims’ families are understandably uneasy about the proposed mosque, but allowing Islamophobic scare tactics dictate our interpretation of the First Amendment would mean “letting the terrorists win.”
HOLLINSHEAD: The Consequences of Congressional Term Limits
Kevin Hollinshead, Columnist
Proponents of term limits want to take the easy way out by essentially outsourcing their ability to oust incumbents (read: giving up power). Yet, every American eligible to vote has the opportunity to turn this system around. In the end, it’s on us.
HOLLINSHEAD: Michael Steele Puts RNC in a Bind
Kevin Hollinshead, Columnist
With his latest erroneous comments about the war in Afghanistan, RNC chair Michael Steele has put his party in a tight spot…again. How swiftly should the GOP give him the boot?
HOLLINSHEAD: Sizing up Two Recent Supreme Court Decisions
Kevin Hollinshead, Columnist
On Monday, as the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court hopeful Elena Kagan began, the existing Court quietly issued two relatively significant decisions.
HOLLINSHEAD: Why the McChrystal Saga Is a Gift to Obama
Kevin Hollinshead, Columnist
Before he decided to relieve McChrystal of his command over U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, Obama essentially had three choices, all of which would have invoked the wrath of a large group of people.
HOLLINSHEAD: Helen Thomas Scandal Is Distracting Us from the Flotilla Issue
Kevin Hollinshead, Columnist
The Helen Thomas resignation is much more trivial than the media believes. Focusing on her comments – instead of the broader issues, such as blind support for Israel or Palestine because of cultural heritage, etc – prevents us from having a genuine national conversation about whether a military should be able to disrupt humanitarian aid missions in international waters.
HOLLINSHEAD: Another Day, Another One-Sided Compromise
Kevin Hollinshead, Contributor
President Obama understands that the only realistic solution to illegal immigration is a comprehensive overhaul that supplements border security measures with a crackdown on illegal hiring and exploitative employers, a requirement that illegal immigrants come forward and meet certain requirements in order to work towards citizenship, and reforms of our legal immigration system going forward. But why, then, does his administration keep following the same failed approach of making unmatched concessions to Republicans and expect a different result?
HOLLINSHEAD: The GOP’s Delusional Quest to Repeal Health Care Reform
Kevin Hollinshead, Progressive
Republicans seem convinced that health care reform, now law, is only temporary. They’re now trying to fire up their base with “plans” for repealing the bill should they regain majorities in both houses of Congress this fall. But such a dream is only a far-fetched fantasy.
HOLLINSHEAD: Dems Need Their Own Attack Machine
Kevin Hollinshead, Progressive
The Democrats need to go on the offensive on health care reform.
HOLLINSHEAD: Boy’s Health Insurance Company a Real ‘Death Panel’
Kevin Hollinshead, Progressive
Five year-old Kyler VanNocker of Edgewater Park, NJ has neuroblastoma, a rare and deadly type of childhood cancer that attacks the nervous system, leaving his body riddling his body with tumors. But Kyler’s health insurance company denied him the proven-effective treatment and decided to place their profits above a doctor’s opinion. To deny Kyler coverage was to prescribe his death.
HOLLINSHEAD: CBS’ “Super” Business Plan Favors the Religious Right
Kevin Hollinshead accuses CBS of pandering to right wing groups that support a pro-life movement by showing an advertisement at the Super Bowl.
HOLLINSHEAD: A To-Do List for Obama, Dems
Kevin Hollinshead, Progressive
If an anti-reform Republican was able to win the seat of universal health care’s greatest champion, what do this November and November of 2012 hold for Democrats? Unless the Obama administration shakes things up, they’re on thin ice.
HOLLINSHEAD: Apples and Oranges
Kevin Hollinshead, Progressive
The problem with our media’s coverage of potentially racist comments and actions is that people are too quick in calling for some kind of punishment similar to one handed out in the past, regardless of how dissimilar the two situations really are.
HOLLINSHEAD: Limbaugh Loves (Socialized) Medical Care in Hawaii
by Kevin Hollinshead, Progressive
Upon his discharge from the hospital after being admitted for chest pain, Rush remarked that “there is nothing wrong with the American health care system. I received no special treatment.” Here, he inadvertently stumbled upon the real point here—American medicine is indeed a godsend. At least, for those who can afford it. No one in Hawaii is given special treatment, because, yep, everyone can afford it.