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How Kamala Harris Can Be a Pro-Voting Rights President
In a moment when hostile state legislators have used unlawful redistricting efforts and discriminatory voting laws to attack our electoral systems, Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has committed to protecting our democracy.
On the campaign trail, Harris has promised to push for passage of essential federal voting rights ...Read more
The Real Fight, Now
I’m feeling optimistic about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
I want to put this extraordinary moment into context.
Like many of you, I’ve worked my heart out during elections. (My first one was in 1968, when I went “clean for Gene” — Eugene McCarthy — shaved off my beard and organized volunteers to go door-to-door for the anti-Vietnam ...Read more
Democrats are Trying to Offer Voters a Reflection of Themselves, Only Better
Perhaps the most memorable moment of this year’s Democratic convention came the night before Kamala Harris officially accepted the party’s nomination for president.
It was no simple matter for anyone to follow a lineup of such stars as Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder and Barack and Michelle Obama, just to name a few.
But countless eyes and TV...Read more
She Nailed It
Kamala Harris did exactly what she needed to do. She introduced herself to the American people. She addressed the most important issues facing our country. She drew sharply the contrast with Donald Trump, a small and unserious man who is a serious danger to American freedoms. She displayed the force and command that qualifies her to be ...Read more
Cut the Defense Budget by 97.5%
The United States is one of the most politically polarized countries in the world. Because effective lawmaking requires bipartisanship, and members of Congress are, like their constituents, at their most ideologically divided point in a half-century, cooperation is in increasingly short supply. As a result -- or, more precisely, nonresult -- ...Read more
It's a Whole New Democratic Party Now
Greetings from Chicago and, as Rep. Jamie Raskin called it, “The Democracy Convention.”
My first convention, as a staffer for then-governor and presidential candidate Jerry Brown, was in 1976. As a delegate, volunteer, or reporter, I’d attended every Democratic convention since, but I decided to skip this one - until Joe Biden stepped ...Read more
Having a Baby at 40 and Giving Women the Space to Make Decisions for Themselves
When I told my neighbor that my son had sisters 15 and 19 years older than him, her eyes flew open. She wasn't shocked; she was so relieved to hear this and had questions. Her son is about to turn 2 and she's been feeling the pressure to have another baby now instead of waiting. Women hear so much advice when it comes to children, and one of ...Read more
Politicians and the Kitchen Table
This morning, I had breakfast in a street corner joint called "Rosaria's." Rosaria is the woman who owns the place. She cooks. One of her daughters waits tables. One of her nieces waits tables.
I paid $8.99 for a pulled pork omelet that came with hash browns, toast and coffee. There was plenty of pork in the omelet, and the waitress came by ...Read more
Gutsy Republicans Are Quiet Stars of the Democrats' Convention
The Democratic National Convention has been a lively dance party featuring the usual lineup of partisan speakers. Barack Obama, as usual, charmed the crowd, mocking Donald Trump's obsession over crowd size with a subtle but unmistakable hand gesture.
One of the most moving speeches, however, was a quiet address by Stephanie Grisham. Trump's ...Read more
The Obama Magic Can't Change a Close Election
It was that kind of night. The Obama Magic was on prime display.
Warning the country of the kind of attack that they should expect Kamala Harris will be on the receiving end of, Michelle Obama said:
"My husband and I sadly know a little something about this. For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. ...Read more
The Wizard and the Hillbilly: Weird Politics
Picture Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, as young, beautiful Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," being blown away in a storm and, in the end, coming face to face with the scary wizard.
And there he is, a blowhard behind a green curtain, shouting into the wind. In the movie, the wizard looks like former President ...Read more
The Changing Meaning of 'Work' -- And the Idea of 'Boss Man'
"Big Boss Man," an old song by blues legend Jimmy Reed, still packs a potent political punch for today's working class:
You got me workin', boss man, working 'round the clock
I wanna little drink of water, but you won't let Jimmy stop
Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call?
But then, Reed urges workers to see how small the ...Read more
Maybe It’s In the Air. A Timely Step Toward Semiretirement.
As one who sympathized and empathized with President Joe Biden, I was relieved when he decided to step aside for a younger generation of presidential contenders.
Seeing the unmitigated joy — and relief — that seemed to erupt nationwide, suddenly I, too, decided to take a symbolic step toward semiretirement just in time for this year’s ...Read more
Tower of Babble: It's a Lot Worse Than 'Weird'
On the bright side, the Trump era has doubtless reinforced the age-old nostrum that in America, absolutely anyone can be president. Shallow, unread and uninterested, fundamentally infantile and deeply narcissistic, Donald Trump's enduring lesson to America is this: just say anything.
And say anything Mr. Trump has. The Carnival Barker-in-...Read more
The Bitter Biden Story Could Be Baloney
Joe Biden's decision to leave the Democratic National Convention right after opening night makes sense. Being president is a full-time job, and he has to get back to the office.
But the more sexy story is that Biden's decision to not stick around reflects bitterness over how party officials pressured him to withdraw from the race. That he ...Read more
Why a Harris Presidency Promises Hope for LGBTQ Rights
For the past four years, the Biden-Harris administration has made LGBTQ rights a cornerstone of its policy agenda. Among other efforts, the Biden-Harris administration has consistently sued states to block anti-trans laws and policies, including asking the Supreme Court to lift bans on medically necessary health care for trans adolescents.
...Read more
We Thank You, Joe
Tonight’s opening of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago will be an opportunity for the Democratic Party and the nation to take stock of Joe Biden’s term of office and thank him for his service.
He still has five months to go as president, of course, but the baton has been passed.
Biden’s singular achievement has been to change...Read more
Beyond Boring
Donald Trump, with his familiar rants and raves, is definitely boring. But it's beyond that.
He is a man who is out of control. He often sounds demented and divorced from reality, raising the question of whether he really is suffering from progressive dementia. It certainly sounds like it.
For weeks now, his aides and allies have been urging...Read more
Don't Negotiate Against Yourselves, Lefties
Anyone who has experience haggling at a flea market has intuited the basics of negotiating. If a seller offers the item you want at a fire-sale price that you're unlikely to find elsewhere, smile, pay the asking price and walk away before they change their mind. If the requested price is many times higher than you're willing to pay, just walk ...Read more
Why Books by W. Bruce Cameron Are a Family Staple
Every reader has a favorite book and a favorite author. Every parent has a one they'd love to pass on to their children. In our family, that author is W. Bruce Cameron, and in a plot twist, he's an author my daughter and I discovered together.
Cameron's book "A Dog's Purpose" hit the shelves in 2010, and though an adult novel, it quickly became...Read more