OPINION

03/05/2010

Edward Baca: Improve our democracy by ... getting a kitten?
The almost daily scapegoating in Washington plays out more like a Tom and Jerry cartoon than meaningful discourse. One option for an ordinary citizen is to let it build resentment and anger in his soul. My wife and I went out and got a kitten.

Chuck Bloom: Improve democracy with a 'None' ballot option
Critics might claim that such a voter option would result in stymied government and a less-than-effective means to exercise democracy. I would counter with one question: Is it really working that well right now?

Joe Sissom: Improve democracy by inverting the ballot
Reversing the ballot order would encourage voters to take the time to research each race separately. Why not put those elected offices first that are not only physically closer to you but that have more direct effect on your life than governors or senators?

Chase Wofford: I chose cash over experience
If I were not a high school teacher, I probably would not have this regret. But I regularly receive e-mails and letters about internship opportunities, and they sound so intriguing. Often, I stop and think, "Man, I wish I could apply for this."

Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow: Why own anything?
In many purchases, we don't want the thing per se – we want what it can do for us. You don't crave a lawn mower, you want shorter grass; the desire is not for a refrigerator but for cold, unspoiled milk. Wouldn't renting make more sense than owning?

Point Person: Our Q&A with Lauren Marchetti
As part of her "Let's Move" campaign against childhood obesity, first lady Michelle Obama wants more children to walk to school. Lauren Marchetti, director of the federal National Center for Safe Routes to School, talks about the realities.

George Will: Self-esteem, self-destruction
The theory that praise, self-esteem and accomplishment increase in tandem is false. Children incessantly praised for their intelligence (often by parents who are really praising themselves) often underrate the importance of effort.

03/04/2010

Tod Robberson: Obama should just let Chávez implode
Just like a child prone to tantrums, Hugo Chávez thrives on attention. The more he is ignored, the bigger fool he makes of himself. Against this backdrop, it seems silly to suggest the United States should say or do anything to engage him.

Marcela Sanchez: Venezuela, a bastion of democracy?
To no one's surprise, Hugo Chávez's 11-year-old populist revolution in Venezuela has a less-than-stellar record on democracy and human rights. Like other Latin American leaders, he shrugs off such criticism. He may have a point.

Dawn McMullan: From Congo to Dallas, women helping women
I grew up in a middle-class family in small-town Texas. My dad called me Princess and Blue Eyes. I wanted to be the Dallas Cowboys' first female quarterback, so my dad tossed the football with me for hours in the yard to practice.

Nicholas Kristof: The link between child brides and terrorism
It's hard to imagine that there have been many younger divorcees – or braver ones – than a pint-size third-grader named Nujood Ali.

Marc Rosenblum: How we can change E-Verify for the better
To be successful, a verification screening system must be accurate: Illegal workers should be flagged and legal workers cleared. It must also be efficient and give employers a simple red light or green light. E-Verify fails to meet these goals.

Lynn Woolley: Why Hutchison needs to resign
What about integrity? Kay Bailey Hutchison is an excellent senator – but this is about politicians telling the truth. Is it OK to essentially tell a fib if it helps out during a campaign – knowing you can always squirm out of it later?

Balance of Opinion: Hot water on Capitol Hill
Though the health care reform debate continues to dominate the Washington circus, the punditry's attention has been partially diverted by Democrat Charles Rangel's ethics problems and Republican Jim Bunning's temporary block of a federal aid bill.

03/03/2010

Carl Leubsdorf: Is Rick Perry's next race for president?
Despite Gov. Rick Perry's protestations, it's a rare politician who doesn't at least think about seeking the next job up the political ladder, even though many never admit it. And the next GOP presidential race is as wide open as any within memory.

Mark Davis: Perry wasn't going to lose, so what's next?
There's no reason to believe that a runoff would have yielded a different winner, only six more weeks of ad wars and a comfortable Rick Perry victory. The Kay Bailey Hutchison camp has to know this is not because Texas has grown cold toward her.

Leonard Pitts: On race and the Tea Party
The Tea Party people distrust Barack Obama's policies, his eloquence, his fierce intelligence; the fact that he is black then becomes the final straw. As in, I doubt most of the Tea Partiers hate Obama strictly because he is black, but it sure doesn't help.

Kathleen Parker: Health debate will bring climate change
For all our bemoaning the tortures of health care reform, the debate has been healthy for the nation. It's been helpful for Americans to see how the sausage is made and figure out whether they really want any.

Froma Harrop: The terrified American shopper
Americans who shopped till they dropped have stopped. Per capita consumption is down for two straight years, according to Booz & Co.'s new study of U.S. spending behavior. That hasn't happened since the Great Depression.

03/02/2010

William McKenzie: A roadmap for the Texas governor's race
Now that primary day has come and gone, what should Texas voters consider? Here are three suggestions as we evaluate the gubernatorial candidates and what we want Texas to become.

Ross Douthat: Meet America's best governor, for now
Set a group of plugged-in conservatives to talking presidential politics, and you'll get the same complaints about the 2012 field. But murmur the name Mitch Daniels, and everyone perks up a bit.

Ruth Marcus: Ethics panel rarely fails to disappoint
even by its own indulgent standards, the House ethics committee reached new heights – lows? – of fecklessness last week as it brushed off complaints about lawmakers' acceptance of corporate-funded travel.

03/01/2010

Mark Davis: The human achievement of an Olympics to remember
It's a good thing for everyone in every country to get an occasional dose of commonality and contact with the rest of the globe. This is one reason I've always loved the Olympics, and these just-completed Games in Vancouver will rank among my favorites.

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