of the domestic policy achievements of the past two decades, most would agree the two biggest are the welfare reform law of 1996 and the No Child Left Behind education […]
Shawn Zeller
Posted inHealth Care, Politics
Shifting alliances
the american medical Association, the venerable lobby organization for doctors, was for years a reliable Republican-leaning voice on big health care issues. For much of the past decade, however, the […]
Posted inPolitics
Political repurposing
two weeks after his inauguration, President Obama invited supporters of his 2008 campaign to the White House to lay out his plan for a Middle Class Task Force. The idea […]
Posted inPolitics
An outside-the-Beltway strategy
most washington advocacy groups are based in Washington on the theory that it’s easier to influence the federal government from the capital itself. But Free Press, an up-and-coming advocacy group […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, Politics
A way out of gridlock
with unemployment too high, economic growth too low, and the gap between the rich and poor widening, the American Dream is hurting. Adding to the gloom is the polarization in […]
Posted inPolitics
Liquor battle brewing
massachusetts has long guarded its unique rules for regulating alcohol, so state officials weren’t happy last year when the federal appeals court in Boston struck down a 2006 state law […]
Posted inEnvironment
Fish fight
massachusetts democrats are close allies of the environmental community, routinely receiving top scores on environmental scorecards and leading the charge on major environmental legislation in Washington. But don’t tell that […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Congressional math
massachusetts legislators got the bad news in late December. And by late February or early March, they should have detailed Census figures confirming what they’ve long expected: The state’s congressional […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Tribes lobby for reservation land
The demise of state gambling legislation this summer was a blow to Gov. Deval Patrick and many legislators, but no one was more disappointed when the deal fell apart than […]
Posted inPolitics
Shrinking coverage
In the last five years, Massachusetts newspapers have dramatically altered the way they cover—or don’t cover—the state’s congressional delegation in Washington.Every Bay State newspaper except the Boston Globe has pulled […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics
Grass is greener
like the health care bill before it, the fate of a new federal climate change law rests with the Senate. John Kerry is navigating a political minefield, with Republicans uniformly […]
Posted inPolitics
Stepping up
When Edward Kennedy died in August, the country lost one of its most able lawmakers, a liberal who could cross the aisle on issues ranging from education to immigration. For […]
Posted inPolitics
Reining in regulation?
the obama administration has dedicated 2009 to the most ambitious legislative agenda of any president in recent memory, from the economic stimulus package of the winter to this fall’s landmark […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics
A new prescription
before the year is out, Congress and the Obama administration will try to do for the entire nation what only one state, Massachusetts, has been able to do for its […]
Posted inPolitics
Back in the sunshine
during his eight years in office, President Bush alienated few groups more than scientists, who complained that he ignored them and impeded their work. So when President Barack Obama took […]
Posted inPolitics
Frank, Syron, and the blame game
Two Massachusetts guys, Richard Syron and Barney Frank, are among those at the center of the blame game going on in Washington concerning the root causes of the country’s worst […]
Posted inPolitics
The Bay State goes to K Street
Lobbying is a $3 billion-a-year business in the nation’s capital, and Massachusetts–based corporations and nonprofits are active participants. A CommonWealth review of lobbying records filed with the House and Senate […]
Posted inEducation
One last thing, Mr. President
NOTE: Sen. Edward Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor after this edition of CommonWealth went to press.Like any good Democrat, Sen. Ted Kennedy is hoping that his party […]
Posted inPolitics
Betting on the House
If Gov. Deval Patrick represents the new face of liberalism in the Massachusetts Democratic Party, 14-term Congressman Barney Frank is the unabashed older version. But both men believe that government […]
Posted inEnvironment
The bottom line
you could say Maine’s lobster industry has been on a roll. By throwing back breeding lobsters, Maine’s lobstermen have preserved their fishery and actually increased its size, even as other […]
Posted inPolitics
Tax returns
critics have blamed much of Deval Patrick’s early troubles on Beacon Hill on a lack of political experience. But if experience counts, Patrick may do better on Capitol Hill, where […]
Posted inEconomy
Tax and mend
asked why he’s taken a lead role in the bid by House Democrats this year to enact an overhaul of the little-known alternative minimum tax, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal of […]