Stopping ‘Stop-Loss’ (NYT)

it's in the contract, and it's a volunteer army.

but a weaker military is always good.

The stop-loss program, which forces soldiers to remain in the military after their enlistments end, should only be used in unique circumstances.

Mr. Obama and the Rule of Law (NYT)

NYT salaries set

Some of the Obama administration’s statements on issues like state secrets and detainees sound a bit too close for comfort to the Bush team’s benighted ideas.

Fresh Food for Urban Deserts (NYT)

vegetable stamps

Michelle Obama should add her powerful voice to local efforts aimed at bringing fresh groceries into poorer neighborhoods.

While Mr. Perry and Mr. Jindal Fiddle (NYT)

refusing and putting deplored

Republican governors who refuse federal aid rather than expand state unemployment insurance programs are putting ideology ahead of the needs of their constituents.

The Fed Does Battle, Again (NYT)

competence overlooked

This crisis is unlikely to turn around until President Obama is more forthright about the depth of the banking system’s problems and follows through on his housing plan.

The Whale Road Nearby (NYT)

mammal budget threatened

Budget cuts on a program to listen to endangered whales in New York waters mean a loss of valuable research data and the possibility of putting the mammals in harm’s way.

It’s the Regulations, Not the Regulator (NYT)

zeal deplored

The financial crisis is not just the result of a missing regulator, but also deregulatory zeal that eclipsed rules and regulations — and the very will to regulate.

The Grievance Committee (NYT)

grammar crisis

by Gail Collins
Anger is in. Hope’s so January. And saying your mad doesn’t count, President Obama. Nor does constructively channeled anger. It’s like diet pizza.

Dangers of the D-Word (NYT)

d is for democrat

By EDUARDO PORTER
We might want to number the Great Depressions, as we do our Great Wars, or we might need some new scary words.

The Treasures of Joe Bruno (NYT)

the loose canon legal theory

New York’s attorney general should immediately start investigating whether public funds were spent illegally while the Republicans controlled Albany.

‘We’ll Take It’ (NYT)

district 99% democrat figures strongly in NYT constitional reasoning

Congress should pass a bill that would give the District of Columbia a voting member in the House of Representatives.

Dangerous Food (NYT)

seat belts on toilets

Congress and the Obama administration must finally make food safety a serious priority.

People of Color

The reason ``people of color'' is inoffensive is that it's in a special register reserved for showing the speaker's intention not to offend.

``Why this odd phrasing? Ah, to be sure. It's the inoffending register.''

The oddness is needed as a mark.

More Annals of Global Greed Inc. (NYT)

paid off wrong leftists

Halliburton’s $579 million settlement in a Nigerian bribery case is hardly encouraging and should compel tighter scrutiny of the company’s Iraq failures.

Helping Workers in Hard Times (NYT)

multiplier effect

Forcing companies that are receiving money from the stimulus package to file employment verification for all workers lacks common sense.

A Record of Sacrifice (NYT)

make them into tools of the left

If President Obama’s commitment to greater transparency in government has any meaning, he will quickly reverse a policy that dishonors dead solders.

Sow Those Seeds! (NYT)

sow is a porkulus allusion

By VERLYN KLINKENBORG
Perhaps in this moment of crisis it is time for another national home gardening movement.

Counting the Walking Wounded (NYT)

it's vice versa day

By LAWRENCE M. WEIN
The military estimates of the mental damage from war are too low because the method used to determine the count is flawed.

Troubled Minds and Purple Hearts (NYT)

the jimmy carter medal of freedom

By TYLER E. BOUDREAU
A new decoration, a new medal, should be awarded to those whose minds and souls have been sundered by war.

The Moment for National Service (NYT)

the pet bunny school of economics

A prompt approval of the Serve America Act would create tens of thousands of meaningful new positions for people ready to work hard for the public good.

From Here to Retirement (NYT)

Zero out the corporate tax rate and the capital gains tax rate.

Money is not wealth to a nation. Capital is.

Saving does not save if everybody does it.

The wipeout in 401(k)’s has made it clear that there needs to be a better way to ensure that a lifetime of savings can’t be undone by forces beyond one’s control.

President Obama (NYT)

hundred cliches

In his Inaugural Address, President Obama gave Americans the clarity and the respect for which they have hungered.

Closing Guantánamo (NYT)

black man's legal burden

Though it will be hard enough to shut down Guantánamo Bay as Barack Obama has vowed to do, the legal burdens that President Bush is dumping on his successor will be much greater.

Return of the Natives (NYT)

firewater consumed

By TIMOTHY EGAN
Native Americans have never been more excited about a new president.

How F.D.R. Made the Presidency Matter (NYT)

constitution improved

By JEAN EDWARD SMITH
Franklin D. Roosevelt's first 100 days in office were the most productive in American legislative history.

