Who speaks for Oaxaca?
By Robert Adler11/27/2006
Oaxaca, Mexico -- You hear it said many times a day here in Oaxaca: Tenemos que aguantar - we have to endure.
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The Devolution of Culture
By Philip Mella11/22/2006
In times when our nation has had a tacit recognition of the traditional values that have been tested in the crucible of time, the resulting cultural homogeneity produced both civility and such desirable outcomes as low out-of-wedlock birth rates. As reported this week, that rate is at an all time high and is inversely related to our culture's overall trajectory.
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The Left's Statist Impulse
By Philip Mella11/18/2006
In a strategically astute editorial, E.J. Dionne uses a speech by Janet Yellen, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, to persuasively frame the economic challenges facing many Americans in what appears to be a high performing economy.
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The Democrats' Plan for Success
By Philip Mella11/14/2006
This morning on CSPAN viewers were treated to an interview and Q&A with Rep. John Larson, Democrat from Connecticut. It was a preliminary reading of what we might expect from the Democratic controlled Congress and it was a predictable mix of contradiction and paradox.
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Veterans Day Reflections
By Philip Mella11/11/2006
In reflecting on the incalculable valor and bravery of those who have defended our nation during times of war, it's important to move beyond the cliches and shibboleths that have become an inseparable part of their legacy.
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Spending Spree or Fiscal Restraint?
By James A. Landrith, Jr.11/10/2006
Will history repeat itself? Will the Dems go hog wild again? Personally, I think that Daddy Bush is going to play a major role during the next two years, providing much needed adult supervision of his idiot spawn behind the scenes - encouraging Junior to use the veto pen. At least I hope so.
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The Election's Deeper Message
By Philip Mella11/08/2006
After the dust settles on this election and the hand-wringing by Republican leaders and pundits subsides we may have a better picture of the underlying causes for the significant losses the party sustained. Fred Barnes begins that process by asserting that although the unpopularity of the war was paramount, the Republicans' failure to lead on key issues of reform was also devastating.
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Our Gordian Knot
By Philip Mella11/07/2006
Post-mortems are common, but Fred Barnes has begun the process long before the polls have closed and results are known. He enumerates the common excuses and explanations for Republican woes and presumed loss of the House, from losing the spirit of 1994 when they swept into power to the failure to pass meaningful immigration reform, as well as the now long-forgotten "ownership society."
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An Election Day Thought: The Tax Breaks Bush Speaks of Are Only for Millionaires and Big Businesses
By Laura Kiesel11/07/2006
Leading up to election day, I have heard a lot from Republicans, particularly Bush, about how Democrats tax everything that breathes and about how the Republicans offer us relief through tax breaks. Since this is one of the Republicans' main platforms for being re-elected, I thought I would annihilate it with some cold hard facts.
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The Election in Perspective
By Philip Mella11/06/2006
There are those whose skepticism of polling is so deep that they dismiss them out of hand and their agnosticism encourages them to simply wait until the results of tomorrow's election are final. Others, such as Dick Morris, handicap a variety of polls and make summary judgments, in this case that the Republicans are in for blood bath. Readers will recall, however, that Mr. Morris' prognostications are less reliable than his strategic prowess.
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