Suspend the Rules

There was a time when many in this country called for disciplined political parties in which the members marched in locked step and the voters could figure out who was doing what to whom. That was about responsible parties, not minority government. No one suggested that 41 senators had the right to block the efforts of 59.

Government preparedness in the face of disaster

I’m delighted that the Health Care bill has passed. But everybody else is talking about it. So I’m going to talk about something else.

Our son, Eli, an engineer who has worked on the design of large buildings from Mexico to Moscow, explained some things to me about the recent quakes in Haiti and Chile.

Israeli Settlements

First I need to fly my colors. In the forties, movie theaters used to show news films between double features. I remember films, when I was very small, of allied soldiers at the gates of concentration camps. I have always cared about the survival of Israel.

Majority Rights

Senate rules require sixty votes to end a filibuster. With threats of filibusters, Republican senators have been blocking virtually all legislation in Washington, insisting that the majority of Americans have to live by the way that the forty percent minority are willing to allow.

A History Lesson for the Radical Wrong

The new self-styled conservatives have been telling Americans that the Founders rejected central banks, that the Founders rejected business regulation, that the Founders rejected letting government into running businesses or providing services.

It’s time for a history lesson.