The US Senate is on its way to becoming an anti-democratic institution that could plunge the US government into a crisis of legitimacy because it is increasingly unrepresentative of the American population. By 2040, as most Americans live in urban areas in just 15 states, 70% of the population will be represented by one-third of... Continue Reading →
Congress, especially the US House, has always been an institution engendering discontent from reformist members frustrated at the slow pace of change. They come to Congress with an agenda, to get things done. Longtime congressional staffer John Lawrence argues persuasively that some of the reforms of the 1970s had unintended consequences and led to the... Continue Reading →
A Republican congressman from Alabama says rocks falling into the ocean cause sea levels to rise. He and his GOP colleagues assert that "the Earth is not warming. The White Cliffs of Dover are tumbling into the sea and causing sea levels to rise. Global warming is helping grow the Antarctic ice sheet," Science News... Continue Reading →
It's time for progressives to turn the page from mourning Hillary Clinton's loss, Bernie Sanders' loss, and Donald Trump's win. Here are 10 national Democratic leaders for the future, according to Mother Jones: CA. Senator Kamilla Harris, MN Senator Amy Klobuchar, IL Senator Tammy Duckworth, NJ Senator Cory Booker, NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, VA Senator Tim... Continue Reading →
"Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio, television and the internet. To hell with them. They don’t want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood.” -- Senator John McCain (R-AZ), casting the deciding vote killing the Republicans' extremely flawed plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. As Donald Trump and... Continue Reading →
The paradox of the 2016 election was that the political party that won the White House was doomed to frustrate and disappoint the hyper-partisans most invested in their success, and faced quite probably catastrophic losses in 2018. Republicans' 2016 victory is shaping up to be a disaster for them in terms of policy advances. Except... Continue Reading →
With the support of three Democratic senators up for re-election in 2018 -- Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia -- Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch won Senate confirmation, 54-45. It was a major victory for Trump, and validation for those conservatives who reluctantly voted for... Continue Reading →
Despite the abysmal popularity of Congress, only eight members lost re-election in 2016. More than nine out of 10 races were not the least bit competitive. The incumbents won overwhelmingly, with margins you would expect in North Korea, Russia or Zimbabwe. Lack of competition has a "seriously corrosive effect on the integrity of democracy...We must... Continue Reading →
Trump from Day 1 sewed needless division and controversy. On Day 7, he signed an executive order essentially banning Muslims from seven countries. Initial reports suggest this move is disastrous. The only good sign is that numerous Republican senators say this ban was poorly thought out and completely ineffectual. It hurts refugees, friends and allies.... Continue Reading →
