Such a law would devastate unions, and it's closer than ever to becoming a reality.

Tired of the pervasive anger and divisive rhetoric that is consuming American politics in this year's presidential contest, we decided to attend a recent candidate forum near our north shore Oahu home for a more Hawaiian experience -- one grounded in harmony, not hate.

Nothing illustrates better the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the Republican war hawks who call themselves presidential candidates than their attempts to whitewash the history of how this nation went to war in Iraq.

"The Iraq war error reminds us of the need for epistemological modesty," Brooks writes. That's bullshit, even if written in the lingua franca of the salons frequented by Brooks and other apologists for what Bush and Cheney visited on the people of Iraq.

When teachers are graded on their performance, there is rarely enough time to assess the out-of-classroom impact they might have on students as a result of such intangible qualities as personality, patience, tone of voice, and willingness to listen.