Rap Sheet
Links on R&P from around the web
Domestic Partnership Bill Clears First Hurdle in Wyoming
posted on January 30, 2013Chicago Tribune’s John M. Glionna reports on a new bill in Wyoming that would allow same-sex couples most of the legal rights of heterosexual couples. Championed by Wyoming State Representative Cathy Connolly, the bill cleared a subcommittee this Monday, and is now headed for consideration in the full House. Despite being outnumbered 8-1 by Republicans, Connolly remains hopeful, “We passed the first step; but it’s a big step.”
What Choice?
posted on January 28, 2013Kate Pickert of TIME discusses how state legislators have “redrawn the boundaries of legal abortion.” “Getting an abortion in America is, in some places, harder today than at any point since it became a constitutionally protected right 40 years ago this month,” she writes. “In many ways, the fight to preserve access to abortion is even more daunting than the fight to legalize it 40 years ago.”
How to Prevent the Next Benghazi
posted on January 28, 2013Ambassador James F. Jeffrey opines in The Washington Post about “expeditionary diplomacy,” direct-to-the-population diplomatic work, that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says is essential for U.S. security. Jeffrey writes, “But to make sure the risks of expeditionary diplomacy are worth the rewards, we need a clear, formal framework for deciding when these missions should be undertaken, avoided or rolled back.”
The People’s Choice
posted on January 28, 2013The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin comments on the evolution of abortion jurisprudence, stating that the real lesson of abortion rights in the Supreme Court is that “politicians, especially Presidents, lead.”
American Pastor Sentenced to 8 Years in Iran
posted on January 28, 2013The Associated Press reports that an American pastor who has been held in Iran since September has been sentenced to eight years in prison for attempting to undermine state security by creating a network of churches. The United States is “deeply concerned about the fairness and transparency of Mr. Abedini’s trial” and has called on Iran to release him in the name of human rights.
Gays Can Take Care of Themselves, Say Same-Sex Marriage Opponents
posted on January 28, 2013At The Atlantic, Garrett Epps writes on the legal brief filed with the Supreme Court by proponents of DOMA. He notes that “[i]t’s hardly surprising that the brief is first-rate,” as its backers are represented by “Paul Clement, the most talented Supreme Court litigator of his generation.” Epps sums up the brief’s key argument, writing, “Gays and lesbians are winning politically. The court should butt out and leave the decision about allowing same-sex marriage to the democratic process.”
Antiabortion March for Life Gets a New Head and, Perhaps, a New Focus
posted on January 28, 2013Michelle Boorstein of The Washington Post profiles Jeanne Monahan and her “speedy, unexpected rise” as the new head of March for Life, the U.S.’s largest antiabortion gathering, which was held last Friday. Monahan’s new position reflects the nature of a movement in transition in “a country that is becoming more conflicted about abortion even as it remains steadfastly committed to the Roe ruling and the value of personal choice.”
N.M. Bill Would Prevent Abortions After Rape as “Evidence Tampering”
posted on January 28, 2013USA Today’s Michael Winter reports on a proposed New Mexico bill that has drawn criticism because it could be interpreted to construe abortion after rape or incest as evidence tampering, resulting in a felony conviction with a three-year sentence. But, Cathrynn N. Brown, the state representative who introduced the bill, says the bill’s intent “is solely to deter rape and cases of incest.”
America’s Shameful Nazi Past
posted on January 28, 2013At The Daily Beast, Richard Rashke writes on “America’s historical and schizophrenic treatment of Nazi war criminals,” arguing that President Obama should issue a formal apology to Holocaust survivors and declassify documents that will “shed light on the obstruction of Holocaust justice.”
Yair Lapid, Israel’s Rising Star, is Still Great Unknown in Washington
posted on January 25, 2013Nathan Guttman of The Jewish Daily Forward writes about “Israel’s new political kingmaker”: Yair Lapid. Lapid, who won 19 Knesset seats in this week’s elections, has spent considerable time in the United States, which could help build his political future. Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, called Lapid, “a very bright, possibly brilliant charismatic individual.”
Read at The Jewish Daily Forward