Zimbabwe Is Dying (NYT)

pro-capitalist narrative opportunity mysteriously overlooked

by Bob Herbert
The world is ignoring the brutality of Robert Mugabe’s reign of Zimbabwe, which was once a prosperous and medically advanced nation.

Imagining the Inaugural (NYT)

play with the dog

by Gail Collins
Some advice about where to celebrate Barack Obama’s inauguration as 44th president of the United States.

Not So Reasonable and Customary (NYT)

free medical care

More big insurers should adopt a fairer and more transparent system for determining out-of-network reimbursements.

But Who Will Drive Them? (NYT)

predator drones patrolling highways

If the Obama administration is serious about boosting the fuel efficiency of the American fleet, it must do more than just tighten fuel-economy standards to steer drivers to the new cars.

‘They Want Us to Be Stupid Things’ (NYT)

terror defined

Anyone who questions that the real front in the war against Al Qaeda is not in Afghanistan should be made aware of how women and young girls in school are being terrorized there.

Fighting Off Depression (NYT)

words not minced

by Paul Krugman
Let’s not mince words: This looks an awful lot like the beginning of a second Great Depression. Will we “act swiftly and boldly” enough to stop that from happening?

The Principal’s Office First (NYT)

three needs night (3)

Connecticut and other states need to issue public reports of school-based arrests and take steps to ensure that they are not racially motivated.

A Pitch for Mass Transit (NYT)

three needs night (2)

Barack Obama needs to give mass transit the priority it deserves and the full financial and technological help it needs.

No Mugs, but What About Those Fees? (NYT)

three needs night (1)

Congress needs to pass legislation that would force drug companies to report payments to doctors through a national registry so that all conflicts are known.

Win, Win, Win, Win, Win ... (NYT)

love of taxes

By Thomas L. Friedman
We have got to stop “taking off the table” the gasoline tax, the tool that would add leverage to everything we want to do at home and abroad.

You’re Likable Enough, Gay People (NYT)

drama club speaks

by Frank Rich
Barack Obama’s disingenuous defense of his tone-deaf invitation to the Rev. Rick Warren is an asterisk to the joyous inaugural of our first black president.

Governor Blagojevich’s Bombast (NYT)

it's the party of narcissism

If the governor were less narcissistic, he would leave public service so constituents might get beyond the embarrassment of his administration.

Recruiting the Best (NYT)

it's opposite day

President-elect Barack Obama should consider these steps to ensure the high-quality Army that America needs.

Curbing Credit Card Predators (NYT)

mindless compulsion 3: must

Congress must do more for Americans to get fair, clear credit card rules that allow them to make informed spending decisions.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin (NYT)

mindless compulsion 2: should

If Barack Obama wants better relations with Russia, he should start by cutting back on the belligerent talk and invite the Russians to high-level discussions.

The Gas Tax (NYT)

mindless compulsion 1: needs to

If the Obama administration is to meet its twin objectives of reducing the consumption of foreign oil and cutting emissions, it needs to curb the nation’s demand for energy.

Stop Being Stupid (NYT)

The American way is to move money from where it is needed at the moment to where it can be used at the moment. This debt is matched by an asset, and the economy keeps busy with an even load.

Inflate the need for housing by making owing appear cheap and you get bad debts, which have to unwind before the system works again.

by Bob Herbert
Over the past few decades, the American way has been to pay for things with money that wasn’t there. Americans must resolve to be smarter going forward.

So Is Fish Safe to Eat or Not? (NYT)

energy saving lightbulbs too

The disagreement between the government and some scientists over the amount of fish pregnant and breast-feeding women should eat raises serious questions for consumers.

Price of Lax Gun Laws (NYT)

safer homes

A strong correlation exists between weak state gun laws and higher rates of in-state murders, police slayings and sales of guns used in crimes in other states.

The World According to Cheney (NYT)

record set straight

It must be exhausting to rewrite history as much as Vice President Dick Cheney has done in a series of exit interviews.

Popularity Isn’t Everything (NYT)

new york times conservative

by William Kristol
In admiration of straight talkers, let’s give credit to the nation’s most unpopular Republican, Dick Cheney, and the nation’s most unpopular Democrat, Rod Blagojevich.

The Disciples of Hatred, in Their Own Words and Images (NYT)

nostalgia felt

By BRENT STAPLES
A lynching exhibition puts the civil rights movement in the context of the reign of terror that gripped black Southerners.

Inaugural Wishes for the F.E.C. (NYT)

leftist enemies list

The Federal Election Commission should be confronted about the newly issued regulations that poke a fund-raising law full of loopholes.

A New Respect for Science (NYT)

religion embraced

Sub-cabinet appointments affirm Barack Obama’s commitment to aggressively address the challenges of energy independence and global warming.

