Jun 27 Gwen’s Take: (Re)Defining Equality It wasn't that long ago that President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act. He did it quietly, literally in the dark of night. Less than three years earlier, he'd signed off on another law gay rights advocates… Continue reading
Jun 20 Gwen’s Take: How the Supreme Court Might Change Your Life By Gwen Ifill We are entering the last week of June, which means it's time for the annual waiting game. Are we waiting for sweet corn? For the neighborhood pool to open? For Congress to leave town? No. As always, we are waiting… Continue reading
Jun 13 Gwen’s Take: Understanding Washington More/Hating Politics Less My friend Judy Woodruff's blog about the passing of Doug Bailey, a legend in political journalism, prompted me to flash back five years. On June 13, 2008, she was the one to call and tell me of the sudden… Continue reading
May 31 Gwen’s Take: The Perils of the Absolute I want to own a pair of glasses that will allow me to more accurately see shades of gray. That way, when bridges fall down, the urgency to find out why -- right away -- will fade. I will more… Continue reading
May 23 Gwen’s Take: The Chasm Close to Home I watched the president's address to the Morehouse class of 2013 this week with special interest. Part of the reason was personal: I had a great time delivering the commencement speech there two years ago. A sea of… Continue reading
May 17 Gwen’s Take: I See Your Benghazi and Raise You One IRS It was scandal week in Washington, but because of an accident of scheduling, I had the opportunity to view it through an altered lens. The president's week was turning into a very bad one -- with new revelations about… Continue reading
May 03 Gwen’s Take: The Trouble With Making (and Keeping) Promises President Obama at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Photo by Pete Marovich-Pool/Getty Images. President Obama told a really funny joke after he strolled to the podium at the White House Correspondents' Dinner last weekend. After noting that he… Continue reading
Apr 26 Gwen’s Take: Will Jeb Bush Run? How Confrontation Politics Will Shape 2016 Leave it to Barbara Bush to cut through the confusion. When she was asked just before the opening of her son's presidential library whether her other son, Jeb, should run for president, she said no. And she didn't dance… Continue reading
Apr 19 Journalism 101: When Getting it First Trumps Getting it Right It had already been a hectic, headlong week when a reporter I like, respect and admire made a big mistake. In the rush to get the news fast and first, he got it wrong. I'm not interested in beating up… Continue reading
Apr 12 Gwen’s Take: Seeing Eye-To-Eye For a Change Washington lives in its moments. I got to sit in the East Room of the White House this week for the taping of an "In Performance at the White House" concert on Memphis Soul that will air on… Continue reading