U.S. House of Representatives

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This trickle-down stinks

True free-market capitalism has lasted 30 years — barely half as long as its arch-enemy, Soviet communism.
Commentary
By JEFF INGLIS | April 08, 2011

The upcoming national midterm elections are shaping up as a big Republican wave.
Republicans are expected to take dozens of US House seats this year — some may even be in Massachusetts
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | October 15, 2010

You call this winning?

President Barack Obama scored.
Afghanistan complications multiply. Plus, Congress is heading for a weak wrap-up.
By EDITORIAL | July 02, 2010

Fighting back

Thanks to a federal law that codifies discrimination against same-sex couples, more than 15,000 legally married couples (and an untold number of children) are being denied basic benefits, such as the right to file their taxes jointly, or Social Security
Two cases in federal court here in Massachusetts could help turn the national tide against DOMA
By DEIRDRE FULTON | June 04, 2010

Heck of a Guy

Scott Brown’s stunning victory in January’s special US Senate election continues to reverberate through Massachusetts politics.
Despite a history of illiberal views and a boorish reputation, Guy Glodis enters the Democratic state convention unscathed
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | May 28, 2010

Scott Brown slashing jobs, not adding them

When he campaigned to retain existing and deliver new employment opportunities for commonwealth residents, Senator Scott Brown was apparently making no promises to urban teens.
Mass Underemployment Dept.
By CHRIS FARAONE | April 30, 2010

Hallelujah!

The Democrats won and the Republicans lost. That, in a nutshell, is the bottom line.
Health-care reform is a new high-water mark
By EDITORIAL | March 26, 2010

Policy matters

Identifying and living as a transgender person has intense emotional implications that we touch on in this week's story. But here, as with most social issues, the personal is also political.
A look at the legal landscape
By DEIRDRE FULTON | February 26, 2010

The crying game

If you are wondering why Democrats in Washington can't get anything done, even though they control both houses of Congress, take a look at the glacial pace we often see closer to home on Beacon Hill.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo tolerates dissent. Then why do some call him a bully?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 26, 2010

Might as well jump

Last Thursday, Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island — the last of his legendary clan in Congress — announced that he will not run for re-election.
Recent retirements of key democrats paints a picture of a powerful Republican rogue wave forming. So why are a number of high-profile Republicans leaving office too?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 19, 2010

What now?

Representative Patrick J. Kennedy's campaigns were always about something far larger than Rhode Island's First Congressional District, which snakes from Burrillville down through the Blackstone Valley and into Newport.
Kennedy's exit rewrites the political game book.
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | February 19, 2010

Music to incite the savage beast

Although your superior correspondents try to avoid situations where we have no alternative but to be totally annoying, there have been times when P+J have agreed to karaoke performances.
‘My Way’ can kill you; Big money quashes ‘Big Money’; and a truly Soopah Bowl
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | February 12, 2010

Impeach John Roberts

It is time for an enterprising and courageous member of the US House of Representatives to file articles of impeachment against the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Roberts. The charge: lying under oath.
The Chief Justice lied
By EDITORIAL | February 05, 2010

Second choice

The word "instant" makes me suspicious.
The ills of instant-runoff voting
By AL DIAMON | January 29, 2010

Reading is fundamentalist

In 2009, liberals held firm control of the presidency, the US Senate, and the US House of Representatives. But there was one realm where conservatives dominated: the New York Times bestseller list.
Conservative screeds dominated the book charts this year. Will future election results follow the bestseller lists?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 25, 2009

Call for health-care reform

The November 7 passage of health-care reform, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, in the House of Representatives was a very important and exciting moment for everyone who is dedicated to the idea that all Americans need and deserve access to hig
Letters to the Portland Editor, December 25, 2009
By PORTLAND PHOENIX LETTERS | December 25, 2009

Paging Queequeg

Like Captain Ahab with Moby-Dick, it appears Providence Bishop Tommy Tobin has his own obsession with Rep. Patrick Kennedy.
Patrick and the Bishop go another round. Plus, farewell to Mary and Art.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | November 27, 2009

Ladies' man

Early last week, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government announced suddenly that Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, would speak at a forum that Friday afternoon.
In his race for US Senate, Michael Capuano is using well-known women to battle the race's female front-runner.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 20, 2009

Suspect principles

I was disappointed that the Phoenix chose to describe Attorney General Martha Coakley’s stand against the health-care bill recently passed by the House of Representatives as “principled.”
Letters to the Boston editor, November 20, 2009
By BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS | November 20, 2009

Coakley takes a stand

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley this week separated herself from the gang of essentially like-minded candidates seeking to fill Senator Ted Kennedy's Washington seat by rejecting the US House of Representatives compromise that traded appr
Plus, free speech at UMass
By EDITORIAL | November 13, 2009

Has Obama peaked? No, he hasn't

Barack Obama's popularity should not be judged by the day-to-day, media-driven vagaries of politics — nor by the wishful thinking of his opponents.
Obama’s days of greatest power and popularity lie before him. But be warned: he might not do what you want with it.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 13, 2009

Burn, baby, burn

The Phoenix opposed President Barack Obama's efforts to help Chicago win the 2016 Summer Olympics on the grounds that doing business with the International Olympic Committee is always bad news for the host community.
The Olympics, zipper-gate, stimulus money, and why Coakley must investigate City Hall
By EDITORIAL | October 09, 2009

Camelot: The Next Generation

Senator Ted Kennedy's months-long battle with brain cancer inspired endless commentary about the demise of Camelot.
Patrick Kennedy is a square peg in his family's historic round table
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | October 02, 2009

Female Trouble

Conventional political wisdom says that for a party to oppose a woman — or a women's issue — it's best to send out a female spokesperson.
A shocking dearth of Republican female pols should have the party in a panic. So why doesn't it care?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | June 05, 2009

Death by handgun

A couple of weeks ago, David S. Bernstein wrote about the growing "state sovereignty" movement backed by anti-government conspiracy theorists and gun-rights extremists, and touted on the syndicated radio show and Web site of deranged agitator Alex Jone
A public-health crisis; plus, gay marriage advances
By EDITORIAL | April 10, 2009

Celebrating identity on Munjoy Hill

Wild costumes. Barbie dolls and hula hoops, burlesque, dancing, storytelling, acting, and film. All these things, and more, will be part of the Femme Show...
The Femme Show
By DEIRDRE FULTON | March 04, 2009

Blackballed

Turner might want to avoid hitching his fortunes to those of such utterly disreputable pols as former DC mayor Marion Barry, ex-Newark mayor Sharpe James, and Dianne Wilkerson.
If Chuck Turner is innocent, why is he aligning himself with a coterie of disreputable African-American leaders?
By CHRIS FARAONE | March 04, 2009

Capuano cornered?

Republican lobbying-ethics scandals helped convince voters to toss out the GOP and put Democrats back in control of the US House of Representatives.
Could a developing Washington probe hurt the Somerville congressman, and derail his Senate hopes?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 25, 2009

Youth infusion

In DeLeo's restructuring, white, non-Hispanic men older than 45 fell from power in droves.
The surprisingly diverse leaders of team DeLeo. Plus, do environmentalists have reason to worry?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 19, 2009

Grading the cabinet

As we watch President Barack Obama replace the federal government's old, unpopular, Republican department heads with fresh, bright talent, it's hard not to think back two years, to the start of Governor Deval Patrick's first term as governor of Massachus
At the midway point of Governor Deval Patrick's first term, we issua a report card for his cabinet
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 21, 2009

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