Kathryn Lopez

June 19, 2013

Peter Grier and Harry Bruinius: In the end, NSA might not need to snoop so secretly after all

Howard LaFranchi: Taliban peace talks hold glimmer of hope, but also unanswerable questions

Warren Richey: Supreme Court: For right to remain silent, a suspect must speak

Meredith Cohn: Leeches are making a comeback as medical helpers

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to pick the healthiest breakfast cereal

How drivel wins applause

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: Spicy Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

June 17, 2013

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein: Black to the Future: American Apparel Gets Biblical

Patrik Jonsson: Minnesota Nazi: How did Nazi hunters miss Michael Karkoc?

Kate Irby, Ali Watkins, Trevor Graff and Kevin Thibodeaux: All the ways you're being watched

Don Lee: G-8 meeting will test NSA leaks' effect on U.S. influence

Patrik Jonsson: Fort Hood shooting: Judge nixes Nidal Hasan defense strategy. What now?

Stacey Burling: Why the stigma for migraine sufferers?

The Kosher Gourmet by Lisa Abraham: Does it work? 5 new kitchen gadgets put to the test

June 14, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget: Religious economics and being a ruler

John P. Martin: Hitler insider's missing diary found

Matt Pearce: NSA surveillance disclosure could affect court cases

Peter Tinti: US bounties changes strategy on (Wild, Wild) West African jihadis

Daniel Pendrick, M.D.: Memory loss? Old age may be the least of it

Lauren F. Friedman: But it's all natural! Should we have an instinctive preference for herbal remedies?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Streisand and Alicia Keys in Israel; "Girls" Stuff; Mel Brooks, Another TV special; Superman (who is Jewish) returns --- Israeli plays his mom

The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon K. Ghag : Bored with salad? Bling it up a bit (4 effortless recipes that will result in a 'WOW!')

June 12, 2013

Stephanie Hanes: Little girls or little women? The Disney princess effect

Fred Weir: In tweak to US, Russia would 'consider' asylum for Snowden

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: What's so special about Omega-3 supplements?

Morgan Housel: What newspapers were saying when you should have been buying

Pete Spotts: How cockroaches evolved so as to bypass 'roach motels'

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: Deep-dish cookie: Warm, gooey and a little over the top

June 10, 2013

Joseph A. Slobodzian: Faith healing and third degree murder: Thorny legal case

Lindsay Wise: Few options for online users to avoid spying, experts say

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: There are plenty of nutritional food bargains out there

Harvard Health Letters: Can bariatric surgery control diabetes?

Zach Murdock: Superglue helps doctors save infant's life

The Kosher Gourmet by Celebrated chef Mario Batali : As good as grilling gets: Rib eye with dry mushroom spice rub

June 7, 2013

Rabbi David Aaron: Beating jealousy

Caroline B. Glick: Wounded . . . and dangerous

Clifford D. May: Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah

Harvard Health Letters: Fighting back against allergy season

Kimberly Lankford: Grandparents who use FSA to cover grandkid's braces and other must-know info

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom:J ewish Tony Nominees/Tony Awards; Jewish Teen Actor In Sci-Fi Flick; Jewish singer in "Voice" finals

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: A tart filling so good it might not make it to the crust

June 5, 2013

John Rosemond: Mom, Dad: Talk More and listen less

Kristen Chick: Egypt court sentences 43 pro-democracy workers to prison

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Mushrooms Have Medicinal As Well As Culinary Value

Morgan Housel: Why you never learn from your investment mistakes

Don Lee: In China, kindergarten rivalry takes deadly turn

The Kosher Gourmet by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan: 30-Minute Coq au Vin isn't a dream

June 3, 2013

Molly Hennessy-Fiske: Military judge to consider letting Fort Hood shooting defendant represent himself

Richard A. Serrano: Pvt. Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks trial also a test for government

Mark Trumbull: Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified

Kim Lankford: What to do when long-term care insurance premiums rise

Deborah Netburn: Study: Adults' mouth bacteria may help babies

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Contestant on 'The Voice'; Will Smith's 'Jewish movie family'; Bravo Gives Long Island Jews the Jersey Shore Treatment; Magicians and More

The Kosher Gourmet by Bill Ward: How to be as refined as the wines at a wine tasting

May 29, 2013

Andrew Connelly and Helene Bienvenu: The Little Synagogue that Refused to Die

Dennis Prager: The 'Muslims-Killed-by-the-West' Lie

David Clark Scott: Open war on teachers?

