Editorial

Why do the Russians need to bother spreading disinformation when our own domestic sources do a much better job at it? We just went through a four-year national obsession with Kremlin disinformation. It supposedly swayed the 2016 presidential election. It was “sowing divisions” in American society. It accounted for the discovery of Hunter Biden’s laptop during the 2020 election. Social media companies were excoriated for allegedly letting Russian disinfo poison their networks, and the American mind. There was nothing that some … [Read more...] about Woke disinformation trumps Russian trolls

The way it usually works out, organized labor is aligned with the Democrats, and big business is closely connected to the GOP. And it is true that the Dems still march in lockstep with those who are the employees, by and large. However, it’s both Republicans and Democrats who are slugging it out with the corporations. First of all, when I say “Republicans,” I mean the Trump party. When I say “ultra-conservative,” these days that means “Trump-inspired.” You never hear of ultra-conservative Democrats; their opponents describe them as … [Read more...] about Woke this way

The repeated incidents of unarmed black men being killed in confrontations with police are frustrating and a legitimate cause for anger on the part of a public that is clearly weary with such incidents. Answers have defied the outrage and demonstrations that began after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis cop almost a year ago. Where those solutions will come from is not fully clear. But it certainly won't be from reckless and inflammatory rhetoric by elected officials. At the top of the list of those … [Read more...] about Tlaib’s incitement risks more killings

So far, the defining word of the Biden era is “trillion.” The Joe Biden who portrayed himself as a moderate, old school, bipartisan dealmaker during the presidential campaign is now a distant memory. He’s been replaced by the Joe Biden who is dazzling progressives with his willingness to “go big” — in other words, spend jaw-dropping amounts that would have been unimaginable prior to the pandemic and are still shocking even now. Why has Biden embarked on a historic spending splurge with nary a whisper of bipartisan … [Read more...] about The Dollar Sign President

When we constructed the interstate system, we simply bypassed much of our country’s intricate variety. Still, in spite of losing this national character, there are those who get their kicks motoring the monotonous I-ways of America. They find a comfortable routine in the coast to coast, border to border ennui of signs for toll collection, motels, chain restaurants and gas stations. But some blotches of local personality remain, concealed in this national humdrum. For instance, one of the oddball pleasures of driving along I-95 … [Read more...] about Decoys and other fakes

By LEE H. HAMILTON As Washington turns its attention to infrastructure and other matters of policy, the Senate filibuster isn’t commanding quite the same headlines as it did a few weeks back. But that’s only because the issue is percolating behind the scenes. At some point, it will return to the limelight. And when it does, you should understand what’s at stake. Because as obscure as it seems, it actually goes to the heart of how we operate as a democracy. The key point to remember is that as the country’s population has … [Read more...] about Why Reforming the Filibuster Matters

Not every attempt by Republicans to protect the integrity of the vote amounts to voter suppression. Likewise, not every proposal from Democrats to make voting easier will open the floodgate to fraudulent ballots. If the two sides could accept those premises, then perhaps they could merge their electoral reform efforts in Michigan in a way that restores trust in the process. While Democrats point out there's no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, there remains considerable suspicion, based on the … [Read more...] about Strive for bipartisan election protections

President Joe Biden is so committed to bipartisan cooperation and fact-based governance that he’s launched an ignorant and incendiary attack on the new Georgia voting law. Biden says the new law is “Jim Crow in the 21st century” and “an un-American law to deny people the right to vote.” It’s now practically mandatory for Democrats to launch such unhinged broadsides. Elizabeth Warren, accusing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp of having stolen his 2018 election victory over Democratic activist Stacey Abrams (a poisonous myth), tweeted, “The … [Read more...] about The lie of Georgia voter suppression

Jim Crow is not a real person. He’s a fictional character invented by a white guy for demeaning performances in minstrel shows. But for generations of black Americans, Jim Crow is very real and ever present in their lives. It evolved into the name given to whites’ grudging end to slavery, or almost end to slavery. That is, if you consider an end to slavery separate accommodations — drinking fountains, restrooms, lunch counters, hotels ... as if you’re dirty or less than human — separate and substandard schools, racially segregated … [Read more...] about The other J-C

The U.S. Department of Education has not yet granted Michigan a free pass from testing accountability, and it shouldn’t. After a year of unprecedented disruptions, families deserve honest information about how their schools are doing. Standardized tests are the best way to gauge that performance, and while state education officials — including the Michigan Department of Education and the State Board of Education — have put their efforts into seeking a waiver from federally required annual tests, this isn’t the right … [Read more...] about Feds shouldn’t give Michigan free pass from tests