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Steven Waldman

David Kirkpatrick’s New York Times article about abortion-and-health-care politics included the stunning disclosure that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is meeting today with the leading pro-life Democrat for the first time. According to the Times piece, Rep. Bart Stupak, a Democrat of Michigan, got a call from President Obama ten days ago urging him to “get…

(Photo by Gordon Waldman) The “church” that became infamous for bringing their “God Hates Fags” signs to the funerals of people who died of AIDS and fallen soliders came to town this weekend. Westboro Baptist Church of Topkea picketed my old high school (Great Neck North) and then my former synagogue (Beth Elohim) as well…

I recently suggested that more people have died from lack of health insurance since 1994 (when Congress last defeated health care reform) than died during those years as a result of the first Gulf War, the Iraq War, the Afghanistan war, the 9/11 attacks, Hurrican Katrina and all of the nation’s homicides– combined. Some have…

A recent study in the Journal of American Public Health concluded that 45,000 people die each year for lack of health insurance. Another study in 2002, from the Institute of Medicine, put the number at 18,000. Still another, put it at 22,000. As a back of the envelope calculation, that means that somewhere between 300,000-650,000…

When historians refer to some of the Founding Fathers as “Deists,” it’s as if they’re talking about an extinct philosophy, like alchemy or phrenology. Very few Americans go around describing themselves as Deists. Perhaps that ought to change. A new study reveals that a rapidly growing number of Americans hold the belief system that used…

Dan Gilgoff at US News speculates that the rise of the Nones will lead to a more polarized electorate: As more Americans leave religion, the ones left in the pews are those most committed to their faith. In a nation where church attendance is one of the best predictors of voting behavior–the more often you…

I think I’ve finally figured out a way of pissing off both my pro-choice and pro-life readers in one post. Here goes. I believe that if one’s goal is to get health care to reflect the status quo on abortion, the Baucus proposal (reviled by pro-lifers) gets you in the zone. I further believe that…

Democratic health care proposals in the House and Senate included this novel provision: the new health care exchanges would be required to offer at least one plan that covers abortion and one that doesn’t. Doesn’t that sound even-handed? What I’m hearing is that the pro-choice forces didn’t much like the provision since most parts of…

In his “chairman’s mark” on health care reform, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus had rejected the pure pro-choice position — he limited direct government funding for abortion — but still included provisions that pro-lifers viewed as supporting abortion. Republicans have offered several amendments to move the health care bill in a more pro-life direction.…

Whitney writes: My life has did a total 360. I went from a person who had everything to a person who right about now..has nothing nothing. Dealing with the lost of losing my job has added so much stress in my life, me not eating, sleeping for long periods, shutting myself out from away from…
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