Kathryn Lopez

May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women

Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces

Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad

Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

'Garbage man' in cells could extend life

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage

Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study

Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell

Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed

Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism

Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Top Muslim cleric boycotts inter-faith dialogue conference attended by 'Jews'

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on

Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

Hagel, on maiden Middle East visit, arrives in Israel bearing gifts and promises

US man departing country arrested on terror charges

Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: 'Noodles,' Asian style is a carb sub, sure. But they are also amazingly delicious and colorful

April 19, 2013

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: When violence seems the only answer

Caroline B. Glick: Why Obama's visit to Israel had no impact on public opinion or government policy

Morgan Housel: Gold collapse: The start of something big?

Harvard Health Letters: Can you die of a broken heart?

Pete Spotts: Livable super-Earths? Two candidates among Kepler's latest finds

Nora Schultz: Oxytocin helps beat booze cravings

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: Middle Eastern cuisine meets Italian delicious with this lentil and eggplant pastitsio

April 17, 2013

Shira Rubin: Too much of a good thing? 'Palestinians' realize downside of foreign aid boom

Geoffrey Mohan: Can computers decode dreams? Researchers take a first step

Morgan Housel: BAD NEWS: EVERYONE IS RIGHT!

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 heart-healthy eating tips help cut saturated fat but not taste

Michael Craig Miller, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Told your child has sensory processing disorder? Seek a second opinion

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Corn and Curry Add Zing to Chilled Soup

April 15, 2013

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Death of Education?

Kristen Chick: Egyptian Christians respond with harsh words to attack -- rocks, Molotov cocktails, and gunfire -- against main cathedral

Marcy Darnovsky and Karuna Jaggar: High Court to decide if you should own your DNA

Howard LaFranchi: US bracing for more Russian blowback after taking action against 18 more human rights violators

Kristin Ohlson : The loneliest fight

The Kosher Gourmet by Dana Velden: A tasty, rich dish that hints at spring's arrival while still anchored in a favorite winter staple

Jewish World Review May 28, 2010 / 15 Sivan 5770

Speaking out, listening up

By Kathryn Lopez

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | "Throw all the bums out!"

That's the message one incumbent Republican congressman received from a friendly constituent via e-mail recently. "I hope this doesn't happen to you," the constituent confided, forwarding an anti-Congress message to his representative. And then added, "… but, whatever."

It's an anti-Washington mood out there, in other words, fairly or unfairly. It used to be joked that voters' attitudes were generally: "Throw the bums out -- just not mine!" But these days, Congress is consistently not held in high esteem in public-opinion polls. And so even if you appreciate the virtues and record of your congressman, it's possible that you've just been too disappointed by politics and politicians in general to care all that much who gets swept up in the Tea Party tide.

The recipient of the "but whatever" e-mail gets it. And so, it would seem, does the Republican leadership, which is why they'd like you to log onto americaspeakingout.com. The website's reason for being is explained as: "America deserves a Congress that respects the priorities of the people. Unfortunately, Washington hasn't been listening. Let's change that."

As Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who has spearheaded the project, has explained it: "'This is an open community and a debate of ideas; you submit the idea, you debate the idea, you put it into your network and you'll continue to have that dialogue."

America Speaking Out comes at the perfect time. We all remember the town halls of last summer where, across the country, people let their congressman know exactly what they thought of the health-care push from Washington. And Republicans are hoping that voters will once again speak out about their unhappiness with the ruling party in Washington and interact with help form the agenda of and vote for the opposition in November.

The approach is born out of a certain amount of humility, too. In a Facebook posting, Sarah Palin, queen of the Tea Party if there is one, endorsed the effort, writing: "From the bailouts to the wasteful stimulus spending bill to the $2.5 trillion health care take over (sic), Washington stopped listening to us average everyday hardworking Americans … so we're doing something about that."

Another way of putting it might be: "We know you're mad, and you've been mad as Republicans as much as Democrats along the way. We get it and we want you to make sure we change things."

Is America Speaking Out a gimmick? Sure it is. But having been elected to the majority in the House before --during the so-called 1994 revolution -- House Republicans know that gimmicks without substance and follow-through are meaningless, even disastrous. Which is why Republicans aren't in the majority now. And if they screw it up again - Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the presumptive Speaker of the House if Republicans do win the majority in November is pretty open and consistent about saying -- they'll deserve every loss that comes from it.

As one veteran of the 1994 revolution tells me: "Times are a'different than they were back in 1994 when Newt and Dick could descend from the mountaintop with the 10 tablets of the Contract, take out some ads in TV Guide and Reader's Digest, hold a mass event on the steps of the Capitol, and expect everyone to sign on."

He continues, "Trust in government is at a 50-year low, incumbent is a four-letter word, and the Republican Party remains in the dumps, so the approach to devising an agenda must take that new environment into consideration. Of course, it may unfold in an entirely uncharted direction!"

That's a gamble Republicans probably have to take. It's perhaps not that dramatic a gamble precisely because it suggests Republicans -- at least in the leadership -- are already doing a good bit of listening. They recognize the new, civically active environment. They also see that the Tea Party anger isn't simply a repulsion of Washington or government. Poll after poll suggests that the Tea Party movement reflects center-right, conservative values. These should be Republican voters.

America Speaking Out suggests confidence about exactly that. The site trumpets commitments to "limited, more accountable government; economic freedom; lower taxes; fiscal responsibility; protecting life, American values, and the Constitution; and providing for strong national security." Further, the Republicans will tell you that they feel confident that, in these Obama-Pelosi years, Republicans in the House have not only said "no" to bad ideas, but have offered alternatives on health care, spending, jobs, regulatory reform, energy, and other issues. It's a bummer most of those aren't taken seriously, but it's not the stuff of bums.

Long beyond the novelty of their website, Americans will keep speaking out. And, increasingly, the people who are willing to make the sacrifices to show up as elected representatives on Capitol Hill have little to no interest in deluding themselves that Washington runs separate from them. Power may corrupt, but having seen too many in their caucus go down that road in the past, they know it's what losers do. It's a long road to November yet, but it's not a bad way to jump into the summer.

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