Democracy | News-Opinion
TOP NEWS: Democracy: August 27th, 2012
- Romney Adopts Harder Message for Last Stretch
- Interview: Mitt Romney outlines his governing plan
- For Big Givers, Cash and Clout Arrive Together
- A Glitch in Health Care Reform
- Immigrants: Young and Alone, Face Court / Deportation
More top stories and excerpts below:
CONVENTION/MESSAGING: Romney Adopts Harder Message for Last Stretch - NYT
JEFF ZELEN, JIM RUTENBERG: Mitt Romney is heading into his nominating convention with his advisers convinced he needs a more combative footing against President Obama.
CONVENTION/STORM: Citing Weather, Republicans Cancel First Day of Convention - NYT
MICHAEL D. SHEAR: The Republican National Convention will officially open on Monday but will immediately recess until Tuesday afternoon because of the expectation of bad weather in Tampa, Fla.
CONVENTION/RHETORIC: Reince Priebus: ‘Prosecute’ Obama - POLITICO
TIM MAK: Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus said Monday that the GOP needs to “prosecute” the president on his unfulfilled promises over the course of the week’s convention in Tampa Bay.
CONVENTION/SOCIAL SPENDING: Republicans Should Stop Talking About Moocher Class - BLOOMBERG, EDITORIAL
As Republicans gather this week in Tampa, Florida, they will try to tilt the national mood-o-meter toward limited government, individual liberties and free markets. These are the estimable principles that have animated Republicans for generations. It’s the Tea Party with the rough edges sanded down. Or is it?
CONVENTION/ROMNEY: Romney Seeks Image Boost at Convention - WSJ, OP-ED
Romney enters the most important week of his political career dogged by a nasty tropical storm but hopeful it will pass in time for a circle of friends and supporters to give his presidential campaign a powerful lift.
*MORE CONVENTION 2012 BELOW
ELECTIONS 2012/ROMNEY: Interview: Mitt Romney outlines his governing plan to POLITICO - POLITICO
JIM VANDEHEI, MIKE ALLEN — Mitt Romney conceded President Barack Obama has succeeded in making him a less likable person, but he offered a defiant retort to those hoping he will open up this week: “I am who I am.” Romney quoted that Popeye line three times in a 30-minute interview with POLITICO about his leadership style and philosophy.
ELECTIONS 2012/REPUBLICANS: Lessons Learned From ’08, Romney/Ryan Present a United Front - NYT
TRIP GABRIEL, ASHLEY PARKER: Unlike Sarah Palin, the Republican running mate in this election, Representative Paul D. Ryan, is staying in the background and giving ground on policy.
ELECTIONS 2012/BIRTHER RHETORIC: Romney, in His Home State, Raises Birth Certificate Issue - NYT
ASHLEY PARKER and TRIP GABRIEL: In his remarks, Paul D. Ryan, Mitt Romney’s running mate, seemed to emphasize cultural differences with President Obama.
GOP/LATINOS: Political Perceptions: GOP’s Mixed Message on Latinos - WSJ, OP-ED
The GOP is showcasing some of its Latino stars, with prime speaking roles going to Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico. Off stage, though, the GOP is devising a governing blueprint that is anathema to many Latino voters.
ELECTIONS 2012/CAMPAIGN FINANCING: For Big Givers, Cash and Clout Arrive Together - NYT
NICHOLAS CONFESSORE: Lobbyists, corporate executives, trade associations and donors exploit legal loopholes, making each party’s quadrennial convention a gathering of money and influence unrivaled in politics.
*MORE ELECTIONS 2012 BELOW
HEALTHCARE REFORM: A Glitch in Health Care Reform - NYT, EDITORIAL
Confusing language in the health care reform law could mean that millions of middle-class Americans are left without affordable coverage.
HEALTHCARE REFORM/TEXAS: Texas counties consider expanding Medicaid themselves - WP
With GOP Gov. Rick Perry vowing not to go along with the the Medicaid expansion in President Obama’s health-care law, some Texas county officials are floating a novel alternative: What if they were to band together and do their own Medicaid expansion?
HEALTHCARE: Health Care Shift Raises Cost - WSJ
A structural shift sweeping U.S. health care—hospitals acquiring physicians’ practices—is leading to sharply higher fees as the new owners levy outpatient and other costs often for no change in services.
