The march of socialism

So there was a Democratic pickup in the House, in a district which hasn't been Democratic since the Civil War, last Tuesday. In California, a liberal Democrat replaced a more conservative Democrat in a House district. And over the weekend, the House health care...

Between the Lines: That Little Girl From Bristol

My daughter looked up and smiled weakly. I put my hand to her forehead: she was warm, flush with fever."Daddy, H1N1 is the same thing as swine flu, right?" she said. I nodded, wondering where our eight-year-old had picked up that bit of information. Did she...

Election 2009: Darby O'Brien Takes a Bow

In the wake of Clare Higgins' successful re-election bid in Northampton, the South Hadley firm that created the mayor's campaign advertising wasn't too shy to take a little credit, bringing into view the way in which marketing influences...

Election 2009: No Surprise in Springfield

It hasn't always been easy to understand the decisions made by the Springfield electorate. This is the city that elected Mike Albano to multiple terms, defeating impressive candidates such as Charlie Ryan (in 1995) and Paul Caron (in 2001); the city that almost...