ICAR In The News
NEW! ICAR News Network: Current Analysis by Conflict Specialists
The ICAR News Network is a new online forum featuring current analysis by conflict specialists at George Mason University’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. The forum addresses some the world’s most salient and intractable conflicts and provides critical next steps for constructive engagement. CLICK HERE
NEW! Analyze This! ICAR's Audio Podcast Talk-Show
Analyze This! is a weekly audio program hosted by the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, providing in-depth analysis in talk-show format of current and complex conflicts. The show launches in fall 2008. CLICK HERE
Crime and the Economy are Directly Related
By Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Candidate
(Financial Times, September 5, 2008)
Sir, In an apparent editorial about-face ("Crime and the credit crunch", September 2), you claim that larger police forces and harsher prison sentences are responsible for lower levels of crime and that the link between economic growth and crime is weak. This is hardly consistent with previous editorials - which I heartily endorse - prescribing economic development as an effective soft-power means of reducing violence in places like Afghanistan. READ MORE
Drill Here, Drill Now? No: Sustainability Lies Elsewhere
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Candidate, and US Rep. Jim Moran (R-VA)
(Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 30, 2008)
To drill or not to drill, that is the question. But is it? Offshore oil reserves, once online -- a feat that would come long after the new president's first term -- will garner less than three years of supply. Drilling in Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge will surface even less. When the U.S. supplies 3 percent of the world's oil reserves but demands 25 percent, short-term fixes will invariably make for insufficient long-lasting solutions. READ MORE
Jerusalem Post Features ICAR Professor Marc Gopin
By Abe Selig
(Jerusalem Post, August 26, 2008)
Sitting in the shade near the Trappist Monastery vineyards at Latrun on Tuesday, Khaled Abu Awwad reflected on his time in an Israeli prison, and how he came to peach the values of peace as opposed to those of war. "I think that pursuing peace takes more courage, more strength even, than fighting," Abu Awwad said. "To take all of those emotions, that anger and suspicion, and control it, to be able to sit down with your enemy and look him in the eye - that's much more challenging than fighting him. Fighting is your first reaction, it's natural." READ MORE
Mason Gazette Features ICAR Students Nicole Goodrich and Idil Izmirli
By Nick Walker
(Mason Gazette, August 25, 2008)
This year, 1,450 Americans - six of whom are Mason students or alumni - will travel abroad through the U.S. Fulbright Student Award.
The number of Mason scholars winning the Fulbright award continues to increase. One Mason scholar was selected in 2006, and three in 2007. READ MORE
The Lessons of the Russian-Georgian Conflict
By Susan Allen Nan, ICAR Professor
(New York Times, August 22, 2008)
“Cold Friends, Wrapped in Mink and Medals,” by Bill Keller (Week in Review, Aug. 17), says that Moscow and Beijing have forgotten to close the history books. Based on the American response to the fighting in Georgia, Washington should be added to that list. Washington has asserted unconditional friendship with President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, and snubbed Russia with the Poland missile treaty while labeling Russia an international pariah. Recent history shows that cold war thinking will secure neither people nor pipelines. READ MORE
Future for Ossetia
By Susan Allen Nan, ICAR Professor
(The Guardian, August 20, 2008)
Bravo for Max Hastings' acknowledgement of the Russians' need for respect and the pragmatism of taking their needs into account (Comment, August 18). What would such an approach mean for South Ossetia? Rather than being stuck to the positions of old lines on territorial integrity that the US drew in the sand long ago, we could engage freely in creative thinking to develop new relationships that meet each country's need for security - and also for access to oil pipelines. Can you imagine a Caucasus Community developing into a Caucasus Union? READ MORE
Can We Envisage and Build a Peaceful Caucasus?
