George Will’s defense of the filibuster relies on his contention that “98 percent of good governance consists of stopping bad — meaning most — ideas.” But the filibuster doesn’t only stop bad ideas. It stopped the Senate from passing laws against lynching and protecting black citizens’ right to vote for decades after most Americans supported those laws. Th... »
Conventional wisdom is that the United States can never solve its problem of gun violence. But it was conventional wisdom that we’d never end slavery, allow women to vote, enact civil rights laws, reduce pollution, prohibit smoking in public, elect a Catholic or black President, or allow gay people to marry. Fundamental change often takes generations. We must do our part to advance the discu... »
The Daily Herald published my letter to the editor about the difference between President Obama’s proposal to narrow the budget deficit and the Republicans’ plan. Some of the comments posted on the Herald’s website are from the usual right-wing cranks, but there are some pretty intelligent ones, too. Feel free to add yours. http://ow.ly/g7VSU »
