Journalists are not exactly perceived as heroes these days. Poll after poll finds the public is soured on them, ranking them down toward the bottom of the list with lawyers, congressmen, ax murderers and other lowlifes. It’s no wonder. Read more about it HERE
Over the weekend, while doing research for an essay, I re-read Catherine Drinker Bowen’s wonderful book Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention from May to September 1787. In it she quotes George Washington (a strong Federalist) on the value of the opposition. Read more about it HERE
WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are running out of time to avert another government shutdown and possible credit crisis. While both sides have written off a “grand deal,” they have committed themselves to a $100 billion cut in the current year deficit – enough to avoid the second stage of the painful “sequestration” set for January. Read more about it HERE
CLAREMONT, CALIF. — One factor contributing to polarizing politics in Washington is the widespread partisan gerrymandering of America’s voting districts. Many people, on both sides of the aisle, think one way to break the stalemate is to find a solution to gerrymandering – the drawing of district boundaries that heavily favor one party and keep incumbents safe. Read more about it HERE
As the baby boomer generation ages and Americans continue to live longer, Social Security will become increasingly financially strained. Adopting a series of reforms could both improve the program’s solvency and more adequately support those individuals who are most in need. Two such changes, which could be part of a larger package, include adopting a new measure of inflation and updating the threshold for earnings that are taxed for Social Security. Read more about it HERE
WASHINGTON — You hear it all the time: The real source of gridlock in Washington is the American people: Deep divisions between Democrats and Republicans simply reflect the political split in the public. Read more about it HERE
Recently, Thomas J. Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, gave an important speech about restoring civility. His remarks are important:
. . . Most of our rights in a free society also carry responsibilities. This is especially true when it comes to speech. I strongly believe that the right to speak carries with it the responsibility to listen. . . to give others a fair hearing . . . to be open to different points of views. In my view, it’s the stubborn refusal to listen that is the cause of much of the incivility and dysfunction we see in Washington and across our country today. Restoring civility in American life must begin by reaffirming our commitment to everyone’s right to speak — and everyone’s responsibility to listen. . .
DALLAS — I am an older white guy living and working in one of the reddest states – Texas. Yet, I am bluer than Barack Obama. I work as a contractor in one of the reddest industries – home construction. But I openly tell my fellow contractors – many as red as any Texas tea-partier – that I am a liberal who voted for President Obama and that I lived in France and loved it. Read more about it HERE
WASHINGTON — Coming out of the 2012 election, comprehensive immigration reform seemed inevitable. The political power of the growing Latino population combined with a newly elected, popular president making reform his top legislative priority seemed like a recipe for fast action. Read more about it HERE
George Will makes an important point about the critical difference between a parliamentary democracy and our system that puts in place structures to protect the rights of the minority — in this case, the Senate conservatives.
Whether you agreed with Ted Cruz or not, he was exercising a very important, albeit messy, constitutional right to express a minority view. Liberals should take note, because this is a right they may need the next time around. George Will is pointing out something really hopeful about our system, which seems dysfunctional at the moment: people don’t reach for common ground because they want to — but because they have to. We just aren’t very good at it right now. That is why there is the Common Ground Committee. org, to shine the light on efforts to do this that are successful. This gives Americans hope, which is critical to regaining faith in democracy — so badly needed these days.
