Dee Evans, 02/22/12

Political Junkie and Chamber of Commerce Exec

It would be interesting to know what the thought process was behind the decision not to have the first black president participate in the shovel part of the ceremony for the first national museum dedicated to African American history; heck, Obama is African American history!

Liz Kozak, 02/22/12

Writer, Mom

I wish I could call up every single person who told me, "Sleep while you can!" and inform them that their advice was terrible. I wish I had used all that nap time to go to the movies, because I miss it a whole lot.

Paul Szep, 02/22/12

Two-time Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist

Nan Aron, 02/22/12

President, Alliance for Justice

Regrettably, the record shows that even though justices have asserted that they abide voluntarily by the Code, the recent behavior by several of them demonstrates that either they don't understand its provisions or they are willing to ignore them.

David Murray, 02/22/12

Chicago based writer/editor

State-of-the-town speeches exploded during the housing boom, when mayors could describe the growth in the tax base and bask in the glow. After everything went to hell in 2008, mayors would probably have preferred to skip the speech.

Patricia McGuire, 02/22/12

President, Trinity Washington University

While Lent is traditionally about private sacrifice, with so much talk of religion in the public square, it seems like a good time to consider embracing some collective acts of atonement for the sorry state of human behavior.

Sabrina Hersi Issa, 02/21/12

Digital Director, Be Bold Media; Founder, Washington Women Social Entrepreneurs

My family is from Somalia and came to the United States through political asylum. I'm a proud first-generation American woman, and I grew up constantly reminded of my fortune to be born in the United States -- and the unyielding opportunity to build your own destiny here.

Jared Bernstein, 02/22/12

Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Pretty much every discussion of tax reform these days ends with an agreement that we need to broaden the base and lower the rates. Well, the White House today will release the broad outlines of a plan to do just that on the corporate side of the federal tax code.

Dr. Peggy Drexler, 02/20/12

Author, 'Our Fathers Ourselves. Daughters, Fathers, And The Changing American Family'

With mounting signs that the economy is getting some traction, boiling populist rage is dialing down to a grumbling simmer. This raises the possibility of the GOP nightmare scenario: voters going into the election in a reasonably upbeat mood.

David Vine, 02/22/12

Assistant professor of anthropology, American University

The fire in Comayagua is a symbol of a much larger fire that the United States has left burning, and too often flamed, since turning Honduras into an anti-communist base. The answer is not further militarization. We must find another path.

Georgiana Bloom, 02/22/12

DC-based writer

As a lifelong swimmer, when I get a whiff of chlorine, I get excited. But when I saw hundreds of kids swimming in every lane at D.C.'s Takoma Aquatic Center on President's Day weekend, I was thrilled.

Steven Cohen, 02/20/12

Executive Director, Columbia University's Earth Institute

We've experienced a three-decade long attack on government. While this may have had the effect of constraining unchecked power, it has also started to destroy critical government capacities. This has been especially true at the local level.

Jeff Selingo, 02/21/12

Award-winning journalist and thought leader on higher education worldwide

Beginning this spring, Virginia families will have access to a key component in answering the value-of-college question: median salaries for the graduates of hundreds of programs across every public and some private colleges in the state.

Jon Soltz, 02/21/12

Co-Founder of VoteVets.org, Iraq War Veteran

A better way to show the thanks of a grateful nation -- more than any parade or handshake or embrace -- is to make certain that all veterans have a fair shot at building an America worthy of our service.