| Getting rid of redistricting's snakes, earmuffs and pterodactyls Oct 27th 2012, 00:54 A gerrymandered congressional district often sticks out like . . . well, like a snake, a pair of earmuffs or a crab claw, to mention a few of the nicknames that the latest redistricting has inspired. A federal judge, looking at Maryland's new 3rd District, below right, said it reminded him of "a broken-winged pterodactyl." Read full article >>   |  | Editorial Board: The looming fiscal cliff Oct 26th 2012, 23:55 THE U.S. ECONOMY grew at a better-than-expected, but still sluggish, rate of 2 percent between July and September. Among the factors that contributed to growth were higher consumer spending and defense spending. Among the factors that retarded growth were a drop in net exports due to slowdowns in Europe and China, and — alarmingly — a 1.3 percent decline in non-housing business investment, the largest such quarterly drop since late 2009. Read full article >>   | | Editorial Board: China's Internet censors strike again Oct 26th 2012, 23:55 AS CHINA'S prime minister over the past decade, Wen Jiabao was often described as a populist and reformer, sometimes nicknamed "Grandpa Wen" because of his folksy willingness to meet ordinary people. One of Mr. Wen's refrains was that Chinese officials at all levels should declare their personal assets, and those of family members, in an effort to fight corruption. Mr. Wen suggested that the information should be published for all to see. Read full article >>   | | Editorial Board: Our choice on D.C. Charter amendments Oct 26th 2012, 23:55 MEMBERS OF the D.C. Council who misbehave — an occurrence that's sadly not outside the norm — may continue in public office as long as they are able to physically do the job (i.e., they are not in jail). Short of recall by voters or a plea deal that mandates resignation, they can't be dislodged. It's a hole in city law that was highlighted by the recent misdeeds of two now-former council members. Depending upon the outcome of ongoing federal investigations, it could come into play again. Read full article >>   | | Building a better 'fiscal cliff' Oct 26th 2012, 23:53 Once Election Day passes, attention will quickly turn to whether and how to avoid the "fiscal cliff." Neither presidential candidate has stepped up to fully embrace the Simpson-Bowles commission's recommendations. Neither has explicitly rejected them, either. That's promising because the panel offered a thoughtful, comprehensive plan to stabilize the federal debt over the next decade. A parallel effort by the Bipartisan Policy Center, led by one of us and Alice Rivlin, came to similar conclusions. Read full article >>   | | Still fighting the same old culture war Oct 26th 2012, 23:52 We shouldn't be talking about this silliness — Big Bird, "bulls----er" or a girl's "first time." We should be talking about The Issues, we keep telling ourselves. But in the waning days of the presidential campaign, these are the issues — binders full of cultural issues that continue to divide us and by which Barack Obama hopes to win reelection. Read full article >>   | | Mugging our descendants Oct 26th 2012, 23:52 The election-eve mood is tinged with sadness stemming from well-founded fear that America's new government is subverting America's old character. Barack Obama's agenda is a menu of temptations intended to change the nation's social norms by making Americans comfortable with the degradation of democracy. This degradation consists of piling up public debt that binds unconsenting future generations to finance current consumption. Read full article >>   | | D.C.'s cloudy election Oct 26th 2012, 23:51 Welcome to Washington, the District of Uncertainty. For the second consecutive election, D.C. voters head to the polls with clouds hovering over their elected leaders. This is no way to treat an electorate. Unfortunately, it has happened before. Read full article >>   | | When is a cyberattack an act of war? Oct 26th 2012, 23:35 On the night of Oct. 11, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stood inside the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, housed in a former aircraft carrier moored at a New York City pier, and let an audience of business executives in on one of the most important conversations inside the U.S. government. Read full article >> | | Jennifer Rubin: Friday question Oct 26th 2012, 21:00 The presidential race is coming down to a handful of states. Who wins and by how much in critical Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado? Give us your predictions and reasoning. Remember, all answers must be in by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. Read full article >>   | | How George McGovern inspired me Oct 26th 2012, 20:32 I had two encounters with George McGovern when I was young, close enough to get a clear impression of the man. He was one of the reasons that I became a journalist. It was popular then, in Richard Nixon's years, as now, to paint liberals as soft, wimpy, malleable and muddle-headed. That didn't describe McGovern. Read full article >> | | Behind the Clinton 'bromance,' a stealth campaign Oct 26th 2012, 19:54 How to explain this budding "bromance," as first lady Michelle Obama puts it, between her husband and Bill Clinton? The 44th president and the 42nd president are indeed having a whirlwind affair in the closing days of the campaign. President Obama takes Clinton on three campaign stops next week, stopping in Orlando, Youngstown, Ohio, and Northern Virginia to kick off the last full week of the race. Read full article >> | | Five myths about marathons Oct 26th 2012, 19:38 1. It's hard to secure a spot in a marathon. The New York City Marathon is so popular that it has a lottery system to distribute entries. And some races, like Boston's, do require a qualifying time to enter. But even in Boston, it is possible to get a spot without one. Read full article >>   | | Hurricane Sandy: 'Frankenstorm,' a government brainstorm Oct 26th 2012, 19:27 National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Jim Cisco realized a couple of things about Hurricane Sandy: 1) It was due to hit land along the Eastern seaboard just before Halloween; 2) It would gain strength and scariness as a tropical storm merging with a northeaster — "It represents the sum of multiple parts," says Chris Vaccaro, a spokesman for the National Weather Service. Read full article >>   | | Jennifer Rubin: Senate slipping Oct 26th 2012, 19:17 Like Stu Rothenberg ("States that historically have been competitive in presidential elections or tilted to the GOP are moving in that direction, even though just a month ago they were favoring Barack Obama") I see momentum on Mitt Romney's side in the presidential race. However in the Senate it appears increasingly unlikely that Republicans will get a majority, and they might not even pick up very many seats. So far the only certain pick up seems to be in Nebraska, where Deb Fischer seems to be cruising to victory. Read full article >>   | |
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