COUGH UP THE DETAILS
ISSA HAS QUESTIONS AFTER CONGRESS REVOLTS ON OBAMA PLAN

Robert Reich, 05/16/12

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

Obama does have a choice. He can assail Romney's character but he can also take on the system that allows private-equity managers, as well as Wall Street's biggest banks, to continue to make huge profits at the expense of average Americans.

Valerie Jarrett, 05/16/12

Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement

A bill being considered in the House today seeks to roll back existing protection that keep women safe from the threat of violence. That is just plain wrong. Keeping women safe isn't about which political party you support -- it's about protecting basic human rights.

June Carbone and Naomi Cahn, 05/16/12

The idea of marriage held by those who are financially secure no longer fits large numbers of working-class couples who conceive children together. That's because the foundation for their relationships has been destroyed by the very people who accuse Obama of a war on marriage.

Suzanne Merkelson, 05/16/12

Web Editor, United Republic

The food and beverage industry has been relentless in Washington lately, more than doubling their spending in Washington during the past three years, completely outpacing public interest groups looking out for children's health.

Rick Newman, 05/16/12

Chief Business Correspondent, U.S. News and author of Rebounders: How Winners Pivot From Setback to Success

A humbler Romney would have acknowledged his role in the abuse, indicated his regret, and apologized to the victim in a meaningful way. Most Americans would buy that. Who hasn't done stuff as a teenager that they later wish they hadn't?

Christopher Arterton, 05/16/12

Professor of Political Management, The George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management

The recent primary victory by Richard Mourdock over Dick Lugar should send greater shock waves through Washington than merely the one Senate seat now potentially up for grabs. Evidently, Tea Party-backed candidates will be continuing their war against the politics of compromise.

John W. Whitehead, 05/16/12

Attorney and Author

Voter ID laws are the icing on the cake when it comes to public officials shutting Americans out of the decision-making process, silencing dissent, and making sure that those in power stay in power.

Robert Walker, 05/16/12

President, Population Institute

John Beddington, the U.K.'s chief science adviser, three years ago gave a speech in which he warned that population growth, climate change, and the world's rising demand for food, energy, and water constituted a "perfect storm" that could destabilize the world by 2030, or sooner.

Dennis A. Henigan, 05/16/12

Vice President, Brady Campaign; Author, 'Lethal Logic'

The VA has done nothing more than give sound advice based on the best medical and public health knowledge about the risks of guns. For doing so, it now faces the wrath of the gun lobby.

Robin Koerner, 05/16/12

Publisher, WatchingAmerica.com

What if Paul's supporters just ignore the binding rules and vote their consciences? What if, in Tampa, all those Paul supporters who are bound by state rules to vote for Romney put the ball firmly back in the GOP's court, and say, "Your move"?

Beth Burkstrand-Reid, 05/16/12

Law professor, University of Nebraska

Reproductive health services are important because the act of sex is important. But it is very unlikely that we will soon see elected officials admit en masse that they like having sex with their spouses and (by God!) birth control should be therefore be accessible for that very reason.

Aubrey Sarvis, 05/16/12

Executive Director, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

As the Washington Post pointed out, you can be a gun-rights activist in the old Dominion and get a judgeship in Virginia, but you can't be a gay rights advocate and get approved by the the same assembly in Richmond.

Jeff Danziger, 05/16/12

Political cartoonist syndicated by the NYTimes worldwide

Ann O'Leary, 05/16/12

Director, Children and Families Program at The Center for the Next Generation; Lecturer, Berkeley, School of Law

Working mothers, or at least those with limited education and lower-end jobs, have almost no employee benefits that allow time away from work when their children are sick or even when they give birth.

Clarence B. Jones, 05/16/12

Scholar in Residence, Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University

Whether prompted by moral conviction or political expediency, the president's support of same sex marriage is still causing reflection among several diverse communities throughout the U.S. and it has impacted a college course I am teaching later this year, "From Slavery to Obama."

Ari Melber, 05/16/12

Correspondent, The Nation; Attorney

Conservatives are declaring that Obama's move has "backfired," while many Democrats keep straining to find a genuine conversion. This kind of debate misses the larger point.

Andy Ostroy, 05/16/12

Political & pop culture analyst. Twitter @AndyOstroy

If Mitt Romney wanted to dramatically improve his chances of beating President Obama in the November election, he could do one thing: appoint a conservative Democrat as his running mate.