October 2009

High-Stakes Health Reform
Senate Democrats finally seem willing to take risks to ensure the public option's survival.
October 30, 2009 | By Terence Samuel | web only

A Too Late Solution?
J Street's first conference may have been a success, but prospects are still bleak for the two-state solution the organization wants.
October 29, 2009 | By Matthew Yglesias | web only

Can Human Rights Win the War?
Top U.S. military officials are starting to sound like human-rights advocates when it comes to detention policy in Afghanistan.
October 29, 2009 | By Adam Serwer | web only

A Feminist Case for War?
One of the few remaining rationales for maintaining the occupation is protecting Afghan women. Is that enough?
October 27, 2009 | By Michelle Goldberg | web only

Fox and Foes
The Fox debacle isn't a tale of media versus government -- it's about a television network trying to rewrite journalism's rules.
October 27, 2009 | By Paul Waldman | web only

Work/Life Balance Is Not a Woman's Issue
Men need family-friendly workplaces, too. So why is this issue framed as something only mothers should care about?
October 26, 2009 | By Courtney E. Martin | web only

Obama's Foxhole
The White House is fighting back against Fox News, and journalistic objectivity is at risk of becoming collateral damage in this war.
October 23, 2009 | By Terence Samuel | web only

The Israeli Left Implodes
The lack of leadership on the Israeli left is all the sadder given the new prominence of the dovish camp among supporters of Israel in the United States.
October 22, 2009 | By Gershom Gorenberg | web only

Nothing Is Certain But ...
The current fight at the heart of health-care reform isn't the public option. It's the excise tax.
October 21, 2009 | By Tim Fernholz | web only

Something Rotten in the State of Texas
Why is the execution of a potentially innocent man less scandalous than an affair?
October 20, 2009 | By Michelle Goldberg | web only

Their Own Worst Enemy
Health insurers stopped pretending they support reform. In doing so, they may have given new life to the public option.
October 20, 2009 | By Paul Waldman | web only

All These Governors
Do the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey say anything about the Democratic Party's future?
October 16, 2009 | By Terence Samuel | web only

The Housing Hangover
Waves of foreclosures continue to undermine economic recovery, and Treasury isn't doing enough to solve the problem.
October 16, 2009 | By Tim Fernholz | web only

Defending Goldstone
A report on last year's Gaza conflict has provoked outrage in Israel. But is the reaction justified?
October 16, 2009 | By Michelle Goldberg | web only

Europe-a-Dope
The European Union is becoming ever stronger, and no one seems to care.
October 15, 2009 | By Matthew Yglesias | web only

Democrats Take a Pass on Civil-Liberties Reform
While we were busy fretting about Obama's Nobel, the Democrats dropped the ball on reforming Bush-era civil-liberties abuses.
October 14, 2009 | By Adam Serwer | web only

A Case for Empathy
Last week, we got to see what it looks like when a justice is unable to view the world from another's perspective.
October 13, 2009 | By Paul Waldman | web only

The Charter Barter
On education -- and every other social policy issue -- the Obama administration must play referee among competing experts. Is it up to the task?
October 13, 2009 | By Dana Goldstein | web only

American Ignorance and Afghanistan
We can't keep training the public to think in black and white terms about a very gray war.
October 12, 2009 | By Courtney E. Martin | web only

A March Toward Irrelevance?
The National Equality March drew thousands to Washington for workshops, speeches, and "dancestravaganzas." But was anything really done to advance gay rights?
October 9, 2009 | By Gabriel Arana | web only

Trouble at the Temple Mount
When diplomacy appears deadlocked, the chances of violence rise. Jerusalem's most holy space has once again become a tinderbox.
October 8, 2009 | By Gershom Gorenberg | web only

Student Union
At NYU, a more progressive president means less progressive labor policies.
October 8, 2009 | By Jessica Lambertson | web only

A Stimulus by Any Other Name
The Obama administration needs to do more to combat unemployment, starting with aid to states.
October 7, 2009 | By Tim Fernholz | web only

Dalai Drama
How much should we read into Obama's choice not to meet with the Dalai Lama?
October 6, 2009 | By Michelle Goldberg | web only

The Second Coming of Sarah Palin
Will Alaska's former governor become the leader of the GOP's religious wing?
October 6, 2009 | By Paul Waldman | web only

The Specter of Containment
Should we approach today's nuclear threats using Cold War policy?
October 2, 2009 | By Tara McKelvey | web only

Real Reform for the PATRIOT Act?
The Senate is reviewing Bush-era surveillance powers set to expire at the end of the year. This could be the moment to revise the whole architecture of post-9/11 spying law.
October 1, 2009 | By Julian Sanchez | web only

A Problem of Olympic Proportions
When it comes to Copenhagen, we should worry less about the Olympics and more about the looming December climate summit.
October 1, 2009 | By Matthew Yglesias | web only