William Bradley, 12/10/12

Political Analyst, NewWestNotes.com

Hillary Clinton might be unbeatable in the 2016 primaries. Add to that the former president, and perhaps even Obama himself, grateful for her work in the cabinet and eager to see the geopolitical pivot project proceed through its next phases, and it could be lights out.

Leo W. Gerard, 12/10/12

International President, United Steelworkers

Mitch McConnell, the minority leader of the U.S. Senate, has for six years wielded the filibuster as a weapon in his rebellion against a founding principle of the United States of America -- self-governance by majority rule. The majority must seize back control.

Donna Red Wing, 12/10/12

Executive director, One Iowa

Last Friday, as my staff and I sat hunched at our desks, refreshing the SCOTUS Blog for updates from the U.S. Supreme Court, the gravity of this moment in history hit me. The moment that we have been striving toward for decades was close. We were finally getting our day in court.

Elizabeth Birch, 12/10/12

President, Birch & Company

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) cases as well as the California Prop 8 case, it is helpful to understand the political context of these cases.

James Rucker, 12/10/12

Co-founder ColorOfChange.org and Citizen Engagement Lab

If we fail to summon the courage necessary to identify racial animus where it exists, and to in turn adjust our approach to policy-making accordingly, all Americans will pay a price, not just those who are the typical targets of racial animus.

James P. Hoffa, 12/10/12

General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

After a grueling election, Americans now simply want their elected leaders to solve real problems, not to cut the retirement and health benefits they work all their lives to earn.

Rev. Winnie Varghese, 12/10/12

Priest, St. Mark's Church in the Bowery, New York City

What has happened to us as a nation that it is so rare and courageous for a Christian to speak the truth of the Christian tradition in public life and challenge us to do better for the poor?

Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, 12/10/12

Founder and President of Global Policy Solutions, the Center for Global Policy Solutions, and GlobalPolicy.tv

I've seen you on television chatting up your debt reduction proposal. And while you come across as a likable guy, your claim to be working on behalf of the next generation of young Americans is bogus. Here's why.

Patrick Faust and Matthew McGregor, 12/10/12

Winning international campaigns will study Obama's precedent-setting victory -- and won't just copy his tactics, but rather use his fundamentals to build a strategy tailored to their race and technologies.

Michelangelo Signorile, 12/10/12

Editor-at-large, HuffPost Gay Voices

It's an understatement to say there's some apprehension among many gays and lesbians about the Supreme Court's decision to take up the Prop 8 case. Is the fear warranted?

Allan Brawley, 12/10/12

Professor Emeritus of Social Work, Arizona State University

It is noteworthy that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are proposing increases in the estate tax. As always, the latter are putting forth their usual lame arguments for lowering or eliminating it.

Etan Thomas, 12/10/12

Author, poet, philanthropist, NBA veteran

The question I had for the over 60 civil rights leaders after I witnessed them lay the foundation for a specific "black agenda," was how do we defeat the opposition when it appears as though they would rather see President Obama fail then to see America succeed?

Tim Giago, 12/10/12

Founder, Native American Journalists Association

Gays and lesbians were a respected segment of Lakota culture and in fact were revered. It would be highly improbable for the Supreme Court to accommodate the oral history of Native Americans, but then again, why not? Our culture is much older than that of all the newcomers to our shores.

Margaret Ryznar, 12/10/12

Associate professor of law, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

Many parents embroiled in child custody cases might only dream of bringing their cases to the highest court in the land, yet this became reality for Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Lee Chafin last week, when oral arguments were heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in his case, Chafin v. Chafin.

Mike Lux, 12/10/12

Partner, Democracy Partners

In the eyes of Republicans, the Washington Post, and all the other "Serious" people inside the Beltway, deficits, debt, and the control thereof are all that matters. At the end of the day, though, it is Obama who will determine whether deficits will define his second term.

Ari Melber, 12/10/12

Attorney & Correspondent for The Nation magazine

Over the past 20 years, and particularly the last four, something radical happened in our democracy. The filibuster has gradually transformed the legislative branch of government from a majoritarian democracy into a body frozen by a "minoritarian" veto.

Eric Black, 12/10/12

Senior Writer, MinnPost

To say that ours is the shortest Constitution in the world is simply a matter of counting the words. But the consequence of all that brevity is that we don't really have clear instructions from the Framers and ratifiers of the Constitution on a great many topics.