Democracy | News-Opinion
TOP NEWS: Democracy: September 27th, 2012
- Pennsylvania no longer swing state
- New Polls: Ohio and Florida Senators Maintain Leads
- Super PACs’ Finally a Draw for Democrats
- Romney Advertising: The Missing Link?
- Fareed Zakaria: The GOP’s real problem
More top news and analysis excerpts below:
SWING STATES: Pennsylvania no longer swing state - FT
Perception of the Keystone State has shifted over the past few weeks towards being seen as likely to be taken by President Barack Obama
SWING STATES: Electoral Drama Shifts to Ohio - WSJ
Both presidential campaigns rolled into this crucial swing state Wednesday with new urgency, as Romney fought for a jolt of momentum and Obama looked to solidify his standing.
SWING STATES: In Ohio, Obama Takes On Romney Over China and Jobs - NYT
HELENE COOPER: President Obama trumpeted his recently opened unfair-trade case against China in a bid to shore up support in Ohio before Election Day.
SWING STATES: In Ohio, Obama and Romney skirmish - WP
Both candidates frame the election as a significant choice voters must make for America’s future.
POLL/MEDICARE: Poll: Obama capitalizes on Medicare advantage in swing states - WP
Voters in Fla., Va., Ohio broadly oppose the sweeping changes to Medicare proposed by Paul Ryan.
SENATE RACE: New Polls: Ohio and Florida Senators Maintain Lead Over Challengers - NYT
JEFF ZELENY: In the battle for control of the United States Senate, the Democratic Party has little room for error and is particularly intent on protecting senators who are standing for re-election in presidential battleground states.
SENATE RACE: McCaskill Hits Akin for ‘Legitimate Rape’ Comments in New Ad - NYT
Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri criticized her opponent, Representative Todd Akin, over comments he made in August, and Mr. Akin received some support from Republicans for his candidacy.
ELECTIONS 2012/POLICY: Obama, Romney differ sharply on ‘swagger’ in Foreign policy - WP
Romney’s promises to speak up for American interests worldwide hark back to President Bush, whose policies Obama has toned down.
ROMNEY POLICY: Mr. Romney Addresses Foreign Aid - NYT, EDITORIAL
A speech on the value of foreign aid and its purpose was encouraging, but there were also gaps and unanswered questions.
ELECTIONS 2012/ROMNEY-RYAN: A G.O.P. Reunion, With Plans for More Togetherness - NYT
RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. and ASHLEY PARKER: The Republican ticket will start campaigning together more often, which suggests that aides fear that Mitt Romney, on his own, is not generating enough attention and excitement.
ROMNEY POLICY: Immigration incoherence - WP, OEDITORIAL
Romney needs to replace slogans with policy.
*More Elections 2012 News and Analysis Below
CAMPAIGN FINANCE: ‘Super PACs’ Finally a Draw for Democrats - NYT
NICHOLAS CONFESSORE: With the election just weeks away, Democratic “super PACs” are finally getting the kind of wealthy donors who have made Republican outside groups a pivotal force in the campaign.
CAMPAIGN ADVERTISING: Romney Advertising: The Missing Link? - THE NEW YORKER
Jane Mayer: Many ostensibly unrelated anti-Obama ads have a production firm in common…
CAMPAIGN ADVERTISING: ‘Super PAC’ and Labor Group Team Up in Anti-Romney Radio Ad - NYT
MICHAEL D. SHEAR: The new ad from Priorities USA Action and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, plays some of the audio from a secretly taped video of Mitt Romney speaking about 47 percent of voters.
ROMNEY OUTREACH: Romney Ad Reaches Out to Working Class - NYT
ASHLEY PARKER: Mitt Romney stepped up his efforts to repair the damage from his “47 percent” comments, trying to reassure voters that he cares about the poor and middle class.
GOP VOTERS: Fareed Zakaria: The GOP’s real problem - WP, OPINION
Fareed Zakaria: It’s not Mitt Romney — it’s their own base.
JEWISH VOTERS/GOP: Republicans Intensify Drive to Win Over Jewish Voters - NYT
In battleground states like Florida, Ohio and Nevada, Republicans are trying to persuade Jewish voters who might typically be expected to support Democrats to vote for Mitt Romney.
