Of all the unexpected ironies, of all the unanticipated turns in the Republican presidential race, it’s possible that Donald Trump has been hurt by telling the truth. Trump himself must be reeling from such a development and has probably by now vowed to return to lying and bluster seasoned with personal insult but the fact […]
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Conflicting opinions about recession remain
WASHINGTON — It’s economists versus the stock market. Economists generally don’t forecast a recession anytime soon. The stock market does — or at least that’s one plausible interpretation of its recent roller-coaster behavior. Who’s right? We’ll know in a few months. Meanwhile, the dispute highlights the incomplete nature of the present recovery, which has lasted […]
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South Korea learns a difficult lesson
The latest closure of the jointly-administered South Korea-North Korea Kaesong Industrial Region illustrates the limitations of over-reliance on “soft power” — in this case, Seoul’s well-intentioned economic and diplomatic power — when confronting a vicious dictatorship that relies on “hard power” military might and terror for survival and prestige. That describes the North Korean regime […]
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Election 2000 provides model for Dems today
The death of Antonin Scalia has set off yet another epic partisan struggle as Senate Republicans seek to deny President Obama his constitutional right to nominate the next Supreme Court justice. They want to wait out Obama’s last year in office, hoping his successor will be one of their own. If the Democrats choose Bernie […]
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GOP’s obstructionism reflects its fears
This was three days before Antonin Scalia died. President Obama had just spoken before the Illinois General Assembly. Now, he and some old friends, all retired from that body, were being interviewed by the Los Angeles Times. Obama was talking about the legislative gridlock that has marked his terms and how he might have avoided […]
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Much at stake in naming Scalia’s successor
Few people in modern history have fulfilled their oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution” more than the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia was so well respected that the Senate voted 98-0 in 1986 to confirm him. These days it would be difficult to get a unanimous vote in support of Mother’s Day. It […]
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GOP plan unproven, could hurt public
No one wants to get a bigger property tax bill while getting fewer services for their hard-earned money. No parent wants to see their kids’ classroom sizes grow while their school’s offerings shrink. This is what I am my fellow Democrats keep in mind as we debate tax conformity at the State House. The Maine […]
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Trump taps into voters’ disgust with politics
Donald Trump’s crushing across-the-board victory in New Hampshire had the breadth and depth that one would expect of a future nominee. If the result doesn’t shake the lazy complacency about Trump that has held in Republican circles for months — and was reinforced by his disappointing Iowa finish — nothing will. The question is no […]
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Will GOP support smart programs?
WASHINGTON — For the first time since the modern budget process was initiated more than 40 years ago, the Republican chairs of the Senate and House Budget committees announced that they would not invite the president’s budget director to testify. What seems like an act of disrespect for President Obama may also have reflected frustration […]
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A simple question, but not a simple answer
“Are you anti-abortion?” That question, from a colleague, caught me by surprise. After all, she knows I’ve written a number of pro-choice columns. “I know you’re pro-choice,” she added, reading my mind. “But I was wondering if you’re anti-abortion.” I knew where this was coming from. She had just finished reading the first draft of […]