Watching dysfunctional Washington is profoundly, naggingly depressing, leaving one having to work hard to count our blessings, of which there are assuredly many. Typically, those blessings are related to home, hearth and health, family and friends. Against the backdrop of consistently gloomy national news, an occasional story comes along that does lift the spirits and is important …
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Fiscal cliff debate looking more like Thelma and Louise
When it comes to the fiscal cliff, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are looking more and more like Thelma and Louise. And John Boehner seems incapable of stopping the plunge. President Obama has shown he is capable of compromise. Buoyed by his election results, he had said that an increase in the tax …
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Will Newtown be any different?
How many times after a tragic shooting have we heard politicians say, in the guise of respect for the victims. "this isn't the time" to talk about gun control. White House spokesman Jay Carney used the same language on Friday. “There is, I’m sure, will be, rather, discussion of the usual Washington policy debates, but I …
Kerry’s the man, at least for State
I don't doubt it. Senator John Kerry could be a close to perfect Secretary of State. All aspects of his life have prepared him for the job, save for running a large bureaucracy. UN Ambassador Susan Rice has been touted as the President's first choice. They have been close allies since she started advising him on foreign policy …
T has your life in its hands
Riding the T the other day from Newton to Kenmore, I found myself paying extra close attention to the driver. She was efficient, friendly and seemed very alert. I resisted the temptation to ask her if she felt well, if she had had a good night's sleep and if she was holding down two (or, …
McGovern urges return to politics of people skills
The wall of failed 1972 liberal Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern's Washington office bore a photo of failed 1964 conservative Republican nominee Barry Goldwater with the inscription, "If you're going to lose, lose big." Both lost in landslides, disagreed on any number of issues, but they were friends, joined by humor and good will. Worcester Congressman …
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Overriding Prop 2 1/2 still a stretch
It has been a decade since Newton voters approved a Prop 2 and 1/2 override, and Mayor Setti Warren would like to change that. Accordingly, he has worked hard not to make the same mistake as did his predecessor, namely, going for an override before putting the Garden City's fiscal house in order and making sure …
Boston students deserve more learning, less busing
This fall, after 27 months of bitter negotiations, the Boston Teachers Union accepted a contract providing new forms of teacher evaluation and remediation for under-performing teachers. At the same time, they turned thumbs down on extending the school day by 45 minutes. That's a pity because, if there's one things students need, it's more time in …
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Hope springs, at least for now
Congress returns to work tomorrow, and there are a few reasons to be hopeful that the two parties may be able to negotiate a solution to the fiscal crisis, the so-called fiscal cliff that looms ahead. House Speaker John Boehner has indicated that he would accept new revenues (elimination of deductions and exemptions if not an …
John Tierney: snatching victory from the jaws of defeat
Just as the Boston Herald was unable to sway voters with obsessively demeaning Elizabeth Warren as an affirmative action princess "Fauxcohontas," so too did the Boston Globe fail to run John Tierney out of office, using barrels and barrels of ink to repeat the slimy story alleging Tierney must have known about the money that wife …
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Marjorie Arons-Barron 