By Susan Allen Nan, ICAR Professor
(Financial Times, August 19, 2008)
From Dr Susan Allen Nan. Sir, An elderly woman in Gori, quoted in your report "Medvedev sets deadline for troop withdrawal" (FT.com August 17), asks: "What will happen here?" That question offers a wiser focus than the reactive conflict escalation demonstrated by Georgian, South Ossetian and Russian forces, and by the inflammatory US rhetoric of the past nine days. The Georgian-Russian war and history of Georgian-South Ossetian clashes demonstrate that military means will not resolve this conflict. Over the long term, nobody will win the current battles; no one group can sustain power over the others. READ MORE
The War in Georgia
By Susan Allen Nan, ICAR Professor
(Washington Post, August 19, 2008)
Having visited Tskhinvali several times in the past decade as a scholar and practitioner of conflict resolution, I sorrowfully view the outbreak of war between Georgia and Russia as the classic and all-too-familiar escalation of conflict. While my Georgian, South Ossetian and Russian friends suffer the terrors of war, I hope that we who are far removed from the fighting and its humanitarian consequences can recognize this catastrophe as a wake-up call. Nobody wins when we follow the traditional trajectory of conflict escalation, trying to impose a political settlement by force. The old way of seeking power over others simply does not work in today's interdependent world. READ MORE
FOX News Interviews ICAR Professor Susan Allen Nan
By Steve Chenevey
(FOX 5 Morning News, August 18, 2008)
Susan Allen Nan, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University on Fox News 5 DC, speaking about the ceasefire between Russia and Georgia and the agreed pullout of Russian troops. Nan laments the revived cold war mentality that power and military means can solve these problems. She envisions a future where the needs of all of the parties and considered and addressed multilaterally and peaceably. Interview conducted on August 18th, 2008. WATCH BROADCAST
CTV News Interviews ICAR PhD Student Michael Shank
By Jacqueline Milczarek
(CTV News, August 18, 2008)
Michael Shank, a conflict analyst with the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, discusses the resignation of Pakistan's President Musharraf. Shank attributes Musharraf's ouster to his extreme unpopularity among the people of Pakistan and their disapproval of the close alliance with the U.S. and its War on Terror. He suggests that the United States should change tack and support the platform of the opposition parties in negotiating with tribal leaders, providing much needed economic development, investing in educational infrastructure, and supporting the nonviolent leadership of the Northwest Frontier Province's political parties. Interview conducted by Jacqueline Milczarek on August 18th, 2008. Video courtesy of CTV. WATCH BROADCAST
Al Jazeera Interviews ICAR Professor Susan Allen Nan
(Al Jazeera, August 17, 2008)
Susan Allen Nan, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University on Al Jazeera English commenting on the Russia-Georgia and the limits of the American approach of unconditional support for Georgian President Saakashvili. Nan observes that a more constructive and influential approach would have to consider then needs and interests of all the people on the ground. Interview conducted on August 17th, 2008. Video courtesy of Al Jazeera English. WATCH BROADCAST
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Dennis Sandole
By Jacqueline Milczarek
(CTV News, August 17, 2008)
Dennis Sandole, Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University on CTV commenting on the Russia-Georgia crisis and the responses from French President Sarkozy, Germany's Angela Merkel, the United States, Poland, and NATO. Sandole offers alternate security frames which are inclusive, rather than exclusive. Interview conducted by Jacqueline Milczarek on August 17th, 2008. Video courtesy of CTV. WATCH BROADCAST
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Scott Laurie
(CTV News, August 16, 2008)
Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, on CTV after the appearance of McCain and Obama at the Civil Forum hosted by evangelical leader Rick Warren. Simmons notes that values issues important to evangelicals are shifting to include things like the economy and observes the significance of Obama's admission that evil does exists. Interview conducted by Scott Laurie on August 16th, 2008. Video courtesy of CTV. WATCH BROADCAST
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Jacqueline Milczarek
(CTV News, August 14, 2008)
[Television Interview, CTV News, August 14, 2008] Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, on CTV discusses the effect of Oprah Winfrey's support for Obama's campaign and the signals she sends to voters, particularly those that would not have participated otherwise. Simmons also examines the significant role that Hillary Clinton will have at the convention and John McCain's strong response to the crisis in Georgia. Interview conducted by Jacqueline Milczarek on August 14th, 2008. Video courtesy of CTV. WATCH BROADCAST