HEALTHCARE: Obama’s Cheesecake Factory Medicine – WSJ, OPINION
Paul Ryan’s critics and the architects of ObamaCare reveal their real vision for health care: coercion
IMMIGRATION: Immigrants: Young and Alone, Facing Court and Deportation - NYT
JULIA PRESTON: An unexpected surge of children, some of them barely school age, have been caught by border agents as they tried to cross illegally into the United States.
IMMIGRATION: Border Cities Are Burdened With Calls for Help - NYT
IAN LOVETT: From San Diego to Brownsville, Tex., requests for assistance have become a drain on the resources of fire departments in cities on the United States border with Mexico.
IMMIGRATION: 6 Weeks to Adapt to America - NYT
The Refugee Youth Summer Academy tries to help recently arrived refugees and asylees find a footing in their new country and prepares them for school.
STORM/ISAAC: Storm Gains Strength Moving Toward Coast - NYT
Tropical Storm Isaac was expected to gather strength, potentially making landfall as a hurricane somewhere along the Gulf Coast, late on Tuesday or early Wednesday.
NEIL ARMSTRONG 1930-2012: Made ‘Giant Leap’ as First Man to Step on Moon - NYT
Neil Armstrong became a global hero as the first human to set foot on an extraterrestrial body.
NEIL ARMSTRONG: Remembering Neil Armstrong (Slideshow) - NYT
A quiet, private man, at heart an engineer and crack test pilot, Mr. Armstrong made history as the commander of the Apollo 11 spacecraft.
ENERGY/ALASKA: Alaska pursuing unconventional shale oil development to fill its pipeline - WP
Alaska is exploring the possibility of extracting oil from the source rock on the state’s North Slope.
INFRASTRUCTURE: The Amtrak Option – NYT, EDITORIAL
As more travelers choose rail, Mitt Romney, Chris Christie and Republicans in Washington should be doing everything in their power to improve train service, not stand in the way.
GAY RIGHTS: In Maryland, Gay Marriage Seeks a ‘Yes’ at the Polls - NYT
REBECCA BERG – Opponents of same-sex marriage have gathered more than 100,000 signatures to put a referendum on the November ballot, setting the stage for a renewed debate on the issue.
HEALTH/CIRCUMCISION: Benefits of Circumcision Are Said to Outweigh Risks - NYT
RONI CARYN RABIN: The American Academy of Pediatrics has shifted its stance on infant male circumcision, motivated in part by research that says it may protect heterosexual men against H.I.V.
HEALTH/LEGISLATION/ MILITARY VETERANS: Fertility Services for Veterans - NYT, EDITORIAL
A compassionate Senate bill would address reproductive-health needs for disabled veterans, as well as their spouses and surrogates.
HEALTH: Early Detection for Brain Injuries - NYT
ANNE EISENBERG: Using magnetic sensors that can spot changes in brain waves, researchers are working on a new, relatively inexpensive way to spot injuries and monitor brain diseases.
HEALTH/WEST NILE: The Outbreak of West Nile Disease - NYT, EDITORIAL
The West Nile virus should not be shrugged off, but it is important to put it in perspective.
*MORE HEALTH BELOW
EDUCATION/DIVERSITY: ‘Diversity’ Isn’t Why Colleges Need Affirmative Action – BLOOMBERG, OP-ED
Noah Feldman: Just when you thought the U.S. Supreme Court was a distant memory of spring, the briefs are in for the blockbuster affirmative action case coming in October involving a student claiming she was denied admission to the University of Texas because she is white.
EDUCATION: Starving the Future - NYT, OP-ED
CHARLES M. BLOW: If you compare investments made in education by the United States with initiatives in China and India, Americans have reason to be afraid, very afraid.
AURORA SHOOTER: Before Gunfire, Hints of ‘Bad News’ - NYT
James Eagan Holmes left no trail of hate behind him before the shootings in Aurora. But interviews with people who knew or had contact with him before the attack tell a story of a man struggling with a mental illness and losing his footing.
