Alma Sove

Honestly, this is a tougher debate than whether one is pro-choice or pro-life, since parents, children, and potential grandchildren would have to live with the outcome of an immensely significant decision. & I'm not sure I sit squarely 100 percent on either side of this discussion because it's easy to sympathize with both sides.

The public's interest in validating McCain's choice of running mates in Sarah Palin, by considering her personal choices as a mom, is par for the course…

Labor Day 2008 has me thinking about other meanings of that word, "labor." & As my first little one is due to arrive later this month, "labor and delivery" come to mind most readily. Even now though, my own preoccupation has not completely replaced the significance of

Professional pundits and those whose

In polite company, so the saying goes, refrain from speaking about religion and politics. & The two subjects tend to roil deep ideological divides between friends and peers where none were apparent. & In the interest of political conversation, however, perhaps discussing the two topics is a worthier pursuit than silence, especially when contemplating a candidate's character. &

The second idea layered into this message may be more powerful. & John McCain has fancied himself a maverick who bucks the traditional, "old" way of working in politics. & Presumably he's not trading favors with Washington insiders but is working toward substantive policy ideas. & His 2000 presidential bid versus Bush earned him a strong following where he challenged the Republican Party. & What didn't win him the White House in 2000 though, may work to quell independent voters' fears that McCain is just another Republican towing the far right's party-line.