So much has been written about Senator Edward Kennedy’s extraordinary legislative achievement that it’s worthwhile to recall that he didn’t always win. And that he was as fierce an advocate in defeat as he was in victory. The Congressional Review Act allows the Congress to overturn any executive rule that has been posted on the […]

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“I hope that in the coming months we will see negotiations launched on all fronts as result of a regional peace initiative by President Obama, with the Palestinian issue at its core…. In my opinion, Israel should enthusiastically join the initiative.” —Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, August 3, 2009 LONG-TIME OBSERVERS OF THE MIDDLE EAST […]

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The Dalles, Oregon WHEN DEMOCRAT JEFF MERKLEY WAS THE UNDERDOG challenging Republican incumbent Gordon Smith in 2008, he promised that if elected he would hold one town hall meeting a year in every county in Oregon. Because they usually begin with a 3,000-mile flight from Washington, D.C., congressional town hall meetings in Oregon are a […]

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Health Care Reform Holiday—Congressional Republicans have run out the clock on health care reform and are now turning to faux grassroots groups to ramp up pressure on members who have not signed on to the House bill that was voted out of committee in July or the Senate bill still in the works. South Carolina […]

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DEMOCRATS SCORED A MAJOR VICTORY in June as the House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the first piece of legislation aimed at curbing planet-warming greenhouse-gas emissions. It was a narrow victory, eked out against overwhelming opposition from Republicans. The Republican caucus, save the eight who broke ranks on the bill, seem to […]

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