the browntable
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Welcome to the Fun House: Obama Plays Ball With Cabinet
I imagine keeping house where one works—running the free world, no less—can be decidedly unfun at times. Yet the stack of problems and tough decisions on US domestic and foreign policy haven’t stopped the multitasking president Barack Obama from trying to have a little fun at home. To wit: The whole Obama family hosted what’s…
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On Chicago Violence, Eric Holder Top Cops Out
The brutal killing of Chicago high schooler Derrion Albert left countless Americans stunned. In an attempt at damage control—in an immediate and long-term sense—White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel dispatched Attorney General Eric Holder and former Chicago Schools superintendent and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Chicago to confront the constellation of issues that led…
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First African–American Studies Program Launches in Turkey
I am in Istanbul, Turkey for the next few days, and have had the opportunity to take in a number of fascinating aspects of contemporary Turkish culture. My vague forethoughts of dervishes, fundamentalists and stern Ottoman raiders has been displaced by visions of a thoroughly modern, yet ancient city. In Istanbul, which literally straddles East…
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Justice Deferred: Tom Perez In at the Civil Rights Division
After months of Republican blocking behind the scenes, Tom Perez has finally been confirmed as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. The restoration of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department after its virtual decimation during the administration of George W. Bush has been among the highest priorities of Attorney General Eric Holder, and…
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Obama, Afghanistan and the Politics of the Primrose Path
Yes, you just saw people slap five at the president catching a fail. While you can argue whether those sentiments were anti-American in nature—they were, in my opinion—you can’t argue the fact that the elation stemmed from President Obama losing at something. Anything that can be perceived as knocking dude down a peg is a…
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Gutsy Grayson Fires Back on Health Care Reform
Supporters of health care reform have been waiting for Democrats to re-energize the debate. Who knew slinging mud was the answer? Last week, Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida claimed that the Republican plan for health care is “don’t get sick,” and those who do should “die quickly.” His comments drew the ire of the GOP,…
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Where Is Our Jon Stewart?
Andrea King Collier is a blogger for The Root. Last night I tuned into “The Daily Show” and got a little mad. www.thedailyshow.com There is no doubt that Jon Stewart and his team of writers are not shy about going right for the jugular when it comes to things that matter, like health care, or…
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How Rio De Janeiro is like Barack Obama
Well, the word is in for the 2016 Olympics, and it’s not so pretty for my hometown, Chicago. After three rounds of voting in Copenhagen, Denmark, the International Olympic Committee announced that Rio de Janeiro will host the games, making it the first Olympics to be held in South America. That alone is news worth…
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"Brick City" Offers More Real Talk Than Pep Talks
Via Baratunde Thurston of Jack and Jill Politics, a stirring clip from Brick City, the Sundance Channel documentary on Newark, New Jersey and its Mayor, Cory Booker: I pulled this clip because I think it’s the most powerful monologue I’ve seen in a good long while. The speaker is not an actor, however. This is…
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On Health Care, Rep. Alan Grayson Calls Republicans "Neanderthals." Really?
Democratic Florida Congressman Alan Grayson has a bone to pick with the Republican party. Watch: He continued his tirade on CNN, calling the GOP more names. The Republican party may be many things, but “foot-dragging, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals”? I think not. As someone who spent 20 years in the GOP (I now consider myself an independent),…