"When they go low, we go high," is Michelle Obama's credo. Last night, her husband exemplified that commitment. He spoke to the best that is in the American people, the power of faith, the ability of ordinary people to come together over shared values. We will remain the most powerful and respected nation on earth …
Continue reading Obama still stands for hope, alloyed with action
Was it 50 or 60 times the GOP has voted to end Obamacare? With an incoming President who has called the law "a disaster," the oft-repeated move can now become reality, and the Republicans own it. But their move to repeal and, over several years, replace the Affordable Care Act is a recipe for chaos. …
Continue reading Mend it, don’t end it, and call it Trumpcare
Donald Trump's egregiously right-wing nominee to be ambassador to Israel, his diplomatically challenged bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman, may please Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But his nomination doesn't augur well for growing divisions within the American Jewish community or American-Israeli relations. In addition to enthusiastically embracing unlimited West Bank settlement expansion and opposing a two-state solution to …
Continue reading Settlements bad; UN Resolution doesn’t help
As befits the season, here are some little gifts, selected headlines I'd like to see next year. I have little expectation they will top newspapers or tease newscasts. Still, a gal can dream. Please add your own in the comments section below. President Trump, recognizing nation's division, names Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. President Trump reforms Affordable Care …
Shortly before Elizabeth Warren announced her Senate candidacy, my husband asked her what past senators were her consumer protection role models and where on the spectrum between William Proxmire and Phil Hart she'd place herself. Proxmire was a maverick legislator, renowned for creating the Golden Fleece Award, sarcastically given to public officials who wasted taxpayer money, and for being unwilling to play …
The world was simpler when Donald Trump was merely spouting off slogans or saying offensive things at rallies. But every day brings worse news. The three a.m. tweets, which once showcased his ignorance and lack of discipline, now have real-life consequences, and they're not for the faint of heart. Trump's leadership picks are grotesque, a story of crony capitalism. It …
Continue reading Donald Trump: the gift that keeps on giving
What does that mean? I want Donald Trump to succeed for the good of the country. I want the great national divisions to heal and intentional conflicts to abate. I want the economy to do well, and its benefits shared by all. I want to have hope in the future. But what will be the …
So, Jill Stein, whose morally smug supporters modestly helped to sink the Clinton campaign, now wants to do recounts in precisely those states where her votes exceeded Trump's margin over Clinton. For what? To hope she gets fewer votes and is less tarred with Ralph Nader infamy? Or is it just to put more money …
Critics of my blogs may be delighted to know that my operating system was corrupted, and I have been without a computer for two weeks. It was a most peculiar time to be silenced. Hallelujah, the tech crisis is over. But the inability to post provided an interesting time for reflection. I have never seen a reaction …
Governor Charlie Baker took a hit on election day, but those who smell blood in the water are seriously mistaken. Baker supported expanding charter schools, Question Two on the ballot. He was right on the issue, but the expansion referendum went down in flames. He opposed legalizing marijuana. That, too, made sense. But despite his efforts and …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 