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Commentary by Susan Estrich

Most Recent Releases

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July 29, 2011

The Nazi from Norway By Susan Estrich

They were texting their parents as they were being killed.

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July 27, 2011

Stand by Your Man By Susan Estrich

The headlines on the Drudge Report make it sound worse than it is: "Blacks, liberals flee in droves." And underneath: "Sanders (that's Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont): Obama should face primary challenger." And above: "Obama's Base Crumbles."

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July 20, 2011

The Crisis that Wasn't By Susan Estrich

For weeks, the signs were flashing on every freeway in Los Angeles: 405 closed between 10 and 110/July 16-17. EXPECT BIG DELAYS.

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July 13, 2011

The American People By Susan Estrich

My friend Francie's mother used to be known by all as "the Nation." It was a loving nickname based on her tendency to make pronouncements to one and all about what the nation thought of a particular topic. She would laugh.

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July 8, 2011

Getting Away with Murder By Susan Estrich

Casey Anthony killed her daughter. She may not have meant to, and she may have been much more interested in her own social life than in her daughter's well-being, but I have absolutely no doubt that she was responsible for her daughter's death.

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July 1, 2011

Big Steps and Baby Steps By Susan Estrich

Just days after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and the coalition supporting similar legislation in that state effectively conceded defeat.

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June 29, 2011

Go Michele By Susan Estrich

For a Democrat, it's too good to be true. Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney running neck and neck in Iowa. Romney having to worry about the one in five who won't vote for a Mormon, and Bachmann hiring a cadre of top Republican consultants, starting with Ed Rollins and Ed Goeas.

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June 24, 2011

There He Goes Again By Susan Estrich

There he goes again, fulfilling another promise. Imagine that. When he announced the surge in Afghanistan, he said it was temporary. Democrats, especially liberals, screamed bloody murder. How dare he do what he said he would do during the campaign: focus on Afghanistan, on the threat posed by al-Qaida, on capturing Osama bin Laden, dead or alive?

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June 23, 2011

The Mormon Question By Susan Estrich

Back in 1980, when I was working for Sen. Ted Kennedy, the Cardinal of Boston instructed priests to take to their pulpits to denounce the candidacy of Democratic Congressman Barney Frank because of his support for abortion rights. "Get me my brother's speech," the senator said to me.  

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June 17, 2011

You Make Me Feel So Young By Susan Estrich

It was about six years ago that my old friend Anne and I were sitting around daydreaming, and I started talking about my "perfect" house: three bedrooms (I have two children), convenient to my son's school, a yard for the dogs and, oh, yes, a peek at the ocean. Then I mentioned my spending limit, and we both burst out laughing. Not possible. When we stopped laughing, Anne announced that her mother would find it for me.

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June 15, 2011

RomneyCare By Susan Estrich

I'm sorry, Mitt. I'm probably the last person in the world you'd want saying a nice word about you. Maybe you can trot this out in the general election. Maybe the likes of me will keep you from ever getting there.

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June 11, 2011

Slow Down By Susan Estrich

I was on my way to the hospital this morning to sit in the waiting room for six or eight hours while a family member was having surgery when I realized I had no gas. Running out of gas while you are taking someone to or (worse) home from the hospital is not good. I stopped at the gas station to fill up.

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June 9, 2011

Anthony Weiner's Viral Adventure By Susan Estrich

Some years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my "media" career. No, not a crotch shot. But not good, either.  

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June 3, 2011

For-Profit "Charter" Schools By Susan Estrich

Former tennis star Andre Agassi deserves enormous credit for recognizing that nothing is more important than ensuring every child gets the kind of quality education that is their best chance for success in a rapidly changing world. I know, there are high school dropouts who make it to the top.

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June 1, 2011

The (Political) Rules By Susan Estrich

"The Rules" urged women trying to hook a man to play "hard to get." As insulting, dehumanizing and childish as the rules might have been (for instance, say no if he doesn't call by Wednesday for the weekend), there's plenty of anecdotal evidence (not to mention the sales figures for the book) suggesting they work.

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May 28, 2011

Baby's Fall By Susan Estrich

I was bouncing back and forth between worrying about my daughter flying to Ukraine (very far away, 4 connections, 1 airline I'd never heard of, very far away) and worrying about what I was going to say to a very smart, tough federal judge who was about to keep me on my feet for hours arguing on behalf of my client. 

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May 21, 2011

Women on Trial By Susan Estrich

Shame on The New York Times. A housekeeper gets pregnant by the famous and powerful man for whom she works. For 10 years, she continues to work in the home and never says a word. After 20 years of service, she retires and buys a house 100 miles away to raise her son.

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May 18, 2011

The Girl with the Politician Problem By Susan Estrich

"I didn't wish to be the girl who had a problem with a politician for the rest of my life." So said Tristane Banon, in explaining why she didn't file charges nine years ago against Socialist politician and current International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

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May 13, 2011

Billionaire Babies By Susan Estrich

Raj Rajaratnam should be about the last person in the world that I have any sympathy for. I don't know him. I don't have a lot in common with billionaires who would cheat to save $3 million, as he was convicted of doing. I dislike insider trading, not so much because it's unfair (it's also unfair that so many people are so much better than me at investing) but because it undermines confidence in the markets, and our economy depends on that confidence.

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May 11, 2011

Newt and Callista By Susan Estrich

It was probably ironic that in at least one of the online papers I was reading, the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's separation played literally back to back with the story of Newt and Callista Gingrich's ascension and how it is expected that she will turn the liability of his infidelity, which led to their marriage, into an asset.