KLAA 830 AM Radio Interviews ICAR Professor Dennis Sandole
By Brian Oxman and Kathryn Milofsky
(KLAA, August 13, 2008)
Dennis Sandole, professor of conflict resolution and international relations at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, is interviewed on KLAA's Insight radio program regarding conflict between Georgia and Russia. Sandole talks about the conflict's current dynamics, its impacts on US-Russia relations, cold war residue, the role of natural resources (oil) in fueling this conflict, and potential ways in which the conflict can be managed. LISTEN TO INTERVIEW
US News & World Report Features ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Katherine Skiba
(USNWR, August 12, 2008)
Twenty-year-old Doug Massengill grew up poor, raised by grandparents in a rural enclave in North Carolina, a state that hasn't picked a Democrat for president since Jimmy Carter first ran in 1976. Today, the North Caro-lina State University junior is pounding the pavement for Barack Obama, defying familial Republican roots and persuading peers to register to vote and give Barack Obama the nod. "He really represents the promise of the younger generation," Massengill says. This southern state is crowded with almost a half-million college and university students, and Massengill is convinced that if he can lure them to the polls, "North Carolina is Barack Obama's to win." READ MORE
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Dan Matheson
(CTV News, August 11, 2008)
Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, on CTV discussing Nader's candidacy in the context of the American political left. Simmons also comments on the negative turn the McCain campaign has taken by invoking celebrity and gender by using Paris Hilton, as well as the subdued responses of President Bush and both of the major candidates to the war between Russia and Georgia. WATCH BROADCAST
Global Peace Index Ranking Doesn't Flatter the U.S.
By Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student, and US Rep. Gregory Meeks
(Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 10, 2008)
In the tradition of politically charged Olympics of the past, the 2008 summer games in Beijing have become an arena to contest some of the world's most egregious conflicts. From concerns over China's crackdown on Tibetan rights to the country's slothful response vis-a-vis Darfur, government and business leaders alike are seizing the opportunity to wage political proxy wars, with the aim of using sport to influence China's handling of human rights and genocide. READ MORE
Ethiopia: Domestic and Regional Challenges
By Terrence Lyons, ICAR Professor
(CSIS Africa Policy Forum, August 7, 2008)
Ethiopia is becoming increasingly authoritarian and potentially faces a convergence of challenges that will stretch the regime’s capacity to manage multiple crises. The ruling Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) party weathered the immediate domestic crises that followed contentious national elections in 2005. Non-competitive local elections in April and the promulgation of a draft proclamation to restrict civil society organizations in July indicate that the regime is intent on deepening its control. Across the strife-torn Horn of Africa, Addis Ababa faces an extraordinarily tense and militarized border with Eritrea as the debilitated Algiers peace process that brought their 1998-2000 war to an end has collapsed. READ MORE
Brownback's Hypocrisy
By Paul Snodgrass, ICAR MS Alumnus
(The Hill, August 5, 2008)
Should the Chinese listen to Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) when he condemns them for planning to spy on the Internet traffic of visitors to Beijing for the Olympics? (article, “Senators want IOC to reverse Olympic censorship deal,” July 31.) Brownback surrendered his credentials as a defender of privacy rights when he voted in support of the USA Patriot Act, and more recently, for FISA reform legislation, which granted immunity to telecom companies that unlawfully shared their customers’ private information with the government. READ MORE
Development Objectives Outweigh National Security Interests
By Marci Moberg, ICAR M.S. Student
(CSIS Forum, August 4, 2008)
Increasing pressure to focus U.S. development assistance primarily on U.S. national security interests misunderstands the original objectives of development assistance and will ultimately risk our personnel and national security.When Congress signed the Foreign Assistance Act in 1961, the focus and objectives of U.S. development assistance were born.When Congress signed the Foreign Assistance Act in 1961, the focus and objectives of U.S. development assistance were born. READ MORE
Mason Gazette Features ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By James Greif
(Mason Gazette, August 4, 2008)
A new study from a Mason researcher finds that professors who adopt an attitude that is often disparagingly called "politically correct" are as tolerant and fair-minded as those who do not, even if they differ over what they think political life demands of a scholar.
