Selections from the December 15, 2012 issue

COVER/Jake Blumgart
Vulture capitalism — not unions — killed Twinkies

EDITORIAL
Stop the Grand Con; Chinese credit 

BILL JOHNSTON
Why do Washington voters hate democracy?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

RURAL ROUTES/Margot McMillen
Time to provide the muscle behind the vote

DISPATCHES
Dems’ resistance to ‘entitlement’ cuts grows;
Teabaggers imagine last chance to oust Obama;
Unemployment insurance kept 2.3M jobless out of poverty;
Fla. GOP exes confess plot to suppress voting;
Worker unrest at Walmart;
US sees biggest abortion drop in decade;
Alt parties make their marks;
Special payments drive Postal Service losses;
Ten facts about the Postal Service;
Supreme Court won't stop cop recording;
Kos: GOP can't win Latinos;
GOP sees generation gap;
One-party rule expands in states ...
MARK ENGLER
After election: Time to stop settling for lesser evil

BOB BURNETT
Reappraising Obama

GRASSROOTS/Hank Kalet
More of the right kind of Socialism

HEALTH CARE/Joan Retsinas
The fed-up contingent: Drugs, prices and Beale

SAM URETSKY
Time to get serious about saving the planet
WAYNE O’LEARY
What we have (and haven’t) learned

JOHN BUELL
Inequality and climate change

DON ROLLINS
Pastoral politicking puts church-state in question

MARGIE BURNS
Eyeless in Gaza, shirtless in the FBI

MOVIE REVIEW/Jim Castagnera
‘Lincoln’ reminds of worthy causes
ROB PATTERSON
Post-political pop music

POPULIST PICKS

and more ...