Common Cause recently sponsored a compelling session at the National Press Club on prisoner abuse, military commissions trying detainees, and who is responsible for torturous interrogations at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This week, as well, the Senate approved the Homeland Security Act and $44 billion in funding to include allowing government...

Energy Stimulus is (just) a "Catalyst"

"Smart grid," President Obama said on David Letterman this week, "leads to long-term stability" for the U.S. "Clean energy," Obama added, "will put 100,00 people back to work."

"Huge potential," pitched the President, going directly to Americans. So what exactly is the state...

There may be climate change legislation coming out of this Congress. There may be a new global United Nations resolution guideline on global warming and carbon reduction. But there will likely not be a "Kyoto-style Treaty" emerging from the UN Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark early December. Despite...

President Obama took a moment today to laud Sen. Edward Moore Kennedy as a giant and "the lion of the Senate" as the Mass. Senator came to be known. President Obama owes Sen. Kennedy a huge debt of gratitude for the political endorsement and for coming-off his death bed to...

The health care reform town hall meetings continue to turn ugly with members of the Obama Administration and long-serving members of Congress taking it on the chin. This week, President Obama took to the hustings and made his own case in Portsmouth, NH. There seems to be confusion about the...

Al Franken (D-MN) waited over eight months to take his seat. When he was sworn-in, he used the Bible of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, who died on a campaign flight in the frigid north. Wellstone was a champion of the people, nationally, but stayed close to constituents. He also...

Honolulu - for Hawaiians, the "White House Luau on the Lawn" this week shows a deep respect for Congress. Luau's are reserved for great family occasions, such as "baby luau's" for the birth of a child.

"President Obama is really a loyal Hawaii boy," said John Monahan, president and...

Blogger's Note: the day this blog posted, the Senate invoked cloture and this Travel Promotion Act came-off the Senate Calendar docket. USTA and other travel trade groups will push to meet Sen. Majority leader concerns and continue to add more co-sponsors to the legislation.

The U.S. Senate agreed this week...

Julius Genachowski's confirmation hearing for FCC chairman last week before the Senate Science, Commerce, and Transportation Committee was a provocative give-and-take on national communications infrastructure, broadband policy, mobile deployment and transparency.

Genachowski is well-versed in Senate diplomacy. He began his career as a legislative aide to Sen. Charles Schumer...

General Motors Rest in Peace. Maybe if Michael Moore had not written and produced "Roger and Me" back in Flint and Detroit, critical of the corporation, we'd not be attending this funeral?

My grandfather, William "King" Simpson, worked at GM's Locomotive Division in LaGrange, Illinois, for over 40 years....

"Hillary Clinton was the strongest candidate our party had put forward in a decade," began David Plouffe, campaign manager for Obama for President. "Barack Obama offered an improbably candidacy. We had a full appreciation of her and we defied conventional wisdom."

Plouffe lead a discussion on promoting diversity in Advertising...

The Educational Testing Service is a non-profit with a policy arm aimed at influencing legislation around childhood education. ETS has just released Parsing the Achievement Gap II -- a five-year update on its landmark study. The first release sent shock waves through the educational system citing biological, cultural and even...

Governor's races in Virginia seem more genteel. While the gloves were off last weekend at the College of William & Mary debate, they were velvet. Nobody's face was slapped as in Colonial and Revolutionary times seeking a duel.

Former DNC Chairman and Democratic Party activist Terry McAuliffe killed with kindness...

Ogilvy Winners Want a Seat at the Table

Joel Benenson has been busy picking up hardware for the Obama for America ad campaigns.

He's been in New York for an ad industry award program called the Ogilvy Awards and in Washington for a Cable Award from CTAM in the...

David E. Sanger's New Book is The Inheritance: The World Obama Confronts and the Challenges to American Power.

He said that Democratic control of the executive branch and legislative branch of government takes away checks and balances that might lead to "barely any accountability and an abuse of power," in...

Virginia Dems Hear from President Clinton

By Mike Smith

Former President Bill Clinton came to Richmond to call on democrats, in a state that had gone blue for the first time in four decades, to focus on "how" we will get out of our nation's financial debacles. "How" will the...

Washington has always been a rich vein of material for political commentators and late night talk show hosts. It seems our little town creates its own unique drama and humor. This year, political videos and documentaries are dominating the awards programs.

It is interesting to note viral videos are...

Blackberries and Butter!

Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, US Trade Representative (USTR) and principal trade negotiator said one possible way out of recession is to focus on tech and international trade.

During a panel at CES on International Trade, Schwab was most concerned about global protectionism in the down economies of...

This year of 2008 has been amazing and fulfilling in my business, political and spiritual life.

I have had the great good fortune of volunteering all year on the Obama for President Campaign -- starting last year in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, Iowa through the final speech in...

Will the Blagojevich Scandal Jeopardize Obama's Trustworthy Image?

Over the last eight years, the Bush administration's most effective communications tools were secrecy and subterfuge. When President Bush or a member of his Cabinet refused to pass along public information, it initially implied a great authoritative role, someone who was privy...