Once is a rare while, conspiracy theorists get it right. In the case of Enron, this occasional conspiracy theorist and ex-Californian hit it right on the head in 2001. As the audiotapes of its traders released by CBS News clearly show, Enron clearly manipulated the newly deregulated California energy market to extract outrageous – and illegal – […]

My wife and I have just completed “USA Road Trip 2004”, a month-long vacation around America. In our minivan, we drove from Boston to national parks and rural backwaters, sunny beaches and snow-capped mountains. Getting back in touch with America couldn’t have come at a better time. The Abu Garaib abuse scandal in Iraq left […]

Like many Americans, I was deeply disturbed by President Bush’s performance during his April 13 press conference. His verbal incontinence, ill-timed smirks and uneasy pauses are nothing new. But once he got past his sober opening statement, his deer-in-the-headlights gaze, unnerving silences, and bizarre “I see dead people” comment suggested something seriously amiss. And his shocking […]

Everything you need to know about the Bush administration’s unparalleled vindictiveness, secrecy and deceit is neatly summarized in the April 2, 2004 edition of the New York Times. There are no fewer than SEVEN stories about White House wrong-doing and duplicity. Individually, each is staggering; taken together, they paint a disgusting picture of President Bush’s utter […]

The Richard Clarke firestorm and the public sessions of the 9/11 commission have gripped the nation, redefined the presidential campaign, and left the American people continuing to search for the truth behind the September 11 disaster. The families of the 9/11 victims in particular are looking for answers: how did the United States fail to anticipate […]

As we mark the one-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, George W. Bush has made national security the foundation of his reelection effort. To no one’s surprise, the self-proclaimed “war president” is running on a theme of “steady leadership for changing times.” Given the traditional advantage the GOP has enjoyed with voters on defense and […]

During the 1980 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan quickly deflated Jimmy Carter’s reelection bid with a simple question, asking the American people, “are you better off today than four years ago?” The answer, at a time of high unemployment, staggering inflation, spiraling energy prices, and hostages in Tehran, was an obvious - and devastating - no. […]

During the 2000 campaign, George W. Bush was asked to name his favorite philosopher. He memorably answered Jesus Christ, because “he changed my heart.” Now in 2004, it’s time to ask Bush the obvious follow-up: what would Jesus do? Given W’s well-publicized memory lapses (“What did I do in Alabama for a year in 1972-3? […]

As the past week’s Democratic debates in Los Angeles and New York showed once again, there are generally very few substantive policy disagreements between John Kerry and John Edwards. On the issue of same-sex marriage in particular, there is very little difference in their approach: play it safe. That may be politically expedient and even […]

Here we go again. Once again, the anti-choice movement, with support from congressional conservatives and President Bush, is pushing legislation that chips away at women’s reproductive rights. Once again, squeamish Democrats in the House and Senate are going along for the ride. And once again, they are playing directly into their opponents’ hands, helping to […]