Congress has hidden its face from the truth about how the United States treats foreign detainees for too long.Finally, at the urging of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., whose firsthand experience at the hand of torturers gives him a moral clarity on the issue, the U.S. Senate has adopted legislation that would prohibit the “cruel, inhuman […]

Breaking the law should have consequences.The U.S. Department of Education broke the law when it paid syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams for positive coverage of the No Child Left Behind legislation.Armstrong may eventually give the money back, but otherwise there will be no accountability. The law was broken, but it doesn’t matter. What’s the point of […]

Hybrid cars aren’t living up to the hype, and it’s turning into a major disappointment for consumers, automakers and environmentalists.There are two main problems. First, the system used to determine an automobile’s fuel economy by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency judges performance based on “ideal” conditions. It’s not too cold, the air conditioner isn’t on, […]

Violence against women and its representation in popular culture is nothing new.Damsels have been in distress for as long as stories have been told – poisoned by witches, hijacked to tall towers, tied to train tracks and kidnapped by white guys pretending to be Indians. The story of the helpless woman has remained oddly consistent […]

Really, can the news from Iraq get much worse?Friday, the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department reported that six in every 10 women who have served in the National Guard and reserves say they were sexually harassed or assaulted. Sadly, fewer than one in every four of those soldiers reported the abuse to higher-ups.Even more shocking, one […]

“Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more.”Taken from “Henry the Fifth,” the famous quotation is part of the king’s speech to rally his soldiers for an attack on the French town of Harfleur.The king’s exhortation pushes his men forward, and it is often put to use now to elicit a renewed effort as […]

For an hour and a half Friday, it was every parent’s worst nightmare.Sisters, 6 and 9, were missing. They were supposed to be in school, but weren’t. They had left home walking, on their way to Longley Elementary, but didn’t arrive.Lewiston police responded in force, and the girls were found – safe and sound – […]

Trust me. Again.That’s what President Bush is saying to his most conservative allies and to the country with the nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court.Miers has never been a judge and has little experience as an elected official – she served two years on the Dallas City Council. Most of her work […]

We are regularly amazed by the way public officials can rationalize conflicts of interest.Consider, for instance, Wildlife Commissioner R. Dan Martin’s personal call to an assistant district attorney seeking information on the drunken driving arrest of his brother. Richard Martin was arrested while operating his boat under the influence and exceeding the speed limit on […]

New York Times reporter Judy Miller has gone from heel to heroine to enigma – all in the space of about a year. And her entire story is starting to smell fishy.Miller was released from a jail in suburban Washington on Thursday and testified Friday before a grand jury investigating national security leaks.She spent 12 […]