LOD: Elections Matter & So Do You

A report from the Pew Center on the States reveals the sharp differences in what various state legislatures achieved this year, depending on which partisan group has “one party rule.” Republicans now have control of the legislature and governorship in 20 states, up from 8 before the 2010 election, while the Democrats are in total charge in 11 states, down from 16. The report illustrates in detail how elections really do matter: Voter ID, spending cuts, immigration policy, health reform, women’s rights, etc. On the other hand, for those who worry that changing some things is bigger than changing which party wins the election, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg has a searing critique of the continuing arrogance of presidents, from Nixon to Obama, and he renews his call for the public to protect democracy by forcing the high-and-mighty to obey the US Constitution.