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Mary Curtis

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Former President Donald Trump is seen here speaking to supporters from the Ellipse at the White House on Jan. 6, 2021.

Playing by the rules? What a concept

By Mary Curtis
Posted May 2, 2024 at 6:00am
Democratic presidential hopeful Tom Steyer campaigns in Iowa last August. As Democrats wrestle, sometimes clumsily, with complex issues of inclusion, Republicans have a much clearer message, Curtis writes. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call file photo)

What kind of country do Americans want? Voters definitely have a choice

By Mary Curtis
Posted January 30, 2020 at 6:00am
King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde walk ahead of Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the 75th Battle of the Bulge anniversary remembrance ceremony Monday in Bastogne, Belgium. (Olivier Matthys/Getty Images)

In a fractious holiday season, are there glimmers of hope?

By Mary Curtis
Posted December 19, 2019 at 5:30am
Michael Bloomberg, center, appears Sunday at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he apologized for supporting “stop and frisk.” He’s not the only Democratic candidate expressing regret to minority voters, Curtis writes. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)

Bloomberg, Biden, Buttigieg and the bunch apologize. Should black voters listen, forgive and vote?

By Mary Curtis
Posted November 21, 2019 at 6:00am
The late Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings was a fighter for justice and a leader with a sense of right and wrong, even when there was a price to pay, Curtis writes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Elijah Cummings, a man of character and the best of Baltimore

By Mary Curtis
Posted October 18, 2019 at 5:00am
“We live in a political world, so we can’t avoid politics,” the Rev. Franklin Graham said at a recent Charlotte, N.C., rally. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images file photo)

Can church ever be separate from state at a Franklin Graham rally?

By Mary Curtis
Posted October 17, 2019 at 5:30am
Rep. John Lewis, left, here with, from right, Reps. John Yarmuth, Conor Lamb and Anthony G. Brown, announced his support for an impeachment inquiry Tuesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Long arc of history guides John Lewis in his call for impeachment inquiry

By Mary Curtis
Posted September 26, 2019 at 5:30am
Young people who are witnessing the effects of climate change in their own lifetimes should not be expected to move away from the fight, Curtis writes. Above, young climate activists rally in Washington on Sept. 13. (Nathan Ouellette/CQ Roll Call)

By writing off climate change, are Republicans writing off young voters?

By Mary Curtis
Posted September 19, 2019 at 6:00am
What President Donald Trump said about the congressional district of Rep. Elijah Cummings is simplistic and ridiculously incomplete, writes Curtis, who called West Baltimore home. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The Baltimore that raised me is America too

By Mary Curtis
Posted August 1, 2019 at 6:30am
On the Democratic side, there's diversity of age, race, gender and point of view. On the Republican side stands one man — and his besotted party, Curtis writes.

As Democrats line up to debate, the GOP is regressing

By Mary Curtis
Posted June 20, 2019 at 6:30am
Thom Tillis’ Senate re-election campaign captures the state of play in North Carolina, Curtis writes. The Republican is sticking with the president, while his office churns out releases showing a more bipartisan side. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

North Carolina’s Republican Party is having an identity crisis

By Mary Curtis
Posted June 13, 2019 at 6:00am
Surprised that Trump’s bizarre foray into officiating a horse race barely caused a ripple while more pressing matters await? We have always been a country that compartmentalizes, Curtis writes. Above, spectators watch the Kentucky Derby on May 4. (Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

An American credo: Justice for some, especially the four-legged

By Mary Curtis
Posted May 9, 2019 at 5:00am
There are too many Democratic presidential contenders to count, but primary voters aren’t throwing in the towel just yet, Curtis writes. When Beto O’Rourke made his Southern swing last weekend, supporters took the time to explain why he stands out from the field. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

For serious primary voters, the parade of Democratic candidates is no joke

By Mary Curtis
Posted April 17, 2019 at 5:00am
House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, left, and ranking member Doug Collins both condemned white nationalism Tuesday. But the hearing quickly devolved into a shameful spectacle, Curtis writes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

When a hate crimes hearing goes very wrong, something’s not right in America

By Mary Curtis
Posted April 10, 2019 at 4:07pm
Political partisans have twisted Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech to suit their 2019 conservative agendas, until “content of their character” means whatever they want it to, Curtis writes. (AP file photo)

Does the ‘content of their character’ still matter in the 2020 race?