UNDECIDED VOTERS: Why Undecided Voters Won’t Be Deciding This Election - BLOOMBERG, OPINION
Ezra Klein: “It seems that more than 96 percent of voters have already made up their minds about this election,” the ad begins.
VOTING EFFORT: Republican Committee Seeks to Match Obama Ground Game - NYT
The Republican National Committee said on Tuesday that it is financing a multimillion-dollar ground game on behalf of Mitt Romney and Representative Paul D. Ryan in an effort to match the expansive infrastructure of the Obama campaign.
CIVIL RIGHTS SETTLEMENT: Settlement in Protest Pepper-Spray Suit - WSJ
The University of California agreed to pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit filed by demonstrators who were pepper-sprayed during an Occupy protest at UC Davis last fall, according to a preliminary settlement.
FREE SPEECH: George F. Will: The war on free advice - WP, OPINION
George Will: The state objects to a man dispensing diet tips.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Fighting Over God’s Image - NYT, OP-ED
EDWARD J. BLUM and PAUL HARVEY: Unlike in Muslim culture, religious images abound in America. But it wasn’t always so.
IMMIGRATION: Visas for Scientists, With a Catch - NYT
A Republican bill that supported one visa program by killing off another thankfully didn’t pass. Immigrants need more than one legal path into the country.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING: In Obama’s Speech, Their Voices - NYT, OP-ED
NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF: These former sex slaves said the president gave the voiceless a voice in his landmark speech against human trafficking. Let’s hope this is a turning point.
IMMIGRATION/CRIMINAL JUSTICE: In Texas Conviction, an Immigrant Rallying Cry - NYT
ETHAN BRONNER: Rosa Jimenez, an illegal Mexican immigrant in a Texas prison for a crime she says she did not commit, has become a cause célèbre for critics of the American criminal justice system.
HEALTHCARE: Making the ‘Pharmacy Crawl’ - WSJ
A clampdown by at least eight states on abuse of painkiller pills has left some legitimate patients traveling from drugstore to drugstore to get their prescriptions filled.
CLINTON INITIATIVE: Clinton Global Initiative: Q&A with Chelsea Clinton - TIME.COM
JIM FREDERICK: Among her goals for the next five years: “I’d like to finish my dissertation”
EDUCATION: Colleges, by the Numbers - NYT, ROOM FOR DEBATE
Are the annual rankings in U.S. News a useful guide or too simplistic? How could they be improved?
STUDENT DEBT: Student Debt Epidemic: 1 in 5 Households Owe Student Loans - TIME.COM
JOSH SANBURN” The Great Recession has pushed student debt to historic levels, and for the first time ever, almost 20% of U.S. households have outstanding educational loans.
SERVICE CUTBACKS: Budget Cuts to Archives Put History Out of Reach - NYT
As Georgia’s state archives prepares to reduce its staff and accessibility drastically next month, archivists worry about a long-term impact on public records nationwide.
SPORTS: Greed destroying football - WP, OPINION
E.J. Dionne: Throw the flag on the NFL’s owners.
LOCAL HOUSING: San Franciscans Divide Over Pint-Size Apartments - NYT
Lawmakers put off a vote to allow units as small as 220 square feet. Proponents called the apartments affordable housing, but critics said lower-income residents will not benefit.
SCIENCE: Earthquake chain reaction theorized - WP
An April 11 quake deep under the Indian Ocean may have triggered others around the globe, scientists say in journal articles.
MORE ELECTION 2012 STORIES:
ROMNEY/RELIGION: Should Mormons shun Romney? - WP, EDITORIAL
Harry Reid’s new line of attack.
ROMNEY IMMIRATION POLICY: Immigration incoherence - WP, EDITORIAL
Romney needs to replace slogans with policy.
ROMNEY TAX PLAN: Romney’s bad math - WP, OPINION
Ruth Marcus: The many flaws at the heart of his tax plan.
ELIZABETH WARREN: The fight over Elizabeth Warren’s heritage, explained - WP
A look at how Warren’s claim to Native American heritage became a major point of contention in a marquee Senate race.
OBAMA: Rove: Obama’s Biggest Opponent Is the Truth - WSJ
Voters expect Mitt Romney to blow the whistle in the debates.
The Common Good publishes a U.S. domestic news digest every weekday, available here.
