WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift WASHINGTON – Hamstrung by an obstinate Congress, President Obama is working on his own to create a network of “innovation hubs” to produce the technological breakthroughs needed to re-invigorate American manufacturing and generate the jobs of the future. With seed money from the Defense Department, each of […]
Month: February 2014
Undermining the Military and the Nation
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift WASHINGTON – It was believed that someone who had served as an enlisted man in Vietnam would take particular care of the troops if he became secretary of Defense. Such a man is former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., but his proposed budget proves otherwise. First, it must […]
Minimum Wage Myths
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift WASHINGTON – The Congressional Budget Office is one of the rare honest brokers left in Washington, where extreme partisanship has inflamed so many of the town’s institutions. In two of the non-partisan CBO’s most recent reports, there was something for both sides left and right, to consider […]
Ethnic Secession
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift WASHINGTON – A top official at the U.S. State Department was recently heard using an epithet when referring to the European Union because of its indecision over Ukraine. Since then, the protests in Kiev, the capital city, have spiraled out of control, and the government has responded […]
Mass and Economy of Force
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift WASHINGTON – Speaker John Boehner couldn’t believe House Republicans didn’t applaud him for getting the “monkey off their back” when he relied on Democratic votes to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. Almost all Republicans voted against the measure; just 28 joined all but 2 Democrats to support […]
The Kinder, Gentler GOP Moderate: Shirley Temple Black
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift WASHINGTON – The varied careers of Shirley Temple Black, a child star who went into politics, spans a time when a succession of Republican presidents occupied the White House and moderation was a touchstone for the party, instead of a rejected ideology. President Nixon, a fellow Californian, […]
To torture or not to torture
IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11 December 2014 WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND Today’s Events in Historical Perspective America’s Longest-Running Column, Founded 1932 To torture or not to torture By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift WASHINGTON – With the release by the U.S. Senate of the report on the CIA’s use of torture during the George W. Bush presidency, a complex […]
Farewell Afghanistan
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND By Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift WASHINGTON – President Obama summoned his top commanders to the White House on Tuesday after reports surfaced that Afghan President Karzai had been meeting secretly with the Taliban, jeopardizing the future of the U.S. mission once combat troops are withdrawn at the end of this year. Seeking to […]