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Populist victory in a conservative town

Since the 1990s, Colorado Springs has been shaped by an inordinate number of right-wing institutions. Yet the Springs also is home to a hardy band of progressives. With Bernie Sanders bringing new, highly energized voters into play, young people who had previously evinced zero interest in the old Democratic-Republican duopoly were rallying behind Bernie’s grassroots […]

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Editor’s note 9/21/17

 Many of us of a certain age are this week reliving a painful chapter of our past with nightly installments of Ken Burns’ documentary The Vietnam War on public TV. For me it’s not just revisiting the confusing times and political turmoil of then, but beginning to understand some parts of that complex era for […]

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Editor’s Note 9/14/17

Welcome back, Hillary. Some say she never left the public political scene, but the thoughtful talk Hillary Clinton has been giving to the media on her book promotion tour remind us how much a tough, wise, experienced and, yes, angry politician can contribute to the national dialogue as we all try to figure out, “What […]

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Editor’s note 8/31/17

 After years of crowing about his pro-business agenda, Gov. Bruce Rauner has finally signed a pro-business reform into law. It’s called school aid formula reform, and it, together with increased funding for education, will do more to improve the state’s business climate than anti-union legislation ever could. More equitable funding for schools, together with a […]

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A hailstorm of special-interest legislation

Just days after last November’s election, jubilant members and top staffers of the notorious corporate front group called the American Legislative Exchange Council gathered for a celebratory lunch and planning session at the group’s D.C. headquarters. But rather than looking toward Congress and the newly Republicanized White House, these schemers were drooling over so many […]

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Editor’s Note 8/24/17

During his nationwide address Monday night, President Trump seemed proud of himself for changing his mind on Afghanistan, America’s longest war. For years he has criticized the nation’s involvement there, and he acknowledged that his “original instinct was to pull out,” but now his generals have persuaded him to commit more American troops and make […]

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Wall Streeters find new ways to steal

The self-described “Geniuses of Wall Street” are being stupid. Again. In 2007, their stupid schemes and frauds crashed our economy, destroying middle-class jobs, wealth and opportunities. Far from getting punishment, however, these financial scofflaws were bailed out by their Washington enablers – so the moral lesson they learned was clear: Stupid pays. Sure enough, only […]

Posted inOpinion

Editor’s note 8/17/17

 After President Trump came out with his second Charlottesville statement on Monday, this one denouncing racism and the Ku Klux Klan, some listeners were ready to say it’s OK if he took 48 hours to get it right, or at least better. Sometimes presidents grow in office, said MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, citing JFK. Then on […]

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