NOTHING TO FEAR
OBAMA SLAMS 'RISKY BETS'

James Zogby, 05/19/12

President, Arab American Institute; author, 'Arab Voices'

As big as the question of who the winner will be, is what the job of the presidency will be like in the short and long term. This new situation in Egypt is an uncertain balancing act between competing forces. We've never been here before.

Chris Weigant, 05/18/12

Political writer and blogger at ChrisWeigant.com

It was a somewhat eclectic week in politics. The House -- in one of their rare moments when they actually meet and attempt to get something done -- passed a bunch of bills which have exactly zero chance of becoming law. Well, at least they had fun, right?

Ethan Rome, 05/18/12

Executive Director, Health Care for America Now

The Republican leaders in Congress have mostly defined themselves by what they're against, but now they've announced what they're for -- the most popular parts of the Affordable Care Act. I can only imagine the political identity crisis this is causing within the GOP.

William Bradley, 05/19/12

Political Analyst, NewWestNotes.com

There's a lot of confusion about the ballyhooed NATO Summit in Chicago, intended as a big boost to Obama's geopolitical leadership, showcased in his hometown. Here are some big outstanding questions about NATO's future.

Joe Cirincione and Benjamin Loehrke, 05/18/12

The blockbuster problem in The Avengers is the writers' desire to turn a nuclear weapon into a golden bullet that can save the day -- even if this bomb is more likely to ruin it.

Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, 05/19/12

Former Governor of Michigan, Faculty at UC Berkeley, Host of "The War Room with Jennifer Granholm" on Current TV

We have ventured so far from the vision of the founding fathers that if they were still alive, I'm certain those founders would start another revolution. I blame Citizens United.

Amitai Etzioni, 05/18/12

GWU Professor

There are major foreign policy items to which the Russians attribute very great importance but are of little significance to us, and vice versa. Call it a major saliency differential. This seems to lay the ground for a major deal that has yet to be struck.

Mark R. Kennedy, 05/19/12

Professor and director of the Graduate School of Political Management, George Washington University

With the primary season fading from memory, the first skirmishes of the general election are just beginning. At this point, it's too close to call.

Simon Johnson, 05/17/12

MIT professor; Co-author, '13 Bankers' and 'White House Burning'; Columnist on fiscal affairs

If Mr. Dimon resigns, that is a major humiliation and recognition -- at the highest levels of government -- that even the country's best connected banker has overstepped his limits. If, as seems more likely, Mr. Dimon stays in place, that would be a great victory for the big banks -- and a reminder of who is really in charge of the country.

David Katz, M.D., 05/19/12

Director, Yale Prevention Research Center

Fundamentally, we have converted a world in which calories were relatively scarce and hard to get and physical activity unavoidable into a world where physical activity is scarce and hard to get and calories are unavoidable.

Annie Spiegelman, 05/18/12

Author, "Talking Dirt: The Dirt Diva's Down to Earth Guide to Organic Gardening"

I found out that women account for only 17 percent of the U.S. Congress and 23 percent of the state legislature. That puts the United States 78th in the world (tied with Turkmenistan) for percentage of women holding office.

Jason Stanford, 05/18/12

Democratic consultant and writer

Romney can't pick a well-loved candidate without highlighting that he's the least-liked nominee in a generation. Besides, choosing someone who is better liked than Mitt doesn't narrow down the list at all.

Marian Wright Edelman, 05/18/12

President, Children's Defense Fund

We don't usually equate "summer vacation" and empty stomachs. Did you know child hunger and food insecurity often peak in the summer? An overwhelming majority of children who receive free meals at school aren't as lucky once school lets out.

Hibaaq Osman, 05/18/12

Founder, Karama

The history of women's rights across the globe demonstrates time and again the propensity of conservatives to adopt "women-centric" agendas that do everything to scapegoat women's freedoms in order to bolster their own platforms.

Robert Reich, 05/18/12

Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley; Author, 'Beyond Outrage'

Members of the Class of 2012, as a former secretary of labor and current professor, I feel I owe it to you to tell you the truth about the pieces of parchment you're picking up today. You're f*cked.

Taylor Lincoln, 05/18/12

Research director, Public Citizen’s Congress Watch

The JPMorgan episode may be the warning that Congress needs to return to its role of protecting the public rather than coddling the banks. But it also raises a question: How many times does a lesson have to be taught before it is learned?

Margie Omero, 05/18/12

Democratic pollster, president of Momentum Analysis

New Gallup polling suggests the joys of motherhood can bring added challenges. The most striking finding is how much stay-at-home moms in particular suffer.