220 total articles : showing 1-10 next 10 >
John Nichols: Wisconsin's new third senator -- Al Franken
Back in the 1950s, when Republican "red" Wisconsin was represented by the lamentable Alexander Wiley and the reprehensible Joe McCarthy in the U.S. Senate, the state's most enlightened citizens adopted Minnesota Democratic Farmer Laborite Hubert Humphrey as "Wisconsin's third senator." Like Humphrey, Al Franken has lots of ties to Wisconsin. read story
John Nichols: State needs radical shake-up at Commerce Department
Gov. Jim Doyle says he was "deeply disappointed" to learn last week that General Motors would locate new production in Michigan rather than at the Janesville engine plant that was shuttered late last year. The governor's frustration is, no doubt, sincere. But it is misplaced. The problem is Wisconsin's Department of Commerce. read story
John Nichols: Honduras coup raises challenges for Obama, Feingold
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered a reasonably muscular condemnation of the military coup in Honduras, where elected President Manuel (Mel) Zelaya was kidnapped and flown out of the country by soldiers bent on blocking an advisory vote on constitutional reform in the country. read story
John Nichols: Michael Jackson an imperfect icon but the face of America
This is a big world, with many remote corners where America is known only as a distant and different land. But Michael Jackson touched almost all of them. read story
John Nichols: Lovelorn governor's tale more sad than sordid
It must be said that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who admitted to an affair Wednesday after disappearing for five days, has taken the apology press conference to a new level. read story
John Nichols: Obama wrong to cede power to unaccountable Fed
The reviews are in on Barack Obama's plan to address the crisis of Wall Street speculation and casino capitalism, which has dramatically increased the gap between working Americans and the rich, created pressure for the deindustrialization of the United States, depressed income for workers and farmers, and created a nasty banking crisis. read story
John Nichols: Voting Rights Act still needs teeth
One of the essential components of the Voting Rights Act -- arguably its most powerful tool for combating discrimination and disenfranchisement -- has long been a requirement that officials get approval from the Department of Justice before they change the way in which elections are conducted. read story
John Nichols: Scott Jensen and justice denied
Disgraced former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen continues to venue shop in hopes of finding a jury that will -- for reasons of ideology or personal connection -- refuse to hold him to account for betraying the public's trust. read story
John Nichols: Double-digit unemployment threatens Obama
America already has double-digit unemployment. In fact, the real unemployment rate, as opposed to the official rate, is well over 15 percent. read story
John Nichols: Wisconsin delegation should vote 'no' on bad wars, bad banks
The Obama administration and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are aggressively whipping House Democrats to support the 2009 war supplemental bill that seeks to steer another $100 billion in U.S. tax dollars into the quagmires of Iraq and Afghanistan while at the same time squandering at least $5 billion on the failed economic schemes of the International Monetary Fund. read story
