Word: written
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Germany's post-World War II constitution, written in 1949, set out to ensure that a democratic system would be able to defend itself against forces hostile to democracy. The Grundgesetz guarantees basic rights like freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, but it also gives the state the power to ban organizations that threaten the democratic order. Clauses prohibiting the use of symbols which violate the constitution, including Nazi symbols, were added to the German penal code in 1960. In the past few decades, as Germany has seen a rise in right-wing extremism, these laws have been used...
...hidden tug-of-war over these airplanes revealed just how perk-conscious lawmakers can be. In March, the nonprofit group Judicial Watch obtained e-mails from the Pentagon (under the Freedom of Information Act) written by aides to Pelosi seeking military airplanes. "It is my understanding there are no G-5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess," one May 2007 message said. "This is totally unacceptable." The Pentagon explained the planes were already booked by "White House military office taskings, the VP, Cabinet officers and multiple other executive users." (See pictures of military aircraft...
Jeffrey Kluger's "Moon Walkers" left me with a new appreciation of our astronauts [July 27]. It was carefully researched and beautifully written and filled in the gap in my knowledge of the lives of these men after their missions. Kluger's last paragraph on the "enduring legacy" of the 24 men's unique "comradeship" will stay with me. They are more human and more heroic than I ever imagined. Gerry Mandel, ST. LOUIS...
...office. Top McCain strategist Steve Schmidt believed Palin's series of disastrous interviews with CBS' Katie Couric was "one of the worst performances ever" by a national political candidate (Balz and Johnson report that Palin put off preparing for the interview, oddly, to focus on completing a written questionnaire for a small Alaska newspaper, the Mat-su Valley Frontiersman). The Alaska governor touched off such turmoil and animosity within the campaign that, when it came to judging the varied allegations against her, the authors found that "determining the truth was impossible...
...Lowdown: The Battle for America was written by two traditional reporters with heaps of inside-the-beltway experience, and it shows. The narrative stays tightly focused on candidates and political issues almost to a fault - glossing over the broader cultural momentum that helped propel Obama to a decisive win. There is no mention of Will.i.am's viral "Yes We Can" music video that galvanized youth support, or of Shepard Fairey's ubiquitous "Hope" graphic, which lent the candidate street cred and fed the perception that he hovered above conventional politics. The authors mention Tina Fey's Saturday Night Live impression...