From Gary Hart’s America’s Next Chapter: “Ralph Waldo Emerson noted the political oscillations between the party of memory and the party of hope, the party of conservatism and the party of innovation. Henry Adams believed that ‘a period of about 12 years measured the beat of the pendulum’ during the era of the founders. Arthur [...]
From the Rutland Herald’s Poultney superintendent departs amid feud: “The relationship between the Poultney School District and its superintendent is so frayed there’s a chance the state troopers might be called on to escort [her] from the town’s high school graduation ceremonies today.”
From the NY Times Magazine’s The Aria of Chris Matthews: “The broader issue involves whether Matthews is a man trapped in a tired caricature. And it touches on the future of his archetype in general — in other words, whither the cable blowhard? The ‘What happens to Chris’ question — a hot topic at NBC [...]
From the New Republic’s Meet John ‘Dubya’ McCain: “Weaned by a military family on the lessons of that most classically Manichaean of modern conflicts, World War II, and psychologically defined by his own maverick streak, McCain’s worldview may be more instinctual than intellectual. But it doesn’t matter. Like Cold War conservatives, McCain has taken a [...]
March 28, 2008 – 03:31 pm
From Alternet’s The Wright Controversy Revealed America’s Gutless, Panicky, Deeply Insecure Side: “The point is that a country that had any balls at all — that was secure enough in its patriotic self-image to stare vicious criticism right in the face and collectively decide for itself, in a state of sober reflection, what part of [...]
March 25, 2008 – 03:17 pm
From Democracy’s What’s Next: “Democracy always has seen its role as revitalizing and renewing progressive thinking for a new century. Usually, we focus on ideas instead of policies—on overarching approaches rather than the specific proposals which follow from them. But, at this moment, we believe that it is critical to do something slightly different and [...]
March 10, 2008 – 11:45 am
From Alternet’s Theocracy Rejected: Former Christian Right Leaders ‘Fess up: “Frank Schaeffer, John Whitehead and Cal Thomas have repudiated the theocratic movement they once led. Here’s why.”
From Alternet’s Why Attempts at Prison Reform Keep Failing: “A bloated prison system is against the country’s best interests. Yet ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric has gotten in the way…Policy reform usually only comes once those in power recognize public support for measures otherwise considered too politically risky.”
February 19, 2008 – 03:21 am
From Stanley Fish’s When Identity Politics Is Rational: “We should distinguish, I think, between two forms of identity politics. The first I have…named ‘tribal’; it is the politics based on who a candidate is rather than on what he or she believes or argues for…The second form of identity politics is what I call ‘interest’ [...]
February 18, 2008 – 12:51 pm
From Alternet’s Is a Liberal Renaissance in the Making?: “Your whole life teaches you that to be a progressive in America is to make Sisyphus look like a slacker. Hey, at least he got to the top of the mountain once in a while! Even if it was all for naught, that’s still a lot [...]
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