I agree with this four-year-old child in Colorado, driven to tears by the election. Politico made public that National Public Radio apologized to this adorable child whose pain I share. I find I'm repeating to myself the NPR mantra of "only a few more days, only a few more days, only a few more days." I'm sick …
Category: Politics
Leading newspaper wimps out on editorial endorsements
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has announced it will no longer endorse political candidates, except in some rare undefined instances. What a travesty! Let's face it. A newspaper or television station's endorsement of a candidate probably has little impact on how most people cast their ballots on the highest visibility races. But that newspaper or television …
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Obama wins on substance; Romney, on strategy
The Mitt Romney who showed up at last night's foreign policy debate agreed with President Obama on the majority of issues discussed and points raised. And, because the President has been dealing with them on the ground for nearly four years, he spoke with greater specificity, authenticity and authority. But, even though Mitt Romney did a …
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George McGovern a rare model of courage and commitment:R.I.P.
South Dakota Senator George McGovern's 1972 run for the White House was the last Presidential campaign I ever worked on. My journalistic career appropriately barred political involvement. But, as a good and decent man who stood up for what he believed in and never wavered, he remained in my heart. His shattering loss to Richard …
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Stirring the pot on medical marijuana
Recently I wrote a blog indicating I was tilting yes on Question 3 on medical marijuana. I'm still leaning that way, but I was given pause by a response I received from an individual in law enforcement in California whom I respect but who, because of his position, does not want to be identified. According …
Score one for Obama
President Obama woke up. In last night's debate, he was feisty and factual, conveying that he actually wants another four years and that he is engaged enough to do the job. Mitt Romney, stylistically, didn't give an inch. He was aggressive, bordering on rude and offensive (to the President and the moderator) but, on most issues, …
Controlling the quality of dying
When it comes down to the last weeks and days of an excruciating dying process, it's all about options. If I am terminally ill, determined by my physician to be within six months of dying from an incurable and irreversible disease, then I want my physician to be able to prescribe medication that will allow …
Biden, Ryan debate reassuring to bases
Last night's vice presidential debate, expertly moderated by ABC's Martha Raddatz (a former Channel 5 colleague), was engaging, high energy, substantively revealing, stylistically contrasting, and reassuring to partisans on both sides. (David Brooks' piece in today's NY Times see this as a generational divide.) Vice President Joe Biden had facts, passion, authenticity, and an often …
Warren, Brown face-off best debate yet
Elizabeth Warren turned in her best performance yet in last night's debate against Senator Scott Brown, and he, in turn, also largely focused on the issues, with just half the snarky "professor" labels as in the last debate and, thankfully, no return to the tired Cherokee attacks of past encounters. The result was a distillation …
Tilting yes on medical marijuana referendum
For years, as an editorialist, I supported the medical use of marijuana. I anguished when a cancer-stricken friend, deathly ill from the side effects of chemotherapy, was afraid to smoke pot because it was illegal, notwithstanding reports that doing so could significantly alleviate her symptoms. That's just not fair. Access to marijuana for medical purposes …
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Marjorie Arons-Barron 