Liz Elsewhere

Immigration is a hot topic across America, with Democratic presidential contenders sparring over the issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants and Republicans striving to out-do one another on promises to improve border security.
It's also a subject that has caught the attention of Rep. Brian Baird, D-Vancouver. He is a co-sponsor of the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement Act, an immigration bill that's generating controversy within Baird's own party.
At...

Last year, ultra-liberal elements within the Democratic Party waged a heated political battle against Sen. Joe Lieberman, their vice-presidential nominee of just six years earlier. But if you thought that liberal cannibalism stopped with the attack on Connecticut's junior senator, think again. The left wing has now set its sights on California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, another centrist Democrat who has failed to walk in lockstep with the increasingly puritanical left.
Why are the...

Last week, Hillary Clinton's campaign blamed her poor debate performance on sexism.
It was a maneuver that seemed suspiciously aimed at detracting from Hillary's lackluster showing whilst simultaneously shoring up her female support. But, ironically, it has had the opposite effect. Rather than fostering a sense of solidarity between women and the first credible female presidential candidate, Hillary's cries of discrimination have left many women cold, and with good reason. We've...

Though serious agriculture reforms are needed, they face an uphill battle in Congress, writes LIZ MAIR.
This week, the 2007 farm bill hit the Senate floor - and already, everyone from fiscal conservatives and free traders to environmentalists and celebrities has found something to hate about it.
What's wrong with the legislation? For one thing, it increases government price supports and continues to make federal subsidies available to wealthy farmers. While the Bush...

In Thursday's Telegraph, beloved bike-riding Conservative MP Boris Johnson made a startling announcement. He wants Hillary Clinton to be President.
Readers in America, familiar with Boris' unique brand of humor and Britons' reputation for sarcasm, wondered whether his endorsement was an effort to meld Blackadder with real life-- or whether, just maybe, he'd gone a tiny bit mad. Whatever the case, Boris' backing of Hillary is likely to raise a few eyebrows - and turn a few...

Next week, the House of Representatives likely will vote on a new free trade agreement with Peru, legislation that could prove controversial and place the Evergreen State's Democratic legislators in the spotlight. After all, while trade skepticism has been growing of late in the Democratic Party, Washington's progressives in Congress remain noticeably pro-free trade -- and that's something that could split them from many in their caucus as the debate over Peru and other pending trade...

As the 2008 campaign approaches, Democrats look almost certain to maintain and expand their Senate majority, writes LIZ MAIR.
The magic number in Senate politics is 60 - the "supermajority" of senators required to break a filibuster. After the 2004 election, some Republicans reckoned that a 60-member partisan caucus might soon be within their grasp. But the 2006 election dashed those hopes. Now, as the 2008 campaign season approaches, Senate Democrats look almost certain to maintain...

During the recent Fox News Republican presidential debate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney commented that health care "isn't a Democrat issue. It's a Republican issue."
It was a great sound bite but one that raised eyebrows. After all, while Republicans won the HillaryCare wars of 1993-94, health care isn't something that conservatives have been talking about boldly, or much at all, in the nearly 15 years since.
More to the point, perhaps as a consequence of Republicans...

Last week, with the Club for Growth conference and the "Values Voter" summit taking place in Washington, D.C., infighting among the leading Republican presidential contenders reached an all-new high.
Except where Sen. John McCain was concerned. After all, while ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, ex-Sen. Fred Thompson and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have been busy sparring over everything from abortion to taxes, McCain has kept busy bashing Romney, almost exclusively --...

Will Congress reach a compromise on bankruptcy reform? If so, writes LIZ MAIR, the result will probably be less "creditor-friendly" than the 2005 reform.
As Americans are now painfully aware, many homeowners strapped with unaffordable mortgages currently face the prospect of bankruptcy and foreclosure, which further contributes to downwardly spiraling housing prices. Earlier this month, Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania introduced the Home Owners' Mortgage and Equity...