Morgan Housel: If you know only five things about investing, make it these

Sara Reardon: AGenome detectives change the donation game

Deborah Netburn: A one-way ticket to Mars? 78,000-plus and counting apply by video

The Kosher Gourmet by Bev Bennett: CHEDDAR AND CHERRY MUFFINS --- your mouth is already watering

May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London

Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide

Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction

Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting

Jewish World Review March 29, 2010 / 14 Nissan 5770

Strong ideas and plain words from Pawlenty

By Kathryn Lopez

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | "Our values are under attack and under siege." These words, delivered by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty summed up the palpable feeling at a gala just a block away from the White House, days after President Barack Obama's health-care legislation passed in the House.

In many ways, the annual dinner for the Susan B. Anthony List was an awkward gathering. SBA List is the pro-life answer to Emily's List: Where Emily's raises money for candidates who back legal abortion, SBA List aims to elect those who oppose it. But despite the defeat and the sense of siege, Pawlenty lifted up the room — humbly, realistically and generously. His speech sounded natural; even, at times, off-the-cuff. "The laws and the court decisions and the like will change when hearts are changed and minds are changed," he declared. "And when we have enough people who have hearts and minds who share our views and values, that will translate into the change in the laws and the change in the courts that we know are right."

Pawlenty is not flashy. In fact, when he tries to jazz up his approach — as he did with a Tiger Woods joke during a recent speech — it doesn't quite work. If you compare him to other Minnesota politicians who have garnered national attention — former governor Jesse Ventura and Sen. Al Franken come to mind — he's positively Wonder Bread. If you compare him to Rep. Michele Bachmann, also a fellow Gopher Stater, he might look like a moderate. But declaring himself a "constitutional conservative," he's positioning himself firmly as a man of the Founding documents. He's not going to drive people wild like Sarah Palin does. But does a presidential candidate really need to?

Pawlenty needs to be viewed in the context of Obama. After a president who promised everything and nothing in the form of a lot of historic, comprehensive and broad — yet pedestrian — campaign rhetoric, and still ran a perpetual campaign after inauguration, people may be looking for someone a tad plainer, with a firm and concrete record. They may be looking for someone who stands for the Constitution, instead of state attorneys general suing over the landmark legislation of the current administration.

Obama's a good comparison, too, when you consider Pawlenty's remarks about Bachmann, who was also in attendance at the dinner. He called her "one of the finest leaders in our country." But he didn't leave it there. "She has guts. She has brains. She has integrity. She has determination. She has persistence. She has the skills, ability and passion to change this country. … My face just lights up when I see her." This was smart politically, because Bachmann is popular among many conservatives. But such a full-throated endorsement was not exactly playing it safe. Bachmann has been known to open a can of worms or two — an interview she did on "Hardball" nearly cost her her House seat. One gets the impression the term "throw someone under the bus" wouldn't be used quite as often in a Pawlenty era.

Although Pawlenty does have a series of pro-life initiatives under his belt, during his SBA List speech he didn't offer a laundry list so much as outline his vision and give a sense of his grounding, as a man who is hoping to have a long relationship with the activist, pro-life crowd. He warned of a "damaging, corrosive, devaluing" direction that America has been on since Roe v. Wade. "We see it in the chatter. You see it in the debates. It includes things like, you know, economic security is more important than human life."

He didn't make the connection explicit, but his comments came shortly after a supposed pro-life Democrat, Rep. Bart Stupak, who later voted for the health-care package, jarringly reported that Democrats were arguing for the abortion-funding health-care legislation in part on economic grounds: If fewer babies were born, (costs) would be lower. Such talk is endemic, Pawlenty said, of a "slippery slope" you're on "once you open the door to say that life can be devalued, life is negotiable, life can be bargained away."

Pawlenty's got a natural smile that goes along with his optimism. Among the activists, he talked in terms of "healing," laced with some inspiring quotes he took from both his morning Bible study and a Reagan inaugural. "America is in trouble," he says bluntly. "We've got a financial crisis that seems out of control. We have great uncertainty in … our national-security posture." Most alarmingly, he feels that "all of these values that we share, that we hold dear are one generation away from being extinct or forgotten or diluted."

Which is why you keep involved, he affirmed: "In the end, ideas matter." Twice in his speech, he stressed the need to move the ball forward on values and principles in elective office: "We have to make sure that we do what we say we are going to do." To this largely conservative audience, his pitch came across as a believable vision — one that taps into Reagan's devotion to First Things, and echoes the Gipper's morning-in-America imagery. Pawlenty is offering a message similar to that of others on today's right, but he is doing so in a way that is exceedingly plainspoken. Which may be exactly what his broader audience could be craving in the election of 2012.

Comment by clicking here.