The luncheon began on a festive note, with emcee Susan Saint James Ebersol (the Kate and Allie star who married NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol) inviting us to "celebrate the first year of a pro-choice White House!"

We applauded, of course, smiling happily over our poached chicken. Chocolate mousse...

Our new president came in on a platform of change, and just a few months after his inauguration, we're seeing some exceptional things. The pristine fountains on the White House lawn were dyed green this year for St. Patrick's day. Big-shot executives are now giving back their bonus pay! New...

Despite the Argentine government's effort to make International Women's Day a national public holiday (and despite the appropriate color of the presidential compound--known as "the Pink House," la Casa Rosada), Argentina isn't recognized for its prominent women.

Evita Peron is the exception, I suppose, although she's known for her...

This week, something unprecedented happened. Our Secretary of Defense actually agreed with the nonprofit that's been leading the effort to ensure all Guantanamo detainees receive proper legal representation. Agreed on an issue, I should clarify. No, Robert Gates didn't say that a court process is preferable to military detention, but...

On Monday, Vince Warren, Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, was quoted in a New York Times front page article about Guantanamo detainees in the Bush era: "The house of cards is finally falling down." On Tuesday, Vince Warren shared a bottle of champagne with his staff.

Everyone's saying it, even Obama. Don't assume. Just a week ago, he said, "I don't like counting those chickens before they're hatched." Rachel Maddow on MSNBC has been warning us against "overconfidence." Al Gore -and he would know--told a crowd of Floridians on Friday, "Don't let anybody tell you that...

The Metropolitan Republican Club, counting Michael Bloomberg and Rudolph Giuliani among its members, hosted a fundraiser debate-watch party October 7 for Saul Farber, a candidate for the New York State Assembly. Despite Farber's young age (at twenty-two, he is only a few months younger than his opponent Richard Gottfried was...

With all the attention on Wall Street, who's looking out for the little people?

Lehman Brothers has folded, and before that, Bear Stearns. Another financial giant, Merrill Lynch, has fallen from grace. The media are having a field day with images of frenzied investors and demoralized CEOs. But what...

We have a lot to learn from Argentina, that country at the bottom of the world not known for much more than its steak, its leather and Evita. Evita Peron was nominated as Vice President in 1951. She never ran, but she was nominated.

It has taken the Republican...

Judging by the applause, cheers and grins during the last thirty minutes of the Republican National Convention Wednesday night, Sarah Palin's speech was an unqualified success at this Manhattan viewing party packed with young professionals. But this doesn't mean John McCain is a shoo-in as the next President of the...