In his victory speech Tuesday night, Barack Obama told about a woman from Atlanta. "She is a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election," he said, "except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons, because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.  Read more

The 2008 presidential race has consumed the attention of the nation and true-blue Boston for nearly a year now, even though Barack Obama has dominated the polls locally. But the Reporter's temperamental seismograph is already picking up tremors from the election one year hence.  Read more

Boston politicians of an earlier generation - confident of their election day prowess and popular support - used to brag that City Hall workers would have to "weigh their votes" rather than just count 'em.  Read more

On September 22, less than a week after State Senator Dianne Wilkerson had lost the Democratic primary by 213 votes, dozens of supporters turned out for her at the Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Grove Hall.

They came, not to bury the senator, but to praise her.

Jessenia Castillo told how the senator used her own money to protect her from a threat of violence by making it possible for her to stay at a hotel.

Also giving thanks to the senator were two relatives of Milena Del Valle, who was killed in the collapse of a ceiling panel in a connector tunnel on the Big Dig.  Read more