HATE CRIMES/ANTI- SIKHISM: How Hate Gets Counted - NYT, OP-ED
SIMRAN JEET SINGH and PRABHJOT SINGH: Not all anti-Sikh acts are cases of “mistaken identity,” with Muslims the target. The F.B.I. must count anti-Sikh hate crimes, not lump them together with hate crimes against Muslims.
PSYCHOLOGY/SPORTS: Why Does Anyone Root for Incompetent, Failing Teams? - NYT, OP-ED
STEVE ALMOND: Remaining loyal to a terrible sports team can feel like a self-imposed prison. But it can also be an insight into your soul.
SCIENCE/UNDERWATER: Underwater, Feeling Our Ocean Origins - NYT, OP-ED
DIANE ACKERMAN: Exploring a beautiful, teeming underwater world that can’t be put into words.
LANGUAGE: The Top Three Myths About Myths - NYT,OP-ED
ANDREW J. CHERLIN: Myths used to be about ancient Greeks. When authors write about myths today, they mean something more prosaic: a statement that almost everyone thinks is true but really isn’t.
BIN LADEN BOOK: SEAL group: Stop bin Laden book - POLITICO
The anti-Obama outfit wants the administration to halt publication.
MORE CONVENTION STORIES:
CONVENTION/STORM: Storm Rewrites G.O.P.’s Script for Convention - NYT
JIM RUTENBERG, MICHAEL D. SHEAR: With Tropical Storm Isaac now forecast to roar past Tampa on Monday and Tuesday, officials scrambled to make contingency plans.
CONVENTION/POLICY: New Policy Plans Unlikely to Come at Convention- WSJ
The campaign isn’t divulging fresh details of its economic platform, saying there isn’t public demand for specifics that could be used as a weapon by the Obama campaign.
CONVENTION/CENTRISM: Romney May Signal End of Establishment Republicans’ Rule – BLOOMBERG, OP-ED
Albert R. Hunt: Ever since Ronald Reagan, the Republican Party has moved steadily to the right. Yet in Tampa this week, for the seventh consecutive time, Republicans will nominate a mainstream presidential candidate after rejecting movement conservatives.
CONVENTION/ROMNEY-RYAN: Convention Strategy: What Romney and Ryan Must Achieve in Tampa - TIME, OP-ED
ADAM SORENSEN: Mitt Romney has argued he has the skills to fix the economy. But he hasn’t convinced voters that he understands the struggles of the middle class.
CONVENTION/SOUTHERN US: The Sun Belt, Eclipsed – NYT, OP-ED
ADAM NAGOURNEY: The Sun Belt remains a force, but the Republican National Convention is a sign that the Republicans’ grip on it is loosening.
CONVENTION/CONSENSUS: A Party of Factions Gathers, Seeking Consensus - NYT
ADAM NAGOURNEY: Republican leaders said there was unity in the drive to unseat President Obama, but they expressed concerns about challenges to the establishment.
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION: Asheville, N.C. Debates: How Weird is Too Weird? – WSJ, OP-ED
The Asheville, N.C., City Council issued a permit allowing women to hold a topless protest Sunday but regretted it, fearing it would hurt tourism.
MORE ELECTIONS 2012 STORIES:
ELECTIONS 2012/CHRISTIE-RYAN: Paul Krugman: The Comeback Skid - OP-ED
Gov. Chris Christie’s boasts about tough choices and fiscal responsibility turn out to be a lot like Paul Ryan’s.
ELECTIONS 2012/ROMNEY/STATES: Dump It on the States - NYT , EDITORIAL
Even though the states can barely meet their core responsibilities now, Mitt Romney wants to increase their burdens by unloading several federal duties.
ROMNEY/RHETORIC: Interview: Romney blasts Obama for a ‘vituperative’ campaign – USA TODAY
“I think in the final analysis, people will recognize those attacks for what they are, and they’ll make a decision based on who can do a better job creating jobs and providing more take-home pay for the middle class of America. I believe I am that person.”
REPUBLICAN PLATFORM: Republican vs. Republican – NEW YORKER, OPINION
Philip Gourevitch: The culture war that Pat Buchanan trumpeted in 1992 is no longer an insurgent cause. It’s a permanent condition of the G.O.P.…
ELECTIONS 2012/MIDDLE CLASS: Robert Samuelson: ‘Saving’ the middle class - WP, OP-ED
The idea that anyone can “save” the middle class assumes that it’s in danger of disappearing, which it isn’t, and that presidents possess sufficient powers to resurrect it, which they don’t. Still, the symbolism is potent because most Americans equate the middle class with the kind of society we are and ought to be.
