Politics

It’s been almost two years since the end of the administration of George W. Bush. Nine years since 9/11. Nine years since the massive roundup of Muslim and Arab men without probable cause. Seven years since the invasion of Iraq on false pretenses. Eight years since lawyers at the Department of Justice published the torture…

By Amy Gardner Virginia Thomas, political activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has decided to relinquish control of Liberty Central, the conservative group she founded less than a year ago, so that the organization can escape the “distractions” of her media celebrity, a spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman, Caitlin Carroll of CRC Public…

It’s a cruel irony of life that, as Billie Holiday sang, “Them that’s got shall get,” but practices in today’s job market suggest that those in the best position financially have a better chance of being hired to fill the limited openings available. That’s because credit checks are increasingly becoming a standard practice for employers.…

On Fox News Sunday, David Axelrod told Chris Wallace that he would be returning to Chicago in early 2011 to begin preparation for Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election bid. Axelrod also talked about Obama’s opposition to a permanent extension of Bush’s tax cuts, especially for the wealthy. The White House has said that extending the middle-class…

On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office for the second time. The setting itself reflected how much had changed in the past four years. When Lincoln delivered his first inaugural address, the new Capitol dome, which replaced the original wooden one, was only half complete. Now the Statue of Freedom crowned…

Dear Congressmen-elect, You don’t know me. I don’t live in either of your districts, but — as an American, a Republican and a black man — I think we have enough common interests for you to lend me an ear for a few minutes. I know that there has been a lot of talk about…

Today President Barack Obama said recent reports that he’s about to cave in to Republican tax-cut demands are incorrect. Either Huffington Post got it wrong or he really needs to rein in David Axelrod. In any case, perhaps liberals can breathe a rare sigh of relief. President Barack Obama declared Friday that his “number one…

The bipartisan co-chairs of a presidential commission that was convened to cut the budget deficit recommended  on Wednesday raising the Social Security retirement age to 68 by 2050 and 69 by 2075. Certain physically taxing jobs would be given a “hardship exception,” according to the commission’s report, but if Congress enacts the retirement extensions, the…

On Jan. 1, 1863, Lincoln presided at the annual White House New Year’s reception. Later that afternoon, he retired to his study to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. The first time he attempted to affix his signature, he stopped and laid down his pen. His hand was shaking, not from nervousness, but because of exhaustion. “I…

Allen West, newly elected congressman from Florida, might be a Tea Party-backed, outspoken conservative, but now he’s one on the national stage. It seems he’s learning that this comes with some limitations. Someone must have finally told him that it’s a terrible idea to make his friend — conservative talk-show host Joyce Kaufman — his…