Politics
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Is Consumer Protection the Public Option of Finance Reform?
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…
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Michelle Obama: The New Face of Haiti?
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…
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Obama’s First Year: Good, Not Great
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…
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It Wasn’t About Voting for Obama
The appropriate gift for a first anniversary is paper. And on ballots cast in a Massachusetts special election to fill the late Sen. Ted Kennedy’s seat, voters in Massachusetts sent President Barack Obama an unwelcome present. The recriminations for Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley’s stunning 52-47 percent loss began before the final votes had even been…
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Coakley’s Failure, Obama’s Lesson
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…
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A Blueprint for Rebuilding Haiti
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…
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NEWS STAND: All Eyes on Massachusetts Race to Replace Kennedy, More Men Marrying Up, and Hacks Hacked in China
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…
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Rebuilding a Better Port-au-Prince
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…
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Why Martin Luther King Jr. Stands Alone
The pantheon of historic African-American leadership is full of brilliant and courageous individuals who sacrificed personal gain to enrich the lives of others. From Harriet Tubman and Nat Turner, to Ida B. Wells and Martin Delaney, Mary McCleod-Bethune and Frederick Douglass, all the way to Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer, black leadership has been…
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s Action Plan
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man that was moved by the spirit to move a nation toward a better way of life. Dr. King was a man that used his connection to the Holy Spirit to dare to have the dream. At the same time, my fellow Americans, he also had action items, and…