Three prominent Democrats have announced that they are not going to be running for their seats this year. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said he wanted to write books. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., told reporters it was just time for a change. Moments later, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced that he would drop out, because he wanted to spend more time with his family. What each incumbent hinted at, but left unsaid, was that they were facing long odds in their upcoming races. Ritter and Dorgan didn’t even have announced opponents, but still trailed prospective rivals by 8 and 20 points, […]

The legal battle to determine the constitutionality of one-man, one-woman marriage began in a San Francisco federal courthouse in mid-January. The challenge is to Proposition 8, which California voters approved in November 2008. There already has been an unusual twist, according to Jordan Lorence, an attorney defending the amendment. “What is significant, and somewhat unusual, is that the judge asked a lot of questions,” Lorence said. “You don’t have judges interrupting the opening arguments.” The Supreme Court of California created same-sex marriage in 2008, even though the justices knew the issue was about to go to a vote. Ron Prentice, […]

Every time I write about marriage, I hear from readers who lament their sexless marriages. The comments are all from men, and they tell of years, sometimes decades, of living together without love, affection or sexual intimacy. The writers describe an arid life of “going separate ways” and “living separate lives.” Often a man will speak admiringly of his wife as the mother of their children and a fine person, but sadly relate that there is no longer any personal interaction between them as a couple. These are the ones who haven’t bothered to divorce, yet they lead lives of […]

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case concerning a Texas school district policy that bans students from wearing clothes that declare a political position. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the school dress code. The high court rejected a Dallas high school student’s appeal. Paul Palmer sued the Waxahachie Independent School District for political censorship. The district wouldn’t allow Palmer to wear a T-shirt supporting then-presidential candidate John Edwards. Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, said the rulings are a “punch in the gut to freedom.” “If you don’t have a right to free […]

Despite assurances by President Obama that the debate over health care reform would be a public one, Democrats are moving to close the meetings to the public. The House and Senate passed different versions of the health care reform bill, and those differences must now be resolved in committee. Rules in both the House and Senate say conference committee meetings must be open to the public, and multiple promises were made during Obama’s presidential campaign that negotiations on health care would be an open process and televised. But after a meeting with her leadership team, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said […]

What do you want to accomplish in the year ahead? January is a great time to start a resolution – Time magazine says nearly half of us will. So use this week to start the resolution you made last week. Perhaps you have listed goals you would like to accomplish. The following list discusses Internet sites that may help. Space ManagementA sign in my office proclaims, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, what is the sign of an empty desk of?” For positive organizational steps, LifeOrganizers.com has tips by category, while Unclutterer.com and Organized Home […]