Nation Topics - States | The Nation

This article reflects on the withdrawal of Paul Hackett, an Iraq War veteran, from a race for an Ohio Senate seat the Democrats desperately want to win. Hackett insists he was pressured to quit the race by members of his own party. The article suggests that his challenger, Sherrod Brown, is a favorite of grassroots labor, civil rights and antiwar voters and is a better candidate who will bring more energy than Hackett, who had failed to make many inroads among Democrats outside of Ohio.

This article reflects on a court decision in Brooklyn, New York stating that United States courts will not interfere with the torture of suspects in the "war on terror" despite previous court decisions to hold officials of other countries responsible for the torture of people in their own lands. The article suggests this is another example of American exceptionalism and cites the example of a man recently detained and interrogated at John F. Kennedy airport on his way home to Canada from Europe.

The article focuses on hesitant Democratic party support for Pennsylvania State Treasurer Robert Casey Jr. in the 2006 Senatorial race. Many Democrats see Pennsylvania as a crucial state to win in 2006's U.S. mid-term elections. Questions have been raised recently on his ability to mobilize his Democratic base, as he approved of the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. If he is not pro-choice, does he warrant the support of prominent Democrats in his campaign?

This article reports on labor activists in Idaho trying to repeal the state's 1980s-era Right to Work law. According to the author, the law has hobbled organized labor by banning mandatory dues-collection in union workplaces. A 2003 petition drive gathered enough signatures to place an initiative before voters, but during the certification process county clerks disallowed thousands of them, which kept it off the 2004 ballot.

The article presents an editorial regarding the death of sixteen miners in West Virginia in January of 2006. The author traces responsibility of the death to coal advocates such as: Kentucky Republican senator Mitch McConnell; Elaine Chao, U.S. Labor Secretary since 2001; and Assistant Secretary of Labor Dave Lauriski, who oversees the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Though irresponsible White House energy policies call for increased use of coal, individuals should reduce electric usage to lower demand for coal power.

The article reports that University of California Los Angeles graduate Andrew Jones started a website aimed at exposing professors he perceived as radicals "actively proselytizing" their political beliefs. He paid students to tape and report on their professors lectures and posted the results, a list of the "Dirty Thirty," on his website. The university community has condemned Jones's attempt to curtail academic freedoms and conservative supporters have resigned from his advisory board.

The article presents Michigan Representative John Conyers' views on America's national security budget. The author suggests that the U.S. should focus on destroying stockpiles of weapons worldwide. Financial statistics related to the war in Iraq are reviewed. The concept of a unified security budget is discussed.

The article presents New York Representative Major Owens' views on education policy in the United States. The author suggests that eduction become the top federal budget priority. Statistics related to education spending are reviewed. The importance of a first-rate education system in the United States is discussed.

The article presents California Representative Henry Waxman's views on the concepts of transparency and accountability in United States government. It is the author's views that the Constitution's system of checks and balances does not work when the White House and Congress try to shield government corruption and abuse from scrutiny. Various pieces of legislation aimed at curbing government waste and corruption are discussed.

The article comments on current events and world politics. Socialist Party leader Michelle Bachelet, Chile's first woman president, is not expected to bring economic reform to the country. A quote from Al Gore focused on warrantless wiretapping in the United States. The Maryland legislature passed a bill that requires Wal-Mart to provide health insurance to their employees who have relied on Medicaid programs. Two economic studies, by Scott Wallsten of the Brookings Institution, and economist Joseph Stiglitz with Linda Bilmes of Harvard, indicate the costs of the Iraq War will be more than $1 trillion. An essay contest sponsored by "Nation" is mentioned.