News & Politics

Just after my election as president of the Homeowner’s Association in our town home complex in 2004, an older male neighbor stood nose to nose with me and said “you really need to get some men on the board because women don’t know how to do anything.”  Initially drafted to the position, I worried about receiving “who the hell does she think she is” snipes every time I made a decision or gave an instruction, no matter how respectful or civil my conduct.  My neighbor’s insult notwithstanding, my practical nature never steered me wrong and I learned to trust myself as much as  Read more >

The last Monday of May is Memorial Day, a federal holiday created after the Civil War to commemorate fallen Union solidiers. When I was growing up, I was in the school marching band. Memorial Day often included a long, hot, two-mile slog down Main Street and over to the Memorial Park cemetery to honor the departed soldiers from our town. In the northeast, that included military heroes all the way back to the Revolutionary War.  Read more >

"Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country." -- Margaret Thatcher Ms. Thatcher knew her game well. Women gave the American political theater one heck of a thrashing over the last year. We've even managed to get the presidential candidates down on bended knees begging for our votes. You've got to hand it to the candidates -- they try hard. Lately, it's Gov. Mitt Romney who's making the inroads.  Read more >

Today, I'm regretting raising well informed clever children.As I was driving my daughters and my older daughter's boyfriend to the Avengers last night, I went on a political rant, which is typical for me.My family has been ignoring me for years. My daughter's boyfriend, comes from a prominent Republican family here in town. Quietly he asked, "how many books written by Republicans have you read?" I was impressed with this question for two reasons: he remembered that I read a lot and he had the guts to ask it. I want my children's special friends to be gutsy, but not too gutsy.  Read more >

It IS about the economy, Cory Booker and everyone else. Recently, the Obama campaign went on the offensive, with the angle that Mitt Romney’s business success doesn’t necessarily translate into best practices for the government. The Obama camp released a series of Romney Economics videos focusing on the real people who lost their jobs –- and entire towns brought to a standstill -- when Romney’s private equity firm, Bain Capital, bought out and liquidated local businesses such as the Ampad paper factory in Marion, Indiana.  Read more >