I’ve been a big fan of Newton Mayor Setti Warren, 19 months into his first term and now a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Scott Brown. As BlueMass Group pointed out, Setti has “the requisite political skills: The gift of gab; charisma; a strongly presented, concise, and …
As markets tank, politicians hit the links, oblivious
Recent memories of Cape Cod breezes, warm sunshine and gentle waves can’t dispel the acid taste left in the mouth by Congress’ despicable( and self-inflicted) game of chicken around raising the debt ceiling, followed by the eighth largest drop in stock market history. Small wonder that public disapproval of Congress is at 82 percent, according …
Continue reading As markets tank, politicians hit the links, oblivious
Surviving the debt ceiling crisis unscathed: highly unlikely
At times, the debt ceiling debate has resembled a schoolyard brawl. We’ve heard everything but “so’s your mother!” But this squabble, now a bloody slugfest, has gotten very dangerous and, even if resolved, will have serious consequences for our nation. Many experts now believe that Standard &Poor’s (or some other agency) will have no choice …
Continue reading Surviving the debt ceiling crisis unscathed: highly unlikely
Myra Kraft, a grand and grounded lady
Back on January 14, 2006, after winning three successive Superbowls, the New England Patriots lost the AFC Divisional playoff to Denver by a score of 27 to 13. For days most New England fans felt depressed, hung over, a knot in the pits of their stomachs.Two days after the loss, I stood behind Myra Kraft …
Partisan debt ceiling politics exasperating and dangerous
Former Senator Alan Simspon, a Wyoming Republican, just about summed up my reaction to the debt ceiling impasse. He said that the extent to which pettiness has overcome patriotism is nothing short of disgusting. Despite Republican longstanding charges about Obama’s failure to embrace “American exceptionalism,” it is not he who is prepared to risk the …
Continue reading Partisan debt ceiling politics exasperating and dangerous
The 14th Amendment: a solution to the debt ceiling impasse?
What better day than Independence Day to contemplate the meaning of the U. S. Constitution? What better issue to use as context than the current debate about raising the debt ceiling? Three groups of politicians, Republicans, Democrats and 59 Tea Party Congressmen, are at loggerheads. Sensible people among Republicans and Democrats know the debt ceiling …
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Much desired troop withdrawal from Afghanistan won’t be all happy endings
Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan will likely result in tragic outcomes, especially for women and children. But keeping U.S. forces there to prevent those problems would take many years, an unacceptable amount of resources and, in any event, would not, even then, guarantee success. That’s the bottom-line message to be taken from Congresswoman Niki …
Continue reading Much desired troop withdrawal from Afghanistan won’t be all happy endings
Whitey is evil incarnate, not Robin Hood
One Southie resident interviewed on television about Whitey Bulger’s capture shrugged, “he’s a mobster; everyone has to have a profession,” or words to that effect. Others remembered Whitey’s reputed largesse, leaving money with a priest so people would have a turkey on Thanksgiving or an overcoat in the winter. This is James “Whitey” Bulger’s mythology, …
Obama’s real deficit problem is the lack of enthusiasm among his supporters
If President Obama loses his reelection bid in 2012, it may be because he has disappointed so many who had such high hopes for him in 2008. This surely is not true for a relative handful of individuals, who bundled campaign contributions and raised a lot of money for the President, and who were richly …
Continue reading Obama’s real deficit problem is the lack of enthusiasm among his supporters
Lesson of DiMasi: we can’t always bet on the character of those who lead us
If there’s one thing to be learned from the sad demise of former House Speaker Sal DiMasi, it’s the need for transparency, doing the people’s business in the people view. If there’s one place it should be applied immediately, it’s in the dealings around casinos for Massachusetts that surely are going on behind closed doors.There …
Continue reading Lesson of DiMasi: we can’t always bet on the character of those who lead us
Marjorie Arons-Barron 