Monday's Daily Brief

2010-09-27       The Daily Brief     Robert Kuttner: The Optimistic Scenario for Election Day AP Robert Kuttner: Tired of bleak political news? Here is an optimistic scenario of what just might happen on November 2: some Republican gains, but both houses of Congress remain Democratic. It may well be that the anticipated Republican takeover of Congress peaked a little too soon and that the Tea Parties were too successful for their own good. As Democrats get more strategic about smoking out the core differences between the two parties, disaffected voters will think twice about electing lunatic fringe candidates. Click here to read more. Michael R. Bloomberg: Report: Weak Laws Turn a Handful of States Into Shopping Malls for Gun Traffickers Every year, 12,000 people are murdered with guns in the United States. If one state ignores a gap in its laws, other states have to deal with the deadly consequences. Cheryl Saban: Putting Empowerment of Women and Girls on the Human Agenda During our session at the Clinton Global Initiative, one participant made an important point. Essentially it is this: "Do not allow the empowerment of women and girls to be 'ghettoized' strictly as a women's issue." Thomas Steinbeck: John Steinbeck, Michael Moore, and the Burgeoning Role of Planetary Patriotism The Steinbeck Award points to examples of American patriots who have made an indelible impact on our culture. Mr. Moore aptly fulfills every required parameter designed to guide the choice of award recipients. Alec Baldwin: You Would Think That Californians Had Learned Their Lesson by Now All governments need to be run in a more business-like manner and now more than ever. But government should never literally be run like a business. Drew Westen: The Two Stories of the Election of 2010: A Biopsy Before the Autopsy When the lights go down in November, if things look as dark as they do today, Democrats should take the time to figure out how they misplayed one of the strongest hands any party has been dealt in decades.     HuffPost News FBI Test Scandal Explodes: Investigation Finds Widespread Cheating On Domestic Spying Exam Stephen Trauber, Citigroup Trader, Reportedly Getting Pay Package Worth Up To $30 Million Barbara Boxer Rebound Confirmed By Another California Poll Ann Coulter To Gay Conservatives: Marriage 'Is Not A Civil Right -- You're Not Black' Ed Schultz: Chris Christie A 'Cold-Hearted Fat Slob' (VIDEO)   Get HuffPost on your iPhone!   ©2010 HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved. 560 Broadway, Suite 308, NY, NY 10012 Add dailybrief@huffingtonpost.com to your address book to ensure that you receive emails from us. User Agreement Privacy Policy