The study, titled "Ascriptive Justice: The Prevalence, Distribution and Consequences of Political Correctness in the Academy," was published in the June 2008 issue of the academic journal the Forum. READ MORE
Female Suicide Bombers
By Julie Shedd, ICAR PhD Student
(International Herald Tribune, July 31, 2008)
Regarding the article "Female suicide bombers kill 48 in Iraq" (July 28): Why are we still shocked by female suicide bombers? We express shock that women could engage in that much violence, but history shows us that women are as capable of indiscriminate violence as men. Female suicide bombers have been with us since the 1980s and have shown how effective female human bombs can be in Sri Lanka, Chechnya and the Middle East. If women can go into combat for the United States military why is it so difficult to understand that they can also be on the front lines of a radical cause? READ MORE
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Dennis Sandole
By Dan Matheson
(CTV News, July 30, 2008)
Dennis Sandole, Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University on CTV responding to the nationalist protests against the arrest of Radovan Karadzic. Sandole discusses the reason that Serbian leaders have been the focus of the International Criminal Tribunal on the former Yugoslavia and stresses the need for processes beyond trials and prosecutions to help bring about constructive change in Serbia. WATCH BROADCAST
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Dennis Sandole
By Jacqueline Milczarek
(CTV News, July 27, 2008)
Dennis Sandole, Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University on CTV responding to the arrest of Karadzic, a Serbian nationalist who faces charges of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Sandole highlights the role of identity politics and history to explain the timing of this arrest, the lingering support for nationalists like Karadzic, and the bravery of leaders trying to move the country away from its troubled past. WATCH BROADCAST
Inside Higher Ed Features ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Scott Jaschik
(Insider Higher Ed, July 25, 2008)
A major new study of the political correctness of faculty members may challenge assumptions all around. For those who deny that there is an identifiable group of PC professors, the study says that there is in fact a group with consistently common perspectives, largely based on their views of discrimination (that it exists and matters). But for those who say that these tenured radicals have all the power in academe, the study finds that politically correct professors’ views on the role of politics in hiring decisions aren’t very different from the views of other professors. READ MORE
Canada AM Interviews ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Seamus O'Regan
(CTV News, July 25, 2008)
Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, on Canada AM discussing Obama's Berlin speech to over 200,000 Germans. Simmons comments on the increase in global engagement that Obama's foreign policy promises and describes the candidate's aptitude as a pre-persuader, framing events in such a way as to create new realities. WATCH BROADCAST
Game Emblematic of Party Politics
By Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student
(Roll Call, July 23, 2008)
[Published, Roll Call, July 23, 2008] Last week's 47th Annual Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park, between the Republicans and the Democrats, could not have been more emblematic of the state of American party politics ("GOP Wins Trophy in Nail-Biter," July 18). That the Republicans won for the eighth straight year, taking 11 of the last 12 games, is not insignificant. Despite this year’s nail-biter, the recent record implies that Republicans know how to do "America" - in this case, baseball, a favorite American pastime - much better than the Democrats. READ MORE
Mukasey's Disturbing View on Holding Gitmo Detainees
By Ross Gearllach, ICAR M.S. Student
(The Hill, July 23, 2008)
Attorney General Michael Mukasey’s recent request that Congress act to allow the government to hold prisoners without the ability to challenge their imprisonment betrays a disturbing level of carelessness on the part of the attorney general (article, “Mukasey urges Congress to act on Gitmo detainees,” July 21). READ MORE
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Kate Wheeler