ELECTIONS 2012/ROMNEY: Earnest and Efficient, Romney Spares the Subtlety - NYT
ASHLEY PARKER and MICHAEL BARBARO: Mitt Romney’s speeches and rallies are highly polished and hyper-scripted and they tell a story of a man who sees himself as a hero prepared to pull off his biggest rescue yet.
ELECTIONS 2012/OBAMA: Relaxed and Loose, Candidate Obama Hits his Mark - NYT
HELENE COOPER: In this re-election campaign, the president is a scheduler’s dream, a walking, talking, handshaking, baby-hugging prototype of campaigning efficiency.
PAUL RYAN: Paul Ryan’s Social Extremism - NYT EDITORIAL
A long history of social extremism makes Paul Ryan an emblem of the Republican tack to the far right.
ROMNEY PERSONALITY: Too Late to Shake That Etch A Sketch - NYT, OP-ED
By MAUREEN DOWD: Mitt Romney throws out red meat while refusing to be “a piece of meat.”
ROMNEY HISTORY: Romney in Crisis: Two Dark Spots in Fortunate Life – NYT
SHERYL GAY STOLBERG: A 1968 car crash in France and the 1998 diagnosis of Ann Romney’s multiple sclerosis offer clues into Mitt Romney’s character, and how he reacts to challenges.
ROMNEY: Romney’s First 100 Days – NYT, OP-ED
DAVID LEONHARDT: A Republican sweep of Washington could make possible the change they have been talking about for three decades: a significant shrinking of government.
REPUBLICAN VOTERS: Michael Barone: The Evolution of the Republican Party Voter - WSJ, OP-ED
To see how the base of the Republican Party has changed over the years, compare two presidential elections, 1944 and 1988.
LEGISLATION/ BIPARTISANSHIP: The Last Bipartisan - NYT, OP-ED
BILL KELLER: The story of Ron Wyden and Paul Ryan shows just how perilous lawmaking is in today’s Congress.
RACE IN AMERICA: Making The Election About Race – NYT, OP-ED
THOMAS B. EDSALL: The latest ads for the Romney-Ryan ticket suggest that under President Obama money goes from the deserving to the undeserving.
ROMNEY/MICHIGAN: An upset in Michigan? OP-ED
Marc A. Thiessen: No GOP presidential candidate has carried Michigan in almost a quarter-century, and four years ago Obama won here in a 16-point landslide. This November, however, Romney sees Michigan as ripe for a pickup.
ROMNEY PERSONA: Can Romney get real? - WP OP-ED
E.J. Dionne: Reintroducing himself to voters will be difficult. Romney’s tasks will be both biographical, presenting his best self, and thematic, turning the campaign toward Obama’s shortcomings rather than his own.
RON PAUL: Libertarian Legion Stands Ready to Accept Torch From Paul - NYT
JOHN HARWOOD: After a valedictory rally on Sunday in Tampa, Fla., supporters of Representative Ron Paul are eager to build on his electoral advances and youth support.
MORE HEALTH STORIES:
HEALTH: Turn Off the Phone (and the Tension) - NYT
JENNA WORTHAM: In taking a forced break from her smartphone and social media, a writer reclaims a sense of serenity.
HEALTH/CHEMICALS: Big Chem, Big Harm? – NYT, OP-ED
NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF: Chemicals in everything from canned food to A.T.M. receipts could affect you, your children and your children’s children.
HEALTH: How Long Do You Want to Live? – NYT, OP-ED
DAVID EWING DUNCAN: New biomedical discoveries may bring a steeper increase in life span – but not everyone wants it.
HEALTH: Genes Now Tell Doctors Secrets They Can’t Utter - NYT, OP-ED
Much genetic research is predicated on study subjects being anonymous, but increasingly researchers are discovering things these subjects, or their relatives, might need or like to know.
HEALTH: AUTISM: An Immune Disorder at the Root of Autism - NYT, OP-ED
Future doctors will need to correct the postmodern tendency toward immune dysregulation.
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