When Barack Obama takes the oath of office as the nation's first African American president Tuesday, it will mark the first time in decades that we will have a national leader whose political philosophy was shaped by a big city -- and who plans to make the well-being of American cities a priority. Obama has said his experience as a... Full story »

Ever wonder how Star-Ledger and NJVoices editorial cartoonist Drew Sheneman comes up with his daily cartoons. The folks at Ledger Live documented Drew creating this week's cartoon featuring Gov. Jon Corzine, Abbott vs. Burke and a wrecking ball. Ledger Live - 11-20-08 What do you think? Click over to Drew's blog to leave your comments. Full story »

Our delegation spent last night on a riverboat, complete with dinner and banjos, on the beginnings of the Mississippi. Cruise sponsors were John and Eileen Crowley of Princeton, who have a fascinating story to tell.  Full story »

DEP Report finds more streams, lakes, bays, and ocean waters fail to meet standards - trends worsen due to sprawling over-development Unsafe to eat fish from, swim in, or drink from most NJ waters Last week, we disclosed that more than 12.5% of NJ residential drinking water wells failed to meet drinking water standards, and that residents of more... Full story »

Sure, it's exciting to have a woman on the ticket, but I'll bet a lot of women are asking themselves how anyone, male or female, can achieve that honor with so few credentials. Hey, if Sarah Palin is the perfect candidate for vice president, maybe I am too, since my bio mirrors most of hers.  Full story »

For New Jersey delegates to the Republican convention, the question of who will be their next candidate for governor is as interesting as the presidential race. Their preference, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, wasn't at the convention, but his presence loomed large. Would Christie be a good choice as the GOP gubernatorial candidate next year?  Full story »

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- After spending much of his campaign struggling to escape the shadow of President Bush, Sen. John McCain now faces being overshadowed by Gov. Sarah Palin, his eye-raising choice as running mate. Palin is Topic A among delegates here and especially in the media, which questions whether, as McCain claims, she was properly "vetted" -- political... Full story »

Hurricane Gustav has come and gone, and while it created some serious problems, the direst predictions of its impact on the Gulf Coast fortunately did not come to pass. At the same time, if its landfall wasn't as devastating as it might have been, neither was the windfall for which some Republicans were hoping.  Full story »

The McCain Campaign claims that Sara Palin has as much experience to be Commander-in-Chief as Barack Obama. That, to put it mildly, is hogwash! I do not dispute that Governor Palin has an interesting biography. Just not one that deserves to be a heartbeat from the oval office behind a 72-year-old with a history of cancer.  Full story »

To varying degrees of success, a Christian, a Buddhist, a Jew and a Muslim shared the opening convocation at the Democratic Convention in Denver last week. We may expect similar inclusive-ism from the Republicans in Minneapolis.  Full story »

Last week, I denounced the faux protesters in Denver. This week, in Minneapolis, the false protesters turned to violence. It was a very small number of people who did so, but that is always the case. It is why security zones now have to be set up around the perimeter of legal gatherings. While the police moved to disperse... Full story »

Kean University President Dawood Farahi announced today, at the commencement of fall semester classes, the recipients of the Lesniak Scholarships for The Master of Arts in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Senator Lesniak endowed these scholarships to further the study of human rights and to help students pursue their interests in understanding how societies and governments could promote or allow... Full story »

News that GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant has thrown Sen. John McCain's campaign into spin-control mode. Democratic nominee Barack Obama has already made clear that families are off limits as far as the campaigns are concerned. Does the fact that Palin's daughter is pregnant affect your thinking about Palin's candidacy?  Full story »

Any number of people have written in a large number of places that Sarah Palin is nothing more than a token. I believe that is true. But that is no reason to dismiss her. It is surely no reason to disparage her background. So, she is a former beauty contestant. So what? Would it matter if she were hideous?... Full story »