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Culture gets the axe

House of Representatives propose cutting Massachusetts Cultural Council budget by 18 percent
At $7.5 million, funding for the main state-sponsored entity providing grants for everything from local cultural organizers to student arts programs would be more than 40 percent lower than just two years ago.

By: DAVID BERNSTEIN | April 22, 2011

Choosing sides

New Hampshire's GOP operatives have lined up for the 2012 primary, and are ready to do battle
Over the next two weeks, New Hampshire will quietly transform into a proving ground for the Republican 2012 race to recapture the White House. At least 10 potential candidates, from heavyweights like Mitt Romney to obscurities like Fred Karger, are scheduled to visit this month.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | April 14, 2011

Romney rides again

To win the GOP nomination, Mitt will need to do things differently this time. Here's how.
Mitt Romney has been running for president more or less nonstop for the past seven years — and still hasn't figured out how to do it.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | April 14, 2011

It's a reasonable bet that gaming could once again gridlock Beacon Hill

Slow play
Gaming bills have plagued the last two legislative sessions on Beacon Hill.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | April 04, 2011

China Syndrome

Ian Bowles reflects on moving Massachusetts into the lead on clean energy -- and how the feds might have thrown it all away
Massachusetts has successfully jumped way out in front of every other state in the race for a share of the emerging trillion-dollar clean-energy market — which might end up meaning nothing, as the United States pisses away its chance to be part of that industry.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 18, 2011

The Governor in his Labyrinth

In year five of his administration, Patrick is keeping his options open
Governor Deval Patrick has always excelled at inciting political speculation. Through his first three years in office, most Beacon Hill insiders remained convinced — even as his re-election effort began — that Patrick would not serve out his full four-year term.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 10, 2011

First Debate for 2012?

Dead Presidents
While the national political media was distracted this week by a non-newsworthy semi-declaration of intent from Newt Gingrich, I was chasing down a more significant development: a rapidly escalating feud between two actual declared candidates for US president.

By: DAVID BERNSTEIN | November 03, 2011

Will Women Fight Back?

Republicans trying to gut four decades of women’s progress have met with very little resistance — but that’s changing
Ominous headlines are dominating the news: revolution in the Middle East; surging gas prices; even a possible government shutdown. Getting less attention, but with equally dire implications, is the concerted war against women being waged by Republicans.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 02, 2011

Sifting for substance in Scott Brown's memoir

The Naked Senator
Brown's memoir, Against All Odds , tells the inspiring rags-to-riches tale of how one can rise from terrible circumstances to great power and influence, with just a little hard work, perseverance, supermodel good looks and world-class athletic ability.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 23, 2011

Puppet Protestors: Free Bradley Manning!

Insecurity Theater
Bread and Puppet Theater arrived at MIT Monday night to premiere Manning , its show dedicated to Bradley Manning, the 23-year-old Army private who has been locked in a Virginia military prison since last year, accused of giving thousands of secret American war records and diplomatic files to WikiLeaks.

By: GREG COOK | February 23, 2011

Mitt Rewrites Himself

A new Apology
When Mitt Romney's second book, No Apology , came out a year ago, it looked like he was moving away from the far-right demagoguery of his 2008 bid for the presidency, and toward a more moderate centrism for the 2012 election cycle. But times change, and so does Mitt.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 11, 2011

Desert Storm: How the GOP and the Sunset State nurture the lunatic fringe

Tragedy in Tucson re-opens the question of the GOP's dangerous embrace of extremists
Two days before Saturday's horrific shooting in Tucson, Arizona, which gravely wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and left six people dead, a woman disrupted the reading of the US Constitution on the floor of the US House of Representatives by loudly appealing to Jesus to intercede against the foreign-born usurper of the presidency, Barack Obama.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 12, 2011

Governor Patrick offers hope for undocumented-immigrant drivers and college students

Driving change
In the candid interview, Governor Patrick seemed to be genuinely open to finding a way to identifying every person that drives a car in the Commonwealth, whether he is in the country illegally or not.

By: MARCELA GARCIA | January 07, 2011

Bernstein Brothers Handicap GOP 2012

Two takes on the GOP 2012 presidential run
Bernstein & Bernstein on Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin, and the rest of the 2012 gang.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | January 07, 2011

The Road to 2012: The New New Hampshire

Mitt Romney and the rest of the GOP field are about to find a whole new set of players standing between them and first-in-the-nation primary victory
For Mitt Romney and other likely presidential contenders, 2011 will be a busy year of campaigning and preparation for the first caucuses and primaries of the nominating process in early 2012.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 29, 2010

Double-Secret Probation: 2010's biggest Boston political scandal

As the previous Beacon Hill scandals wind down, another — a potentially bigger one — emerged this year: political patronage
In a year that started with a former House Speaker under indictment, an open US Senate seat, and a governor seemingly headed to electoral defeat, the biggest political story of 2010 turned out to be the Beacon Hill probation patronage scandal. And, if past is prologue, that ongoing saga promises to continue in 2011.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 22, 2010

Republican congressional class drops out of Harvard

Too cool for school?
For most organizations, getting 26 members of Congress to show up at a soiree would be an impressive feat.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | December 01, 2010

Gen X Goes to Washington

It's the first major slacker-generation wave of congressmen — but are they Alex P. Keatons, or nihilistic cranks?
Alex P. Keaton, the self-centered, clean-cut, overachieving young sharpie played by Michael J. Fox on Family Ties is — figuratively speaking — going to Washington.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 23, 2010

Minority Blues

Massachusetts's Democratic Congressmen won their elections, but lost their power. What will they do in John Boehner's House?
The historic national Republican wave, which saw the GOP gain at least 64 seats in the US House of Representatives, seemed to skip Massachusetts, which elected Democrats in all 10 congressional districts.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 17, 2010

Ten Little Congressmen . . .

The outlook for each of Mass.'s Representatives
Each of Massachusetts's 10 congressmen — soon to be nine, following next year's redistricting — are looking at the House shakeup from their own career perspectives.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 17, 2010

Kids In The Hall

A growing batch of young, progressive City Councilors is making the much-derided body relevant again
Boston City Hall politics, normally a year-round spectator sport, was largely overshadowed this year by state and national campaigns. With the attention off, a surprising amount of activity has been going on — not in the mayor's office, but down the corridor in the Boston City Council.

By: DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | November 10, 2010

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