By Mary Curtis
Posted April 4, 2019 at 5:01am
Oprah Winfrey arrives with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in the press room during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Opinion: Why Oprah in 2020 Is Both Blessing and Curse for Trump and the GOP

By Mary Curtis
Posted January 8, 2018 at 2:12pm
As the GOP takes a victory lap after their big tax bill win, voters are looking elsewhere, Curtis writes.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Opinion: Thinking Small When the Big Picture Looks Cloudy

By Mary Curtis
Posted December 21, 2017 at 5:03am
Rep. Robert Pittenger’s new heavy-handed ad makes one wonder which constituents the North Carolina Republican will serve, Curtis writes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Opinion: Will Tax Bill Open Church Doors Wider Still for Politics?

By Mary Curtis
Posted November 30, 2017 at 5:02am
Partisanship has affected the way people view the Alabama Senate race featuring Republican Roy Moore, who is facing allegations of sexual misconduct, Curtis writes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Opinion: When Holiday Values Meet Policy, It May Be Awkward

By Mary Curtis
Posted November 22, 2017 at 3:30pm
Recy Taylor (Courtesy “The Rape of Recy Taylor”/Augusta Films)

Opinion: Remembering Recy Taylor and the Too Familiar State of Alabama

By Mary Curtis
Posted November 16, 2017 at 5:02am
Sens. Charles E. Grassley and Richard J. Durbin sponsored a bipartisan bill that would reduce mandatory sentences for low-level drug offenders. (Bill Clark/Roll Call)

Opinion: Working Around Trump on Issues That Matter

By Mary Curtis
Posted October 19, 2017 at 5:02am
Voters arrive to cast their ballots at Cheyenne High School in North Las Vegas on Election Day in November. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Opinion: Democracy — With Big Brother in the Voting Booth

By Mary Curtis
Posted July 5, 2017 at 5:31pm
President Donald Trump changes positions and contradicts himself while Republicans scramble to defend him, Mary C. Curtis writes. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Opinion: What Exactly Do Republicans Believe in Besides Trump?

By Mary Curtis
Posted June 8, 2017 at 5:03am
Congressional districts in North Carolina were too racially driven even for a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives, Mary C. Curtis writes. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Opinion: Democrats May Be Too Optimistic About 2018 Gains

By Mary Curtis
Posted May 25, 2017 at 5:03am
President Donald Trump continued to claim the investigation into Russia and the circumstances of his firing James B. Comey are a witch hunt. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Opinion: Trump Policies on Voting and Criminal Justice Quietly Move Country Backward

By Mary Curtis
Posted May 18, 2017 at 5:03am
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has criticized videos that reveal police conduct more than the conduct itself, Mary C. Curtis writes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Opinion: Jeff Sessions-Style Policing Makes Everyone Less Safe

By Mary Curtis
Posted April 6, 2017 at 5:02am
Democratic leaders such as Charles E. Schumer and Nancy Pelosi may be celebrating the GOP’s recent health care debacle, but they need to focus on making sure that Americans know what they stand for, Curtis writes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Opinion: Not So Fast, Democrats. You Had a Good Day, but Now What?

By Mary Curtis
Posted March 30, 2017 at 5:04am
The rise of President Donald Trump has exposed a few cracks in the long-standing relationship between white evangelical Protestants and the Republican Party, Curtis writes. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images file photo)

Opinion: The GOP and White Evangelicals — A Forever Match?

By Mary Curtis
Posted March 16, 2017 at 12:05am
Despite the success of “Hidden Figures,” we are still far from a time when people of color and women play more than token roles in the telling of the nation’s history, Curtis writes. (Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox)

Black History Month Lessons for ‘Trump World’

By Mary Curtis
Posted February 2, 2017 at 5:00am
Left to right: Tommy and Debbie George marched at the Women’s March in Charlotte, N.C., with their friend Mary Lou Buck. (Mary C. Curtis/CQ Roll Call)

Message from Charlotte: Revolution Starts at Home

By Mary Curtis
Posted January 21, 2017 at 7:30pm
President-elect Donald Trump (L) talks after a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama (R) in the Oval Office Nov. 10. Trump on Wednesday slammed Obama and said a smooth transition is not possible. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images file photo)

Obama and Trump: Two Presidents, Same God

By Mary Curtis
Posted January 19, 2017 at 5:00am
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial memorial, a tribute to the civil rights leader, is located on the Tidal Basin. (Tom Williams/Roll Call)

What Would Martin Luther King Jr. Think of Obama, Followed by Trump?

By Mary Curtis
Posted January 11, 2017 at 5:06pm
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s rise through the GOP ranks has been part savvy, part timing and a bit of luck, writes Mary C. Curtis. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Nikki Haley, Once a Trump Foe, Moves to the Front of the Line

By Mary Curtis
Posted November 23, 2016 at 4:53pm