Politics

Today marks the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal. For the last 37 years, the case has remained in a constant state of controversy, with anti-choice activists using any vehicle available to chip away at the right to choose. The most recent manifestation was seen in…

Any Massachusetts voter who pulled the lever for Sen. John McCain in 2008 and Republican Senator-elect Scott Brown in 2010 is on pretty firm ground. They didn’t want Obama then—and they don’t want him now. Voters who chose President Barack Obama but went for Brown in this week’s special election just canceled out their own…

The political world’s atwitter speculating about what the Democratic debacle in Massachusetts will mean for health insurance reform. But the rapidly diminishing fortunes of the Senate Democrats are already evident in a quieter, yet equally consequential policy debate: Whether—and how—Washington will ensure that Joe the Consumer gets a fair shake from the big banks. The…

As international aid pours in to provide relief from the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti, development workers and NGO professionals are beginning to fear what will happen once the media spotlight leaves the small island nation. But there is one person who has enough political clout and global recognition to ensure that doesn’t happen: Michelle…

In his first year in office, Barack Obama has been a very good president, both at home and abroad. The trouble is that in these difficult times, America does not need a very good president. It needs a great one. And, judging from his performance during his first year, when his popularity was at its…

Now the finger-pointing and ferocious spin-meistering begin. Why did Martha Coakley lose in her bid to replace Edward Kennedy as the senator from Massachusetts? Is this a referendum on the Obama administration and, particularly, on his health care reform proposal? Does this outcome bode major losses for Democrats in the 2010 congressional elections? First things…

Since late afternoon on Jan. 12, images of human suffering in Haiti have been at once wrenching and overwhelming. One senses the need and feels compelled to help in the moment, confident that every little bit helps. When the lens pulls back, the enormity of the challenge takes on intimidating dimensions. The reality that many…

DOWN TO THE WIRE TO REPLACE TED The U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts has become a referendum on President Obama’s health care reform plan. Voters went to the polls today to elect a replacement for Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy and what had been viewed as a routine election has turned into a close race with…

Three days after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that sent Haiti from a developing nation to a flattened one, President Barack Obama addressed a statement directly to the people of Haiti: “You will not be forsaken, you will not be forgotten.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who cut short a trip to Southeast Asia and traveled…