Robert Kuttner

President Bush has nominated two of his most belligerent and dogmatic hawks to key positions abroad — Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank, and John Bolton as United Nations Ambassador. For America’s allies who value the UN and who opposed Bush’s Iraq strategy, of which Wolfowitz was a principal architect, these choices are an […]

The Republicans just did it again. They pushed through Congress a bankruptcy ”reform” bill written by credit card companies. The bill makes it harder for ordinary people crushed by debt (often medical debt) to start anew. It leaves intact dodges used by wealthy people, such as asset-hiding trusts, and the corporate ability to use bankruptcy […]

Freedom seems to be breaking out all over. To hear supporters of George W. Bush, it’s all due to the President’s courageous decision to risk his presidency on the Iraq War. Here’s the storyline: Just as Bush’s neo-conservative advisers planned, ousting Saddam transformed not just Iraq but the balance of power in the Middle East. […]

Larry, Here are some comments on your seminar presentation dealing with the underrepresentation of women in math and the sciences. Your grade, I regret, is a C-plus. As you know, this is a low grade at Harvard. I do hope that when you develop this into your term paper and as you mature as a […]

“America supports a strong Europe, George W. Bush told an appreciative audience at his first major European speech in Brussels Monday, “because we need a strong partner in the hard work of advancing freedom in the world.” This seemed a good beginning for some overdue fence-mending. But many of Bush’s own core supporters disagree, and […]

The great Social Security battle of 2005 could well be remembered as the tipping point that ended George W. Bush’s remarkable winning streak. It’s now clear that Democrats are not about to provide Bush bipartisan cover for privatization. Even usually reliable Republicans are putting some distance between themselves and the president. Bush and his allies […]

At dinner, two sets of parents of college seniors are discussing their dreams for their soon-to-be newly minted graduates. Doctor? Lawyer? Scientist? Entrepreneur? ”I just hope she gets a job with health insurance,” says one mom, breaking the spell. ”The insurance cuts off the day they graduate.” A dad chimes in: ”COBRA coverage costs over […]

AARP has just proposed closing part of the long-term Social Security shortfall by raising the cap on income subject to the Social Security tax from its present ceiling of $90,000 to $140,000. In other circumstances, this might be a good idea. In the present political context, it’s just not smart politics. AARP, which is adamantly […]