Former state rep and state senator Warren Tolman, whose bid for state attorney general has the backing of four former AG's, has always said he was taking candidate Maura Healey seriously, and well he should. While Tolman, who previously ran for lieutenant governor (on the ticket with Scott Harshbarger) and for governor, has been working as a consultant, …
Katherine Clark: too new to be cynical?
At least 16 Democrats will not seek reelection to the House of Representatives this fall. No surprise there, given that they are outnumbered 233 to 200 (with two vacant seats), and the Republican majority has no interest in power-sharing, collaboration or even communicating. Among the 51 Tea Party Representatives are some who take pride in …
Juliette Kayyem belongs in the gubernatorial field
At first blush, one wonders what former state and federal Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem has done that would prepare her to be governor of Massachusetts, overseeing a more than $6o billion budget and God knows how many departments, agencies, boards and authorities. Her Boston Globe columns on national security matters were often interesting but hardly …
Continue reading Juliette Kayyem belongs in the gubernatorial field
Kerry said the “A” word; so have many Israelis
Secretary of State John Kerry prompted a diplomatic gasp and a Ted Cruz hissy fit by warning of the dangers of apartheid if Israel and the Palestinians can't achieve a workable two-state solution. Kerry's private comment was uncharacteristically undiplomatic but not without truth. A Boston Globe editorial sums up succinctly Israel's dilemma if a two-state solution fails …
Continue reading Kerry said the “A” word; so have many Israelis
Military moves (slowly) on sexual assault
Reports of rape and sexual assault were up 50 percent last year, according to a Pentagon study released on Thursday. What's unclear is whether that reflects more reporting or more assaults. And what of the record in bringing justice to victims (of both sexes, by the way)? Recently, the U. S. Navy reassigned a Blue Angels …
Pol ties to gambling have implications for state races
On May 5, the state's Supreme Judicial Court will take up the question of Attorney General Martha Coakley's rejection of a ballot referendum to repeal the Massachusetts casino law. She concluded in December, 2011 that the referendum should be a no-go. The repeal, it seems, would break the implied contract between the gaming (the industry's preferred synonym for …
Continue reading Pol ties to gambling have implications for state races
Palestine/Israel negotiations: no partners for peace
The latest bad news from the Middle East is that the Palestinian Authority (the Fatah faction) has entered a "unity pact" with militant group Hamas, which has pledged never to recognize the right of Israel to exist. The talks were set to end next week, and, even before the "unity pact," it was highly uncertain …
Continue reading Palestine/Israel negotiations: no partners for peace
U.S. to Ukraine: another broken pledge?
Life has taken a Cold War Turn, and I find myself almost missing Ronald Reagan and his willingness to stand up to the Russians. Ten years ago, Ukraine was the third most powerful nuclear power in the world. It dismantled its nuclear arsenal in exchange for the Budapest Memorandum "commitment" by Russia, Britain and the …
Marathon musings: who is a hero?
Don't read this if you're tired of the non-stop coverage of the Marathon bombing. Don't read it if you're not touched in some way by the tragedy that befell individual runners and bystanders or disturbed by the assault on our community. Have there been efforts to capitalize on the grief and memorialization of the event? The profit …
Shame on Brandeis
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is, indeed, a controversial figure, especially for the vehemence with which she has criticized Islamic fundamentalism. Just read her memoir Infidel, and you'll understand why. Her childhood was spent in Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Kenya, where she survived genital mutilation, physical and emotional abuse, parental attempts at forced marriage and all the forms …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 