The Printing Press Cure (NYT)

good quoted

Economic history suggests that the Federal Reserve’s move to lower interest rates and print money is the right thing to do, but does not make such intervention “good.”

Hope Amid the Gloom (NYT)

vast socialist future

by Bob Herbert
Even as Americans by the thousands sign up for jobless benefits, or line up to declare bankruptcy, or stand aside as their homes are foreclosed upon, there are some slender reasons to hope.

Separate and Not Equal (NYT)

marriage incuriosity supported

Creating a separate, new legal structure to confer some benefits on same-sex couples neither honors American ideals of fairness, nor does it grant true equality.

Wayward Eye on the Homeland (NYT)

agenda missing

Crucial reform of homeland security has been undermined by the culture of fiefdoms in Congress, while the real-life threats from terrorism have grown more complex.

Where Does It All Go? (NYT)

green lobby unmentioned

The federal government has struggled, unsuccessfully, to find a long-term solution to the piling up of nuclear waste at temporary storage sites around the country.

Survivor: Detroit (NYT)

lefty slogan business plan

For Detroit to become viable again, the next administration must help Michigan’s auto industry shrink and become more energy efficient.

Gov. Paterson’s Tough Budget (NYT)

newstand tax not considered

Gov. David Paterson’s proposals to close a large hole in New York State’s budget already has inspired howls of protest. It can surely be improved upon, but the budget is tough and fair.

The Torture Report (NYT)

subscription decline derangement syndrome

A prosecutor should be appointed to consider criminal charges against top officials at the Pentagon for decisions that led to the abuse, torture and death in prisons run by the American military and intelligence.

Fixing Interior (NYT)

ignorant masses deplored

As secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar’s most urgent task will be to remove the influence of politics and ideology from decisions that are best left to science.

A Lynching in Brooklyn (NYT)

strongly worded stand taken

The murder of José Sucuzhañay, an Ecuadorean immigrant, in New York City is enough to remind us that bigotry cannot be tolerated.

A Cheap Shot at Workers (NYT)

Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chairs.

The Bush administration’s last-minute overhaul of the visa program for temporary farm workers threatens to make a flawed program worse.

Questions for Mr. Geithner (NYT)

``needs to'' plonking strategy used.

As president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Timothy Geithner let Lehman Brothers fail and then bailed out American International Group. He needs to explain why before he becomes Treasury secretary.

Deeper in Debt (NYT)

no lefty idea is ever abandoned

In New Jersey, politically difficult policies — such as reducing payments to pension funds and increasing turnpike tolls — are necessary or the state will never dig out of its debt.

What Louisiana Can Teach (NYT)

money thrown into pit

As states and the federal government consider ways to improve teacher-preparation programs, they should look to Louisiana’s accountability-based reform efforts.

What’s Plan B? (NYT)

how about bankruptcy judge voids union contracts

Despite the flaws of the $14 billion plan to bail out Detroit’s automakers, there is not a chance at a long-term solution without it.

Save the Bluefin (NYT)

substitute polar bear

Preserving the bluefin tuna species requires sharply reduced quotas or, better, a moratorium on tuna fishing.

Even Worse for Teens (NYT)

extend the dead hand of central planning to everybody

Any plan that President-elect Barack Obama is devising to put millions of unemployed Americans back to work must include a provision for youthful workers.

Tortured Justice (NYT)

arm the courts

The extent of the damage done by the Bush administration to American civil liberties will be told in part by the outcome of two cases in federal court.

State of Fear (NYT)

loosed

A federal appointment could mean that Arizona will loose its most powerful voice of reason in a state that continues to hatch some of cruelest ideas for getting tough on immigrants.

The Real Generation X (NYT)

the cliche scold

by Thomas L. Friedman
To reverse the damage caused by this generation of greedy adults, we will not only need to bail out industries of the past but to build up industries of the future.

The Deluder in Chief (NYT)

the left could undelude itself here.

President Bush is still acting as though he decided to invade Iraq after suddenly being handed life and death information on Saddam Hussein’s arsenal.

The Employment Crash (NYT)

encourage idleness, crowd out private investment, and why not raise the minimum wage too

alternative plan: zero capital gains tax, zero corporate tax

Congress should be working now on another economic stimulus plan — one that will bolster unemployment compensation and create jobs.

Keep the City Moving (NYT)

shortfall burden spread

The burden for shortfalls in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority budget in New York City should be spread beyond those who take public transit.

Reality Check for Detroit (NYT)

reality mentioned

Before bailing out automakers, Congress should require much tighter commitments on fuel economy and demand that top management be replaced.

The Life of an Antarctic Archipelago (NYT)

polar-bear-eating penguin

A discovery of new species found on the polar islands concludes that this area is one of last on the globe where biodiversity has barely changed over the past century.

