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Notebook

DumbAss!

Your Political Horoscope

The Smart and the Ass

Haiku Corner – Connie Wang

Election ’08

Republicans go crazy over a little sex – Julia Piper

Sex. Sex sex sex sex sex. This seems to be a common theme in modern life. It’s everywhere, all the time, always pounding, never stopping, and ultimately, at the end of the day, exhausting. Unfortunately, the popularity of the current heated controversy over the mandatory vaccination of girls for the human papillovirus (HPV) is due not to questions of privacy rights or conflict of interest, but to the aura of sex that pervades the entire issue. [more]

It’s up to you to rock the nation in ’08 – Sarah Gold

In November 2004, I was a 17-year-old high school senior who wouldn’t be able to vote for four more months. The night before Election Day, I took a Sharpie marker to an old white T-shirt and penned the words, “On November 7th, Don’t be a Statistic: VOTE!” My intention—though perhaps in vain—was to transfer my lack of the ability to vote onto my of-age classmates, urging them use their enfranchisement and not be just another number in the historically lowest voting segment of the population. [more]

Hillary: A Feminist Female Candidate – Hillary Green

Not counting Geena Davis in Commander in Chief, 2008 is the first year in which a female president of the United States seems like a real possibility. Since Hillary Rodham Clinton announced her candidacy in January, newspapers, bloggers and talk show hosts have found every possible way to evaluate the role that feminism will play in the 2008 election. There is, however, a more important question to ask. How should feminism shape the future of our nation, as we prepare to begin a new era of U.S. politics? [more]

The Worst-Case Scenario: Mrs. Edwards has cancer. So what happens now? – Janice Lee

Third-running Democratic candidate, former Senator John Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth Edwards, has incurable breast cancer. The symptoms can be treated, and if all goes well, she could very well live out a normal life span. But what difference does this make to you? Yes, we all hope that she gets better, but moving past this obvious statement, John Edwards is continuing his campaign, stating as his reason that he and his wife are devoted to him serving the United States as President. [more]

Environment

Is Ethanol Really the Answer? – Marshall Geck

Take a drive through the heart of North Dakota on Interstate 94 and you are certain to see a whole lot of nothing. Rolling plains and vast skies stretch endlessly to the horizon. Every summer I take this torturous route in a crammed and stuffy SUV to visit relatives in Bismarck. Last summer, however, there was a noticeable change in the horizon of this barren wasteland; it had gained a skyline. [more]

Supreme Court Stands Up to Polluters – Nathan Schneider

It’s 2007, and each passing day seems to bring another nail in the coffin of our president’s legacy and another obituary for the recent conservative revival. On April 2 the nail was not from a public opinion poll, another scandal, or the reality on the ground in Iraq. This time criticism came from the U.S. Supreme Court, which handed down a landmark decision regarding Bush Administration environmental policy and the Clean Air Act. [more]

Perspective

What Taxes Can Do For You – David English

Imagine that ours is a country that takes care of its own. Everyone has the right to life. The right to health is included in the list of American qualities. No longer is Americanism defined by only words like “freedom” and “hard work.” It’s time to make health a household issue. But why hasn’t this change already occurred? We can produce some of the world’s best technology, yet we can’t keep our populace healthy. [more]

Supreme Court Abortion Vote Worries Progressives – Nathan Schneider

In another closely-watched case this term, the Supreme Court voted 5–4 to uphold a 2003 federal ban on an abortion procedure (which opponents call “partial-birth abortion”), despite the fact that it provides no exception for when the mother’s health is in danger. Justice Kennedy cast the swing vote, joining the other conservative justices—including Bush appointees Roberts and Alito—in what is widely seen as a signal that with the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the Court is now prepared to allow significant restrictions on abortions. [more]

How the Other Half Thinks: Conservatives on the Couch – Nathan Schneider

Nathan Schneider continues his exploration of how the right-wing mind works in the third and final installment of his series on conservatism. [more]