 | Who's not bargaining in good faith? Dec 3rd 2012, 00:41 Put Social Security on the table — clearly and irrevocably. Protecting retiree benefits is the left's political equivalent of the right's "no new taxes" pledge. Congressional Republicans are abandoning their untenable position. Now it is time for President Obama and congressional Democrats to do the same. As long as they don't, they aren't bargaining in good faith, or in the national interest. Read full article >>   | | Why sane bargaining looks strange Dec 3rd 2012, 00:40 An entirely new political narrative is taking shape before our eyes, yet many in Washington are still stuck in the old one. President Obama's victory blew up the framework created by the 2010 elections, which forced him to play defense. Now, he finally has room to move. That's the only way to understand the ongoing budget talks. Read full article >>   | | An intolerable status quo in Bahrain Dec 3rd 2012, 00:38 During my 25 years as a lawyer and human rights advocate, I've been in many courtrooms in many places. But I've never seen anything quite like what I recently witnessed in Bahrain. I sat in on one of the hearings for the 28 medics being prosecuted after treating injured protesters during the democratic uprising last year. Read full article >> | | Editorial Board: Saving taxpayer money on Tricare Dec 3rd 2012, 00:15 IN THE POLITICS of defense spending, cutting expensive weapons programs plays the role that taxing the wealthy plays in the overall fiscal debate. Though undoubtedly necessary to any credible plan, it is far from sufficient. Yet advocates often talk as if reining in Pentagon spending is all about wasteful weapons. Read full article >>   | | Editorial Board: A yea on disabilities Dec 3rd 2012, 00:11 THE UNITED STATES has made great progress over the past two decades in opening opportunities for people with disabilities. Many other countries lag far behind. That's why the U.S. Senate ought to ratify a U.N. treaty on rights for people with disabilities, a vote that's scheduled for Tuesday. Read full article >>   | | Editorial Board: Running on fumes Dec 3rd 2012, 00:00 THE LAST TIME Virginia made a real effort to increase annual revenue for transportation, state lawmakers heeded the call of then-Gov. Gerald L. Baliles. "The cost is high, there's no question," said Mr. Baliles, a Democrat. "But be assured that the cost of failing to act will be far greater." Read full article >> | | Recklessly commercializing pot Dec 2nd 2012, 23:40 Regarding the Nov. 26 editorial "What should the feds do about pot?": The new laws of Colorado and Washington state do not simply decriminalize marijuana; they commercialize its production and sale, thus creating a major commercialized drug industry. These laws are explicitly modeled on the tobacco and alcohol industries — industries that make the bulk of their profits from substance abusers. Marijuana has 60 percent more cancer-causing agents than tobacco and stays in the body and brain 20 times longer than alcohol. There are overwhelming public health reasons to oppose legalization of marijuana. Read full article >> | | Vital assistance for ailing vets Dec 2nd 2012, 23:36 I would like to thank Steve Vogel ["A Vietnam veteran finally comes home," The Fed Page, Nov. 23] for shedding light on a serious yet overlooked issue facing veterans. Although a certain portion of resources, such as housing vouchers, is designated for veterans, the demand greatly exceeds what is available. The program mentioned in the article, HUD-VASH, is unique in its service to veterans, especially those with chronic mental illnesses, and in its commitment to "housing first." Unlike many other housing assistance programs, HUD-VASH does not require a veteran with a substance abuse issue or mental illness to be sober or compliant with treatment to receive services. Read full article >> | | Dec 2nd 2012, 23:31 The time is long overdue for King Grover, the self-appointed guardian of taxation, to abdicate and leave the governing of this nation to our elected representatives ["Grover Norquist faces huge test as Republicans flirt with deserting his pledge," front page, Nov. 27]. The Constitution granted Congress the power "to lay and collect taxes ... to pay the debts ... " (Article I, Section 8). It did not give unelected, private citizens such as Mr. Norquist the authority to usurp those powers by intimidating the elected representatives of the people. Read full article >> | | Dec 2nd 2012, 23:31 The Nov. 30 front-pager article "Obama offers plan for 'cliff'" notes that the president's plan strictly meets Democratic standards and offers no concessions to Republicans. In other words, it is designed to fail. Read full article >> | | Jennifer Rubin: Distinguished pol of the week Dec 2nd 2012, 12:46 Most of the attention this week was on the fiscal cliff negotiations. But whether it is Benghazi, the vote on the Palestinians' status at the United Nations, Gaza, Syria or defense sequestration cuts, foreign policy challenges abound. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) has chosen, as Hillary Clinton did, to put her nose to the grindstone and develop expertise in national security as a freshman. Last week she made the transition from junior senator to one of the three "amigos" along with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R- S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), who will remain the most influential and experienced national security leaders on Capitol Hill. Read full article >>   | |
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