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I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I am an independent who believes that at this moment of partisan dysfunction and division that the health of American democracy depends on the capacity of the American people to come together, to grow and to develop. While the media is saturating us with a focus on the results of who won and who lost in the midterm elections, my attention is drawn to signs of the emergence of a bottom up nonpartisan developmental politic in our country that breaks throu

Medicare Part D beneficiaries may receive some much-needed relief on the cost of their prescription drugs starting in 2019. Back in 2010, the Affordable Care Act set a timeline to close the coverage gap. The so-called “Part D Donut Hole” was initially scheduled to close by 2020. But legislation signed this year, through the recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA), is expected to go into effect in 2019— closing the gap one year early. The Medicare “Donut Hole,” a nickname for the g

Washington, D.C.- You don’t often see this sort of disclaimer: “We made 25,975 calls, and 642 people spoke to us.But remember: It’s just one poll, and we talked to only 642 people. Each candidate’s total could easily be four points different if we polled everyone in the state. And having a small sample is only one possible source of error.” That is right at the top of a single poll result on the New York Times website's live polling section. It posted results in real time with every phone call

Democrats and pollsters expecting Josh Harder (D) to surf into Washington on a blue wave in California's 10th Congressional District Tuesday were met with the reality that all politics is local. Blood is thicker than water, the old saying goes, and in California's Central Valley, water is the community's lifeblood. So said incumbent Rep. Jeff Denham (R) in the days leading up to the election. There local farmers have come to rely on Denham to fight for their access to scarce irrigated water to

Washington, D.C. - The Republicans have held on to the Senate by grabbing some center-left leaning districts, while Democrats scooped up the 218 they needed to topple GOP control of the House of Representatives. Those numbers weren't necessarily surprising for many Americans. But the details surrounding this election are fascinating. Candidates broke barriers across gender (more than 100 women were elected), race, religion and sexual identity. And inside those states and districts, unique situa

San Diego, Calif.- According to a recent NPR poll, nearly 80 percent of voters are concerned that the negative tone and lack of civility in Washington will lead to violence or acts of terror. That toxic tone has become commonplace in contentious races for many years. But there are representatives, and candidates, who have stuck to a more civil approach to politics. Videos for two candidates in California's 77th Assembly district in San Diego demonstrate the two different approaches. Assemblym

Many political commentators today are perplexed by what seems to be the increasing polarization of the two party system in America, and the rising tensions that have accompanied a rhetorical arms race of inflammatory cross fire. It is my contention that the Republican and Democratic Parties are not in fact drifting further apart than ever before, but over recent decades have actually become more and more like each other, and that today they are nearly indistinguishable from each other in terms

Many political commentators today are perplexed by what seems to be the increasing polarization of the two party system in America, and the rising tensions that have accompanied a rhetorical arms race of inflammatory cross fire. It is my contention that the Republican and Democratic Parties are not in fact drifting further apart than ever before, but over recent decades have actually become more and more like each other, and that today they are nearly indistinguishable from each other in terms

ANNAPOLIS, MD. -  Republican Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has cast his ballot for US Senate. However, he did not vote for Republican nominee Tony Campbell. He voted for independent candidate Neal Simon. Simon released the following statement in response to the governor's vote: “I am pleased to have earned Gov. Hogan’s vote. I believe we have much in common in our desire to govern from the middle to achieve great things for our state and our country. The governor’s non-partisan leadership is a

Amid all the divisive ugliness inside the Beltway, here is some good news: 2018 may well be the best year in a half century for election reform. Today’s narrative laments a crumbling democracy, alienated voters, and a political culture spiraling ever downward. While true, that narrative is incomplete. It misses the remarkable energy building across many states to confront these problems, shore up our democracy, and rebuild our political culture. Nowhere is that energy more apparent than in the