Editorial: Silence Isn’t Golden

To state the obvious, there’s something fundamentally flawed with the concept of a nonspeaking spokeswoman. In the case of Lebanon, that would be Mayor Georgia Tuttle, who is not always noncommunicative but often either avoids making comments or refers inquiries to the city manager when reporters have questions …

• Letter: Unfair Attack on Mayor Tuttle

Editorial: Royalty Check; Fewer Absolutes Among Monarchs

We confess that in the crush of pressing news business, we kind of lost track of the activities of European royalty. Turns out we should have paid attention. We were astonished to learn earlier this week that Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands had abdicated at age 75 after …

Editorial: Dysfunction Central; FEC Does More Harm Than Good

Caroline Hunter’s six-year term on the Federal Election Commission expired Tuesday. If recent history is any guide, what will happen next is ... nothing. Of the six seats on the FEC, which interprets and administers the nation’s election laws, one is vacant and the others are occupied by …

Editorial: Practicing Self-Defense; Ayotte Takes Heat For Her Gun Vote

As U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire discovered this week, the so-called “town hall” meetings back home that have become a staple of congressional recesses are high risk, low reward propositions. If all goes well, a few supporters show up to form the choir that can be …

Editorial: Voter ID Returns; Compromise Measure Makes Sense

The debate over the need for voter identification follows an all-too-familiar pattern in contemporary politics: So little common ground exists between the two sides that the exchange barely qualifies as a debate. Those pushing for more rigorous screening of voters say they are focused exclusively on protecting the …

Editorial: Hospitals’ Exemptions

Consider the tax-exempt hospital. Traditionally, these hospitals have offered free or subsidized medical treatment for poor patients. Over the past half-century, however, as the federal government has taken to paying for health care — via Medicare, Medicaid and, now, the Affordable Care Act — policymakers have tried to …

Editorial: VA Battles Its Backlog; Disability Claims Take Too Long

Is there a federal program that suffers a more pronounced performance gap than veterans benefits? The difference between what is proclaimed as the nation’s solemn responsibility to the men and women who served and what is actually delivered remains distressingly wide. And it’s been that way for a …

Editorial: The Holocaust Museum Turns 20

When the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum opened 20 years ago, there were questions about its mission and whether it belonged so near the Mall. The events took place in Europe; the victims were concentrated in one ethnic group; was this really an American story? Thirty-five million visitors later, …