FAMILY-FRIENDLY OBAMA. Dana reports that "Obama [argued for] expanding the terms of the pro-choice debate beyond access to abortion, contraception, and comprehensive sexuality education and into a larger discussion about family planning and work-life balance for women. He called for 'updating the social contract' with gender pay equity, paid maternal leave, and longer school hours that make it easier for mothers to work." Now where have I heard that before? Ah yes. Karen Kornbluh has been arguing for a new, family-friendly progressivism for years now. And she just happens to be Barack Obama's policy director. So if you want a glimpse of where these ideas are headed, you may want to check out her Democracy manifesto on creating a social insurance system keyed to the needs of modern families, or her Washington Monthly article on the need for workplaces to become more family friendly. I've long been a fan of this approach, and Kornbluh's involvement in Obama's policy machine is one of my main reasons for faith in his instincts. --Ezra Klein
