As a life long Democrat, for me the choice issue is the one I cannot compromise on. I've seen too much tragedy arise from illegal abortions.

I am disturbed by the fact that this issue keeps coming up as one that needs to be compromised. I'm actually uncomfortable with all this talk of moderation. I'd like to see a fighting Democratic party, not one eternally giving in to the right.

Posted at July 2, 2005 7:20 AM in response to NARAL and Langevin

Ah, but the GMs and the Microsofts are moving off-shore where they don't have to provide health care benefits.

Posted at June 14, 2005 2:41 PM in response to Hold That Bandwagon!

The Democratic Party is dominated by a class of extraordinary risk-averse pols who concede defeat before most battles are started.

Hear! Hear!

This is what was wrong with Clinton, starting with Lani Guirnier nomination. Contrast with Bush & Republicans on these atrocious judges and madman Bolton.

And it was what was wrong with Democrats who didn't stick up for Clinton when he was under attack by right wing.

Posted at June 11, 2005 6:50 AM in response to Howard Dean is Doing What Dems Need: Shaking Things Up

Firmly committed to free speech and th first amendment and against anti-obscenity laws, but...

As a parent, have been appalled at the demise of cultural standards especially in the broadcast media.

And...I found that the concept of monitoring everything your kids were exposed to was an idea that worked in theory only for people who didn't have kids. (It is impossible to monitor what your kids watch and hear...especially after they reach something like age 5 and visit friends.

Solutions?
1. No cable TV. In my area very few broadscast stations have decent reception.

2. Severely limited any viewing time to a 2-hour video once a week.

Do I think government should regulate culture?

I think the fairness doctrine should be brought back.

And I'd like to see a commitment to good children's television and some limits to violence and sex and profanity on broadcast and cable radio and TV before 9 pm.

However, more important than restrictions like those above is issues of funding of family-friendly programs and workplace.

And, sigh, I'd love to see a return of worker's wages high enough for one working parent to support a family and still have time to spend with kids.

Posted at June 10, 2005 6:55 AM in response to Parents and the Culture Wars

After all, the most basic interpretation of the polling we see in the media is that Americans want lower taxes, more spending, and smaller deficits.

We are seeing these contradictory expectations in Western Mass, where Town Meeting members want more spending on schools (which are really hurting and have been cut to the point of reducing textbook and library budgets by 50%), are loathe to cut already stressed town services, but continue to advocate lower taxes on the state and federal level.

Where the money is to come from is a question that is very difficult if not impossible to get people to respond to. 

Somewhere in this "conundrum", I think, is the issue of conservative/liberal labeling.

A "liberal" is someone who supports income taxation at the state and federal level as a source of revenue to fund local, state & federal government, including public schools.

It is getting harder and harder to find people who fit the "liberal" label here, especially as middle & lower income people are getting harder pressed financially and the thought of any higher taxes, even if offset by better public services (or lower property taxes) is threatening.

Posted at June 9, 2005 10:12 AM in response to More on the Americans Who Live in America

I, too, applaud upcoming author discussions. I hope you'll include some fiction. John Le Carre, for example, would be great.

And thanks for working on Firefox compatibility.

This is a fabulous site, and I look forward to seeing it evolve. 

Posted at June 9, 2005 7:56 AM in response to A Few Site Updates

The market in the U.S. rations medical care every day by denying it to those without insurance and those with less comprehensive insurance.

Posted at June 1, 2005 6:20 AM in response to Another Slice of the Question

I'm a Town Meeting member and we're going through hell trying to fund the schools with moderate vs. Draconian cuts.

We passed an override last year, and there is no way to do it again. Yet average citizens are blaming the schools, saying they are overspending, rather than the Republican governor who managed to cut taxes rather than increase local aid.

It's a mess. 

Posted at May 31, 2005 8:10 AM in response to Middle Matters

I'm very glad the arts will be discussed here--that's my love.

My favorite political novels and recent reads:

The Comedians by Graham Greene (about Haiti), a great nonfiction work that is related is Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder about Dr. Paul Farmer's work in that country.

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (about the Spanish Civil War and the mixed loyalties and atrocities on both sides). I read this book as a teenager and only saw the love story. I read it recently, several decades later, and was profoundly impressed by the depth of Hemingway's portrayal of the difficulties of political allegiance.

I'm now in the middle of Philip Caputo's Acts of Faith, a wonderful novel about Sudan.

Posted at May 31, 2005 7:49 AM in response to O Muse! Or just amused.