For all of his hundreds of millions spent in promoting his candidacy in polished and effective ads, billionaire philanthropist and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg bombed in his first appearance on the Democratic presidential debate stage. He would have been well served had he hired Boston-based consultant and political advisor Michael Goldman. Goldman shared …
Category: Politics
Shrieks, howls, fur flying, blood drawn: meet the Democrats
Will Rogers famously said, "I'm not a member of any organized political party; I'm a Democrat." That boisterous, fractious, messy, irritating group was on full display in last night's debate. Despite reminders that "there's more that unites us than divides us," all six candidates at some point attacked and drew blood in a way most …
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Jake Auchincloss: a top-tier player in race to fill Kennedy’s seat
With all eyes on the Presidential contest, it’s still important to keep focus on down-ballot races. With Cong. Joe Kennedy challenging U.S. Senate stalwart and climate change expert Ed Markey, more than seven candidates are vying to fill Kennedy’s fourth congressional district seat. The leaders (at least in fundraising) are City Year founder Alan Khazei, …
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Downer Days for Democrats and Independents
If you believe in the U. S. Constitution, the dignity of the Presidency, the value of science, the importance of truth, civility and commitment to oaths to which one has sworn, this week has been a nightmare for you. and for me. Donald J. Trump has been acquitted in his impeachment trial, the State of …
Too much down-side risk with Bernie Sanders
If the latest Iowa polls are to be believed, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are the front-runners. Since the peculiarities of caucus system turnout favor Bernie, he is poised to win in Iowa. The Vermont senator also appears to be well ahead in New Hampshire, and he could upset expectations in Nevada. It is …
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Impeachment: these truths should be self-evident
Watching the impeachment trial, waiting for the Senate decision on relevant witnesses versus brazen cover-up, I keep thinking about three ridiculous arguments made by President Trump’s defenders and echoed incessantly on Fox and its spillover social media and blogosphere. I have received considerable input on these legal considerations from my husband, Jim Barron, an attorney …
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New York Times comes down squarely on both sides
editorial board deserves some praise for revealing its process for endorsing in the Democratic Presidential primary. Some, far smaller, newspapers started years ago to post their candidate interviews on their websites. Last night, The Times expanded its weekly documentary, "The Weekly," from 30 minutes to one hour, to provide a video including several candidate interview …
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Senate proceedings against Trump a trial for us all
Though cynics may mock it as a bit theatrical, the somber demeanor of House leaders delivering the the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate did fit the gravity of the event. Understanding the importance of the message conveyed by the picture, the pit in my stomach only grew as Chief Justice John Roberts and then …
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Missing Tim Russert; Chuck Todd disappoints
It wasn’t just Buffalo’s NFL Wild Card loss yesterday that got me thinking about long-suffering Bills fan Tim Russert, who set the gold standard for a tough but fair Sunday news show interviewer. When Chuck Todd eventually became his successor on Meet the Press, I was heartened. For years, Todd had been a data-driven analyst …
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Headlines to look for in 2020
2020 vision gives us clarity to see the world around us. 2020 hindsight is a way of understanding where we got it wrong in the past. Today, my New Year's gift to you is a list of headlines I hope to see in 2020. Some are the triumph of hope over experience. Some are aspirational …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 