WASHINGTON — By 1915, the United States was the world’s richest nation — and yet, most Americans were dirt poor by today’s standards. Adjusted for inflation, men’s average wages were about a third of what full-time workers now earn. The average work week in manufacturing hovered around 50 hours, and many employees worked a half […]
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Public tired of ‘establishment’ Republicans
Just as Donald Trump did a Super Tuesday stomp on the Republican establishment, the establishment showed why it deserved the rough treatment. The Republican Senate leadership yet again announced its refusal to consider anyone President Obama nominates for the Supreme Court until after the presidential election. It is the job of the U.S. Senate to […]
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Libyan war haunts Clinton campaign
An allied coalition is now waging overt and covert war in Libya. It looks a bit like the so-called coalition attacking ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq. We can’t be certain, for the anti-ISIL coalition has as much political and military operational unity as a spilled box of Crackerjacks. However, verified troop deployments demonstrate protecting […]
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Choosing between the least evil of two lessers
I was going to write about how the Republican presidential campaign has become gutter politics, but given Donald Trump’s horrid statements, the gutter would be a step up, because things have descended into the sewer. Never in modern times has there been a presidential candidate who has hurled more personal insults and hurtful accusations at […]
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In Hollywood, do people of color exist?
Chris Rock said everything that needed to be said. Almost. The burgeoning controversy over the blindingly white field of Oscar nominees made Sunday’s 88th Academy Awards a potential minefield. Rock, fearless, funny and, fortuitously, African American, was exactly the right host at precisely the right time. He contextualized the controversy, pointing out that this is […]
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Youth vote the bane of progressives
What happened in the South Carolina primary? Bernie Sanders was asked. “We got decimated, that’s what happened,” he responded. Here was Sanders at his best. Brutally honest. Averse to spin. Though the independent from Vermont vows to fight on, his lopsided loss in pivotal South Carolina makes his prospects for winning the Democratic nomination increasingly […]
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CEA report offers new theory on inequality
WASHINGTON — Thumbing through the annual report of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is always an education. This year’s 430-page edition is no exception, but the most fascinating discussion concerns economic inequality — a hot topic in the presidential campaign. To remind: The figures are stunning. From 1975 to 2014, the share […]
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Trump’s authoritarian side appeals to many
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If the durability of Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy has taken the political world by surprise, the sources of his electoral strength are no mystery. And the support he’s winning reflects a crisis not only for the Republican and conservative coalitions, but also for the political system as a whole. Let it be […]
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Beware, the Democrats are coming
The anti-Trump onslaught is coming. Perhaps within weeks. Just not necessarily from Republicans. Almost as soon as Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee — which may be as early as March 15 — Democrats will surely start to churn out their negative ads. They will attack Trump’s credentials as a tribune of the little […]
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Obama’s immigration plan has benefits
The following editorial appears on Bloomberg View: A big part of the case against President Barack Obama’s immigration policy, led by Texas, is that it imposes undue costs on states. But as the Supreme Court considers the policy — arguments are expected in April — it ought to consider the benefits as well. Two new […]