Menachem Begin was the Prime Minister of Israel. He won the Nobel Prize for signing the peace treaty with Anwar Sadat and Jimmy Carter. “I want to be remembered, above all, as someone who prevented civil war,” declares Begin in the quote you see at the start of the tour in the Begin Center. He …more >
I volunteered to be the tour guide/rabbi for our group tomorrow as we walk to the Western Wall to welcome the Sabbath. So I did a dry run today and wound up taking a new path to the Zion Gate, one of eight entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem. Instead of walking in, I …more >
Maryland citizens, teachers, and students deserve a seat at the table when the General Assembly decides whether to expand gambling. More gambling must equal more dollars for our schools. Senator Bill Ferguson and I believe that this additional money should be used for pre-kindegarten classes so that kids come to elementary school ready …more >
I was discussing lofty issues last week. At my 40th college reunion, I moderated a panel entitled “From Malcolm to Barack.” How had our activism been shaped by events before, during, and after our four years at Amherst? When I got home, there was a letter on my desk. A number …more >
“Well, what the hell’s the presidency for?” That’s Lyndon Johnson, responding to an adviser’s counsel that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a lost cause. Bill Clinton highlighted that quote in his review of the new Johnson biography. The stakes aren’t as high, but I think the same principle applies …more >
The career paths of five law students may be altered by a conversation I had two years ago. The late Judge John Prevas was my criminal justice adviser. We discussed the State’s Attorney race between Patricia Jessamy and Gregg Bernstein in the summer of 2010. John felt that the office should more …more >
I’m reminded of what President Kennedy said after the Bay of Pigs. “Victory has a thousand fathers, defeat is an orphan,” the President said, accepting responsibility for the mission’s failure. In the public’s mind, we are all at fault for our failure to fund the budget during the 90 days of the …more >
We didn’t get our job done last night. When midnight struck, we had passed the budget, but it has a gaping hole A revenue bill, which raised $240 million to prevent cuts in K-12 education and Medicaid, did not pass. The reason why – a 6th slots site in Prince Georges …more >
“I don’t think that bill is moving,” another delegate answered when I asked if she supported my proposed amendment. “Best to be prepared,” I responded. We agreed to act like Boy Scouts. Not everyone is, unfortunately. A bill I thought was uncontroversial is still sitting in committee. I learned which committee member was the likely …more >
Of the 14 bills or issues I’m working on that have passed the House of Delegates, none is dead. My bond bills have been funded. Budget bill language about involving absent fathers with their child and the mother has been agreed to. The House and Senate bills creating the Grasmick teacher scholarship have each passed …more >
