Texan switches parties
Congressman Ralph Hall of Rockwall, Texas, handed the congressional rightwing an easy victory on New Year’s Day when he revealed that he was switching from the Democratic to the Republican Party. The Texas congressional delegation is thus split evenly, 16-16.
ONeill spills beans on White House
Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill has become one of the Bush re-election campaign’s worst nightmares. In a book published this week by Ron Suskind, “The Price of Loyalty,” O’Neill joins a growing list of former officials who have disclosed politically damaging details about the inner workings of the far-right Bush administration.
Health care is pivotal in 2004
The 2004 elections are a dramatic backdrop to the fight back against the Bush Medicare wrecking ball.
Does bilingualism make you smarter?
Dequwan Well, a first-grader in a dual-language school in San Bernardino, Calif., said that he “can have more friends” because he can speak two languages. Dequwan is even smarter than he realizes. Researchers have discovered that being bilingual may make children “smarter” than monolingual ones.
National Clips
OLYMPIA, Wash.: Ballot measure opposes nuclear waste dump / JEFFERSON, Wis.:Striking Tyson workers garner support / WASHINGTON: Poison the air and hop to Wal-Mart
Philly schools hurt by GOP schemes
News Analysis Even before George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, Philadelphia was being set up for school privatization and similar measures now encompassed in the federal law.
Black, Latino leaders hit voter remap bias
AUSTIN, Texas – A three-judge panel Jan. 6 upheld a districting plan conceived by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) to add eight or more Republicans to the Texas congressional delegation.
Attack on California workers comp
The attack on the California Workers’ Compensation system, being orchestrated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s corporate think tanks, dramatizes the importance of workers’ comp in state politics.
Public Health Association opposes new drug bill
Shortly before Congress passed the Bush administration-sponsored Medicare drug bill, the American Public Health Association said the bill “creates real problems in access to and the cost of prescription drug for seniors,” and urged its members to oppose it.
States face fiscal crisis
In 2004, states across the country will be experiencing their fourth straight year of budget woes. While the official explanation tends to blame a weak economy for anemic revenues, a closer examination reveals that federal policies are deeply responsible for the fiscal mess the states find themselves in.