(CTV News, July 21, 2008)
Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, on CTV discussing the reception of presidential candidate Barack Obama in Iraq and Afghanistan. Simmons says that the citizens of former colonies like Afghanistan and Iraq are aware that Obama has a chance to become the first person of African descent to lead a great power. Simmons also discussed McCain's response to Obama's trip and the upcoming selection of running-mates. Interview conducted by Kate Wheeler on July 21st, 2008. Video courtesy of CTV. WATCH BROADCAST
US Needs to Take Lead on Reducing Emissions
By Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student
(USA Today, July 14, 2008)
That China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa nudged the richer G8 nations to "take the lead in achieving … greenhouse gas emissions reductions" is entirely appropriate, despite the fact that it flies in the face of American finger-pointing ("Bush lauds G-8 leaders for work on environment, trade issues," USATODAY.com, July 9). U.S. leaders have long launched assaults on China's and India's inaction, claiming that Asia's giants contribute more carbon than America. READ MORE
Larger Meaning of 'Use it or Lose it'
By Michael Shank, ICAR Ph.D. Student
(The Hill, July 10, 2008)
That Congress is pressuring oil companies to "use it or lose it" on public lands is understandable enough given constituent discontent with rocketing petrol prices (article, "Energy bill out of gas," July 8). But this narrow and nebulous agenda is near-sighted for two reasons. READ MORE
CTV News Features ICAR PhD Student Michael Shank
By Dan Matheson
(CTV News, July 9, 2008)
Michael Shank, a conflict analyst with the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, discusses Iran's recent missile tests in an atmosphere of heightened rhetoric and earlier military demonstrations by the US and Israel. Shank advocates for high level diplomacy, calling for a repeat of the the recent diplomatic successes achieved on North Korea's nuclear program. Interview conducted by Dan Matheson on July 9th, 2008. Video courtesy of CTV.WATCH BROADCAST
Reconciliation in Rwanda: Building Peace Through Dialogue
By
Vanessa Noël Brown, ICAR M.S. Alumna
(Conflict Trends Magazine, Issue 1, 2008)
Facilitated dialogue in the aftermath of a national
conflict can counteract otherwise destructive debates
and promote reconciliation. Through the thoughtfully
orchestrated use of dialogue, there is cause for optimism
that Rwanda can reposition its narrative, filled
with cycles of interethnic violence, to become one of
Africa’s 21st century success stories. Dialogue is being
used in various forms throughout the country, from
formal discussion clubs to academic conferences, to
help Rwandans strengthen national unity and equality. READ MORE
New York Times Features ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Patricia Cohen
(New York Times, July 3, 2008)
When Michael Olneck was standing, arms linked with other protesters, singing “We Shall Not Be Moved” in front of Columbia University’s library in 1968, Sara Goldrick-Rab had not yet been born. When he won tenure at the University of Wisconsin here in 1980, she was 3. And in January, when he retires at 62, Ms. Goldrick-Rab will be just across the hall, working to earn a permanent spot on the same faculty from which he is departing. READ MORE
High-Level Engagement by US and UK is Needed vis a vis Iran
By Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student
(Financial Times, July 1, 2008)
Sir, Let us for a moment consider the merits of engagement ("A very small step: Pyongyang's nuclear declaration is no breakthrough", editorial, June 27). Three successes in 2008 are particularly salient and worth citing. US ambassador Christopher Hill's persistent diplomatic penetration of North Korea's notorious and noxious isolationism has finally unearthed some tractable - and previously conflict-ridden - landscape. READ MORE
Liberal Persuasions
By Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student
(Economist, June 28, 2008)
I attended the recent conference on Islam in Kuala Lumpur and can confirm that the Dutch preference for pre-empting religious flare-ups was well expounded not only by a Dutch lawyer, Famile Fatma Arslan, whom you mentioned, but also by an adviser to the Dutch foreign ministry (“When religions talk”, June 14th). While groups like the Organisation of the Islamic Conference prefer legal methods to limit “defamation of religion”, the Dutch approach leans less on law and more on an astute use of early-warning mechanisms to avoid social tensions. READ MORE
