Ruth Marcus on All Topics
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“So now, what to do about the babysitter? As an employer, I think this unreliable arrangement is unsustainable; I can be flexible but not masochistic. As a fellow mom, as a human being, I empathize and identify. It is not so much liberal guilt as basic decency that makes me cringe at the thought of demanding more flexibility than I am willing to extend.”
“The filibuster makes the process -- take a deep breath, Democrats -- fairer. It enhances the opportunity for real debate. On the major legislation for which its use was meant, the filibuster tends, overall, to create a better end product, one more likely to gain wide acceptance among voters.”
“It was unnecessary for the court to go so far when there were several less-radical grounds available. It was audacious to seize the opportunity to overrule precedents when the parties had not pressed this issue and the lower courts had not considered it. It was the height of activism to usurp the judgments of Congress and state legislatures about how best to prevent corruption of the political process.”
“The most fundamental question -- who is the real Obama? -- is the one I think has been most clearly answered. The Rush Limbaugh cartoon of Obama-as-socialist notwithstanding, Obama's inclinations toward centrist pragmatism have outweighed his liberalism at almost every turn, from Afghanistan to education reform.”
“The fortuitously named Iris Robinson -- and here's to you, etc. -- is a 60-year-old member of Parliament from Northern Ireland. Robinson not only had an affair; she had an affair with a teenage boy.”
“The clamor to have Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab declared an enemy combatant and hauled before a military tribunal ignores several inconvenient facts.”
“The more I think about the Christmas all-but-bombing, the angrier I get.”
“Happy last Christmas of the Oughts -- and here's hoping I'm wrong about the Teens.”
“Help wanted: Brave senator or senators willing to champion amendment creating fail-safe mechanism to control health-care spending.”
“Tiger, don't say anything. Not another word. The future of civilization -- such as it is -- depends on it.”
“Is Congress going through the ordeal of trying to enact health-care reform only to have one of the main pillars -- requiring individuals to obtain insurance -- declared unconstitutional? An interesting debate for a constitutional law seminar. In the real world, not a big worry.”
“Let's dispense with three fallacies swirling about the question of abortion coverage in health-care reform.”
“I'm not a huge fan of the House measure, but I was glad to see it straggle across the finish line, if only to keep the process going.”
“As to the question of whether Tuesday's results portend very much for Congress in 2010 or Obama in 2012, the answer is: not really, all the commentary notwithstanding.”
“The crazier my work schedule, the more I am apt to be up on Greider Standard Time, speed-cooking.”
