Michael Sean Winters

Dice are rolling knives are out goes a lyric from the musical about political intrigue Evita As the Senate debates the Nelson-Hatch amendment which would ban federal funding for abortion in ways similar to the Stupak Amendment which passed the House last month the USCCB decided to roll the

Reader Kevin has pointed out that on NPR this morning Steve Inskeep did not use the word irony but the word awkward in describing the President s accepting the Nobel Peace Prize one week after announcing an increase in troops for Afghanistan I went back and listened again and Kevin is absolu

This morning on NPR Steve Inskeep was interviewing Cokie Roberts They were discussing the President rsquo s decision to send more troops ndash and many more civilian aid workers ndash to Afghanistan Yesterday on the morning news shows Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defe

The U S House of Representatives yesterday passed a reinstatement of the current estate tax rates The tax only affects estates values at more than 3 5 million per person 7 million for a couple and is set at the rate of 45 percent The estate tax was slated to expire next year and then in 2011

Much of the commentary on President Obama rsquo s Afghanistan strategy has focused on one particular aspect his decision to set an end-date for the troop surge after which we will begin withdrawing the additional troops It should be pointed out that the phrase begin withdrawing is elastic and t

President Barack Obama rsquo s speech at West Point last night hit all the right notes in articulating a new policy and new forces for Afghanistan No one can doubt that the President believes his strategy is correct on the merits because politically there is something for everyone to hate Libe

Normally I do not reply to readers rsquo comments but the comments on my post earlier today are frankly shocking Thomas Peters Communications Director of the American Principles Project chose to speak at an event hosted by the leading promoters of anti-Semitism in Poland The college that hos

One of the tasks of political analysis is to see what is being said by those with whom one normally disagrees Sometimes this is pleasant – and provocative in the best sense of the word The blog Mirror of Justice is the brainchild of Notre Dame law professor Rick Garnett and whenever I consult hi

The issue of federal funding for abortion threatens to derail final passage of a health care bill All sides claim the same goal Extending the logic of the Hyde Amendment which bans federal funds from covering abortions in any current government insurance program to the newly configured exchanges

It is one of the strengths of our political system that Congress frequently exhibits a healthy skepticism of presidential claims That is the balance of powers in action And after eight years of George W Bush rsquo s particular brand of salesmanship when it comes to war fighting Congress can be