San Francisco Gets an Antiwar Congresswoman

The recent 226-202 House of Representatives approval of the supplemental budget was a particular disappointment to antiwar activists.  At one point they’d thought it might be possible to block the bill and its $79.9... [Read]

Let’s Talk About Sonia Sotomayor Like G...

During his confirmation hearing in 2005, John Roberts likened the job of a Supreme Court justice to that of a baseball umpire: Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around. Judges are like umpires.... [Read]

Reactions to China’s Tiananmen Blackout: Ca...

This June fourth marked the twentieth anniversary of pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. These protests were violently put down by China’s government, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of (usually... [Read]

Ghana: Leading A New Era of African Democracy

Take a look at the reported news around Africa: In President Obama’s ancestral country of Kenya, violence ripped through the country after the ruling party proclaimed a dubious electoral victor.  President Zuma of South... [Read]

Pakistan: Caught in the Crossfire, Part 2

This is the second of my two part series dealing with Pakistan through the eyes of  Naveed, a lecturer at an Islamabad University. Please see Part 1 for more context. After being enlightened about Pakistan’s history and... [Read]

California Supreme Court Upholds Prop 8; Rule...

Well, it could be worse. The California Supreme Court ruled today that Proposition 8, last November’s ballot initiative amending the California Constitution to forbid same-sex marriage, is legal. It also affirmed that... [Read]


Gallup, Abortion, and Shades of Gray

With the economy, health care reform, environmental regulation, and other important issues being widely discussed in policy circles, it would be easy for one to forget about wedge issues, such as abortion. However, with the... [Read]

What’s at Stake in Cairo: A Conversation wi...

On June 4, a very popular President Obama will deliver a much-anticipated speech to the Arab world in one of Islam’s most culturally and historically rich epicenters — Cairo — a location that is at the same... [Read]

I Changed My Mind on Employee Free Choice

Berkeley is filled with bumper-stickered cars. One of a Berkeleyite’s favorite hobbies is telling everyone what his socio-political opinions are by declaring them on the bumper of his car. That car is most likely either... [Read]

Same-Sex Marriage: Obama’s Lincoln Moment

On Wednesday night, Governor John Baldacci of Maine signed legislation that he struggled to support. While governors are often pressed by their legislatures and constituents to support laws that they do not necessarily agree... [Read]

Starry, Starry Plight: Obama and the Space Pr...

Space enthusiasts are watching and listening carefully to find out how President Barack Obama will support NASA during his administration. Earlier this year he gave the space agency a glowing endorsement: When I was growing... [Read]

Tea with a Side of FUD

The inanity of so-called Tea Parties is matched only by the stupidity by which they are backed. Thousands of “working-class” Americans — a euphemism for middle-class people in what used to be called “blue-collar”... [Read]