New Treaty for Iran and Israel
By Marc Gopin, ICAR Professor
(Middle East Times, June 25, 2008)
It is often said in the Arab world that the road to Jerusalem goes through Washington, with the implicit assumption that only the Americans can bring the Israelis to the negotiating table. But there is a distinctly different dynamic emerging from the waning days of the U.S. presidency of George W. Bush. The road to Washington may in fact pass through Jerusalem. READ MORE
Toronto Star Features ICAR Professor Kevin Avruch
By Olivia Ward
(Toronto Star, June 22, 2008)
Canada has embarked on a painful voyage of discovery through years of misery inflicted on aboriginal children who were forced into residential schools. The process of truth and reconciliation has also connected us with the dark histories of other countries throughout the world, in a collective memory of injustice and hope for healing old wounds. READ MORE
Campus Radicals: A New Muslim Student Group Tries to Rouse the Moderates
By Jana El Horr, ICAR PhD Student, and Sana Saeed, ICAR MS Alumna
(Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2008)
The school year that just ended brought to the fore a couple of controversies over Muslim students on U.S. campuses. The University of Michigan announced in the fall that it would be spending $25,000 on footbaths for Muslim students. In the spring, Harvard's decision to provide women-only gym hours to accommodate some members of the campus Islamic society sparked debate in the ivory tower and beyond. Yet away from the often-harsh media glare, a profound shift has begun across the country. READ MORE
Conference Cites a Growing Gap in Muslim-Western Relations
Michael Shank, ICAR PhD Student
(Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 17, 2008)
Last week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, suffering internal political setbacks and susceptible to overthrow by opposition, hosted a major tete-a-tete on the growing gap between the Muslim world and the West. The prime minister is a moderate; his agenda was laudable: to strategize sensible solutions to bridge the divide between Islam and countries considered quintessentially "western," with particular emphasis on the United States, the European Union, and Australia. READ MORE
Who Are the Real Friends of Israel?
By Marc Gopin, ICAR Professor
(Khaleej Times, June 14, 2008)
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), one of the most powerful lobby groups in the United States, just concluded its annual Washington conference. It drew a long line of administration officials and the presidential candidates to its doorsteps, all touting orthodox lines on what it means to be pro-Israel-messages carefully crafted to please the lobby. READ MORE
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Jacqueline Milczarek
(CTV News, June 7, 2008)
Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University on CTV following Hillary Clinton's suspension of her campaign and support for Obama. Simmons anticipates that Clinton's supporters will vote for Obama over McCain and observes that Obama is embracing a 50-state strategy or "Dean's Gambit." Interview conducted by Jacqueline Milczarek on June 7th, 2008. Video courtesy of CTV. WATCH BROADCAST
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By
Marcia MacMillan
(CTV News, June 3, 2008)
Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University on CTV discussing the conclusion of the Democratic Primaries and Obama's apparent clinching of the nomination. Simmons analyzes the historic significance of this outcome, the role of the Clintons in the Democratic party, the need for Obama to tell the story about his relationship with Pastor Wright and Trinity, as well as potential running mates. Video courtesy of CTV. WATCH BROADCAST
CTV News Interviews ICAR Professor Solon Simmons
By Scott Laurie
(CTV News, May 31, 2008)
Solon Simmons, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University talking about the Democratic Party's decision on the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan. SImmons describes the process as a "smoke filled room without the smoke," suggesting that deals may be made and the outcomes are uncertain. Video courtesy of CTV. WATCH BROADCAST