Rescue the Census (NYT)

democrat redistricting favored

The census requires years of planning, but preparations — for reasons of incompetence or political gain — have been systematically sidetracked during the Bush years.

Gloom, but Not Doom (NYT)

glass half full

President-elect Obama is inheriting a world more complicated and frightening than the one eight years ago. But while the trends may be apparent, the results are not inevitable.

Odetta (NYT)

marketing

By ANDREW ROSENTHAL
The music and lyrics of Odetta, the transcendent folk singer who died on Tuesday, opened a boy's eyes to the crimes and tragedies embedded in American history.

Hawaii’s Moon Shot (NYT)

snowmobiles banned

If Hawaii takes the lead in a clean-energy movement, it could spread those values to the rest of the nation.

Mr. Obama’s Team (NYT)

strong mentioned

President-elect Barack Obama will need a strong team to help him with the challenges he will face. The choices announced on Monday are a strong start.

The Gun Lobby’s Loss (NYT)

mandate discovered

After this year’s election, politicians should be far less afraid and far more willing to vote for sensible gun-control laws.

All Fall Down (NYT)

generalized scolding invented

by Thomas L. Friedman
After a near total breakdown of responsibility at every link in our financial chain, now we either bail out the people who brought us here or risk a systemic crash. These are the wages of our sins.

‘The Savior of Broadway,’ Written and Directed by Gerald Schoenfeld (NYT)

you have to be so careful with plaids

By FRANK RICH
Gerald Schoenfeld and his professional partner, Bernard B. Jacobs, saved New York’s commercial theater industry when everyone else had left it for dead.

A Promise to Help Nebraska’s Families (NYT)

every man a king

The state needs to move toward early-intervention programs that help families where they live and expand access to federally subsidized aid for the working poor.

So Who Picked Up the Tab? (NYT)

venality deplored

Speaker Nancy Pelosi should insist that the ethics investigation into Representative Charles Rangel’s affairs move forward.

A Catastrophic Silence (NYT)

the bathos strategy

After the killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant on Long Island, the silence that echoes most painfully is that of the Latino victims of these and other hidden crimes.

The Price of Our Good Name (NYT)

self-image considered

Barack Obama must repair this nation’s image and restore its self-respect by closing George Bush’s outlaw prison at Guantánamo Bay.

Eight Years Is More Than Enough (NYT)

joblessness proposed

Barack Obama will need energized federal workers to make effective change, which may mean dumping Republican civil servants intent on sabotaging that effort.

Help Is on the Way (NYT)

veterans as helpless fluff

by Bob Herbert
A new advertising campaign may help troubled veterans come in from the cold and piercingly lonely environment of post-wartime stress.

Ms. Lewis Refuses to Listen (NYT)

Palin for Park Superindendent

Suzanne Lewis, Yellowstone National Park’s superintendent, should be dismissed if she ignores scientists’ warnings that 720 snowmobiles a day would have “major adverse impacts” on the park.

Harmful Lending Practices (NYT)

fault discovered

Federal regulators could have done a great deal more to avert the mortgage crisis by reining in predatory lenders.

If Bankruptcy Hits Detroit (NYT)

free money to be used

Failing to bail out Detroit’s automakers would be a truly irresponsible act and could cause other bankruptcies and mass unemployment.

Gambling With Lives (NYT)

unauthorized antecedent

The City Council’s decision to suspend a ban on smoking in Atlantic City casinos threatens the health of the people who work in them.

The Wrong Place to Be Chronically Ill (NYT)

shame urged

The care the chronically ill receive in this country — or more often did not receive — ought to be a cause for shame.

Honesty About Ethanol (NYT)

hoaxes in conflict

For the sake of the planet, not a particular industry, the E.P.A. must give an unbiased, accurate accounting of ethanol emissions.

Pass the Colombian Trade Pact (NYT)

sound economics should be embraced only when it aligns with feelings.

Walking away from the Colombian free-trade agreement now would alienate many people in Colombia and undermine Washington’s credibility.

The Moose Stops Here (NYT)

mind lost

by Frank Rich
The post-election Republican soul searching has featured a convenient amnesia about the party’s race-based “Southern strategy.”

Gonna Need a Bigger Boat (NYT)

many cliches needed

by Thomas L. Friedman
To fight a global financial panic like this, you have to go at it with overwhelming force — an overwhelming stimulus that gets people shopping again.

A Military for a Dangerous New World (NYT)

Al Quaeda Military

To protect the nation, the Obama administration will have the incredible task of rebuilding a military that is overtaxed and ill-equipped.

The Presence of a Few Who Know What You're Doing Amounts to Somthing, I Should Say

click pic to enlarge

Election Prediction - McCain Wins

Based on my ongoing bicycle commute route lawn sign survey, in Central Ohio, it's McCain 25, Obama 7, in the final count.

Flickr slide show, click to view.