Democrats have decamped from their convention in Boston and Republicans are gearing up for their convention in New York.Traditionally, election campaigns don’t hit their full stride until after Labor Day. This year, it’s different.Partisans on both sides are motivated, political advertising is saturating the airwaves and people are eager to contribute their views to the […]

Elections in Florida are making news again. And it isn’t much better than it was during 2000.Most of the electronic voting records from touch-screen machines used for the 2002 gubernatorial primary in Miami-Dade County are gone. Lost. Erased. Vanished.Want to check the totals? You can’t. Want to make sure the results are right? Nope. Want […]

Members of the 94th Military Police Company are back in the United States. Finally.The 94th was called up in December 2002 and sent to Iraq in April 2003. The unit’s tour was extended twice. First in October 2003, and then again in April. And then pesky plane problems kept the men and women on hold […]

Afghanistan is on the verge of falling apart.A report released last week by the British Parliament concludes that without more troops on the ground and more aid resources, the country is likely to “implode.”In the United States’ haste to invade Iraq, the repair of Afghanistan has fallen out of the policy spotlight and off the […]

Gun control opponents often argue that there’s no need to further restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens until the rules already on the books are enforced.Two Justice Department reports released last month give more weight to the call to enforce current gun laws. According to the reports, gun laws are often overlooked, people who should […]

The (Baltimore) Sun, July 28 The federal government has pledged $50 million to cover security costs for this week’s Democratic National Convention. That’s pretty close to what authorities in Boston believe will be spent to protect FleetCenter and the thousands of visitors to the city. This is notable for at least one reason as an […]

The presidential campaign is in full swing, and there’s lots of information – and misinformation – out there. We hope to help readers sort fact from fiction. To that end, the Sun Journal is adding a new occasional feature to our opinion page beginning Saturday.The “Checking the facts” feature researches the claims that are being […]

Democratic speakers in Boston have done a great job of retelling the biography of Sen. John Kerry.But when he steps on the stage tonight to accept his party’s nomination for president, Kerry must move beyond his life story, as compelling as it is.As anyone who has paid any attention so far to the presidential campaign […]

Democrats are walking a tightrope on the war with Iraq.For voters who may remain skeptical about Sen. John Kerry’s position on the war, that won’t do.On Thursday night, Kerry will have the opportunity to explain himself to a large national audience. He better be clear, because the multilayered and nuanced position he has adopted so […]

The Festival de Joie is about to take over Lewiston.We’re ready for six great days of fun marking the region’s Franco-American heritage. Now, if the weather will only cooperate.The festival itself doesn’t begin until Friday, but the festivities begin tonight. Prelude 2004 gets going at 7 p.m. with a concert at the Franco-American Heritage Center.The […]