Trust and Corruption
Mark Rosenman is emeritus professor at Union Institute & University and a frequent contributor to PhilanTopic. He lives in Washington, D.C., from where he drew many of the examples of national...
View ArticleWhat the Supreme Court Has Already Said About McCutcheon v. FEC
As we await a decision from the Supreme Court in the McCutcheon v. FEC money in politics case, the Justices themselves heard from a protester who rose in the courtroom to proclaim that "money is not...
View ArticleUkraine Crisis Boils Down to Geography, Not American 'Weakness'
Some right-wing commentators are giddy with excitement over Russia's military intervention in Ukraine. The reaction might seem odd to the average American, but it was sadly predictable. If our former...
View ArticleFour Things You Might Not Want to Know About the Conflict in Ukraine
Russia's invasion Ukraine has set off paroxysms of frustration, anger and incredulity in the West, not least in Washington. Some policymakers and pundits are struggling with ways to constructively...
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The Story of the Woman-Bashing Meme
I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed last week when I came to a meme that said, "Twenty-five percent of women are on anti-anxiety medication. The other seventy-five percent are mentally ill." I...
View ArticleFacing Off on Rawls, Public Reason, and Whether Political Discourse is...
Eric Miller and I have been debating religion and politics since middle school. Today, he's a writer and professor at Bloomsburg University, while I'm still shooting NERF arrows at his head. Obviously,...
View ArticleWhy Being My Brother's Keeper Matters
As a black man, my heart aches over the disproportionate numbers of men and boys of color left back by schools, left out of jobs and caught up in crime. As a black public official, I am struck by how...
View ArticleHow Netflix Is Ruining My Relationship (And Might Be Ruining Yours)
My boyfriend and I watch most of the TV shows we watch together. There are a few exceptions. He got really into "Sherlock." I didn't. We used to make a point of watching "Girls" together. Now we find...
View ArticlePaul Ryan Is a Charlatan, Not a Serious 'Policy Wonk'
When will the mainstream media stop taking Congressman Paul Ryan seriously as a "thinker" and "policy wonk"? Yes, he's chair of the House Budget Committee and one-time Vice Presidential candidate who...
View ArticleBreaking Out of the Budget Straitjacket
The President's annual budget demonstrates whether our values are driving our national choices. Are we going to continue to give extra tax breaks worth billions to hot shots in the finance industry or...
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More NYC -- Expanding Housing Can Produce Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs...
Despite growth in new sectors like technology, where jobs grew 60 percent from 2003 to 2012, the poverty rate in New York City is 22 percent higher than 12 years ago. And in the years following the...
View Article4 Incentives Obamacare Provides Small Businesses
One of the most prevailing misconceptions about the Affordable Care Act (i.e., "Obamacare") is that it doesn't really impact "small" businesses. While it is true that the dominant provisions of the...
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Sisters Can Move Mountains -- Starting With That Hill Over Yonder
Before I went to renowned spiritual author and teacher Marianne Williamson's "Sister Giant Conference" in November 2012, I rarely supported candidates outside my district; yet I would bitch and moan...
View ArticleThere's No Need to End Saturday Mail Delivery
The U.S. Postal Service is one of our most popular and important government agencies. It provides universal service six days a week to every corner of America, no matter how small or remote. It...
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The Pentagon's Phony Budget War
Or How the U.S. Military Avoided Budget Cuts, Lied About Doing So, Then Asked for Billions More Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com Washington is pushing the panic button, claiming austerity is hollowing...
View ArticleFederal Court: If You Buy a Girl, You're a Sex Trafficker
We've gotten another piece of ammunition in our fight against the trafficking of minors: A U.S. Federal Circuit Court has ruled that customers who arrange for or have sex with children under age 18 are...
View ArticleUnderstanding CBO's Minimum-Wage Report
The Congressional Budget Office's, or CBO's, recent report that projects the impact of increases in the minimum wage has generated a good deal of controversy. Much of that controversy has been the...
View ArticleThe Afghan Ballet: Why Washington Doesn't Want to Leave Afghanistan
Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com Washington and Kabul have, for endless months, been performing a strange pas de deux over the issue of American withdrawal. Initially, the Obama administration...
View ArticleAn Un-American Wolf in Religious Liberty's Clothing
After a chorus of condemnation from business groups and the state's conservative U.S. senators, Governor Brewer wisely vetoed Arizona House SB 1062 late last week. Those who welcome this news should...
View ArticleIt Turns Out, Obamacare Actually Does Care
The other day, I went into my doctor for an appointment. With my new Affordable Care Act provider, the co-pay I had to make at the front window was...$5. Even the receptionist had to double-check to...
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