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?
PETERSON: City of Angles
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
A writer prepares to head home to Los Angeles to see how his hometown’s changed: how it’s grown and how it’s shrunk.
PETERSON & ROGERS: The Left’s Battle Cry Should Be a Dean Scream
Tim Peterson, Left-Independent
Conor Rogers, Center-Right
A smattering of pundits have argued that Democrats lack a salesman, someone to not simply counterbalance conservative criticism but to argue the progressive cause. Heading into November and beyond, the left needs its own Sarah Palin, its own Glenn Beck. They need Howard Dean.
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.
PETERSON: Poll Reveals Polls Suck
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
By the underlying logic of polls, the numbers of those who believe Obama is a socialist could flip if the question becomes, “Is Obama Robin Hood?” No, seriously.
MARIN & PETERSON: Afghan Policy Changes Petraeus Should Make
Paul Marin & Tim Peterson
To ensure a successful withdrawal from Afghanistan next year, General David Petraeus must improve counterinsurgency efforts. We have a couple ideas on what he should do.
PETERSON: The Problem With Pensions
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
If states do not close the pension gap, then more taxes will be raised and more spending will be cut. It’s possible that eventually entire state revenues will bankroll guaranteed pension plans.
PETERSON: WikiDemocracy in America
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
As online tools like the California Budget Challenge and YouCut grow in popularity, do they portend a purer representative democracy?
PETERSON: An Open Letter to Arne Duncan
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
As more public schools are replaced with charters, a short-term solution becomes a long-term problem.
PETERSON: A Native’s Reaction to CA Prop. 14
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
There’s no shortage of opinion surrounding open primaries. But does any of it matter right now?
PETERSON: Time to Press Refresh on Congress
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
The first in series of posts discussing the role of politicians. They claim to be incrementalists even though their functions are reactionary; they deign to preserve rather than progress, even to the point when that which they are preserving is themselves, to our detriment.
PETERSON: Regulators Pass the Buck, Companies Cash In
Tim Peterson, Columnist
Regarding the country’s recent and ongoing crises – from the financial collapse to the BP oil spill – regulation is neither exclusively the problem nor the solution. In many cases it’s both.
PETERSON: Don’t Mess With Textbooks
Tim Peterson, Columnist
By revising the state’s social studies curriculum, the activist Texas Board of Education has twisted history to abide conservative politics and indoctrinate students across the country.
PETERSON: Local Politics, National Elections – Really?
Tim Peterson, Columnist
The pundit class has been hyping up the upcoming Pennsylvania Senate primary as if it’s a national referendum – but is this sort of weight appropriate for a local election?
PETERSON: The Kagan Mistake
Tim Peterson, Columnist
Would a Justice Kagan be the best option for the Obama Administration? Tim Peterson examines her record to conclude that it is not.