It should be quite easy to get things right in a short, 150-word letter. Well, I didn’t. I had one thing wrong and another thing horribly wrong in a letter to the New York Times editor some seven years ago. But first some background. Back in April 2011, Gail Collins, a renowned author and columnist at the New York Times, wrote what some may call a scathing op-ed on the … [Read more...] about What I Got Wrong About Donald Trump – and About the American Electorate — Seven Years Ago
Tuna: A Bright Future or ‘Sorry, Charlie’?
Tyrades! by Danny Tyree I'm a big fan of comfort foods, but a recent headline made me feel decidedly uncomfortable. "Tuna seeks return to salad days," blared the Wall Street Journal. To my dismay, once-ubiquitous canned tuna has fallen upon hard times. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, per capita consumption dropped 42 percent between 1986 and … [Read more...] about Tuna: A Bright Future or ‘Sorry, Charlie’?
White nationalist groups are really street gangs, and law enforcement needs to treat them that way
Matthew Valasik, Louisiana State University and Shannon Reid, University of North Carolina – Charlotte Law enforcement has a classification problem, and it’s making America more dangerous. For the last two decades, local police and the FBI have categorized the criminal activities of white power groups as isolated incidents or hate-related. We believe that’s wrong and … [Read more...] about White nationalist groups are really street gangs, and law enforcement needs to treat them that way
Cartoon: Trump and MBS
George H.W. Bush’s funeral was a powerful renunciation of Trump
WASHINGTON -- George Herbert Walker Bush, before his death, said he wanted President Trump to attend his funeral, a generous gesture that forgave the cavalcade of insults that Trump has rained on the Bush family. It was a final show of the sound judgment Bush exercised in life. Trump's name was mentioned not once by the four eulogists at Washington National Cathedral on … [Read more...] about George H.W. Bush’s funeral was a powerful renunciation of Trump
New Recipes for Stealing Elections
We know there’s hostility between our two political parties with conflict that’s beyond the pale, but the GOP has really gone over the top in finding ways to steal elections from the Democrats. I’m not even referencing the Trump debacle where it seems more and more likely that the Russians weighed in to help Putin’s buddy Donald win the presidential election to control … [Read more...] about New Recipes for Stealing Elections
Before He Was ‘Kinder, Gentler,’ Poppy Bush Pioneered TV Ad Lies
Thirty years ago at The Philadelphia Inquirer, in the early autumn of 1988, I was handed my first assignment as a political writer. The presidential candidates, Vice President George H. W. Bush and Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, were saturating the airwaves with campaign ads - to an extent never seen before - and I analyzed the imagery in a dozen articles. It was … [Read more...] about Before He Was ‘Kinder, Gentler,’ Poppy Bush Pioneered TV Ad Lies
You See Ten People Drowning. You Can Only Save One. What Do You Do?
This morning, a good friend sent me a video titled “Immigration, World Poverty and Gumballs.” The e-mail that included the video had as 'Subject,' “A Very Interesting Perspective,” and it was a very interesting perspective, but, in my opinion, not necessarily a correct or moral one. The video by Roy Beck -- author, journalist and the Founder, President and CEO of … [Read more...] about You See Ten People Drowning. You Can Only Save One. What Do You Do?
Make America Great Again in Memory of George H.W. Bush
George H.W. Bush made America great. This nation is no longer what it once was. We need to Make America Great Again. In his inaugural address on January 20, 1989, President Bush declared, America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler … [Read more...] about Make America Great Again in Memory of George H.W. Bush
G20 High Five (Cartoon, Column and Video)
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton told us Donald Trump is Putin’s puppet. She told us this during a debate with Trump, where, being so quick on his feet, Trump responded with, “you’re the puppet.” If his complicity to a foreign leader didn’t sway you from voting for him, then his inability to defend himself like an adult should have. Clinton was not the … [Read more...] about G20 High Five (Cartoon, Column and Video)
How Hanukkah came to America
In the United States, Hanukkah has gained much significance. Tercer Ojo Photography/Shutterstock.com Dianne Ashton, Rowan University Hanukkah may be the best known Jewish holiday in the United States. But despite its popularity in the U.S., Hanukkah is ranked one of Judaism’s minor festivals, and nowhere else does it garner such attention. The holiday … [Read more...] about How Hanukkah came to America
Cartoon: Oh Vlad
The virtues of a public-spirited patrician
George H.W. Bush was legendary for his thank-you notes. He wrote thousands of them, expressing appreciation for kindnesses large and small. When it came to his gratitude, no one was left behind. In light of the consequential life Bush lived, lifting up this habit might seem to accentuate the trivial. After all, he served bravely in one war and, as president, led his country … [Read more...] about The virtues of a public-spirited patrician
Oops! ABC News reveals inconvenient fact.
In an online story dated 1 December 2018, ABC News reveals an inconvenient fact. Here is the paragraph in which the fact appears: "But McFarlane and other experts in Virginia said they don't need predictive models to know that sea levels are rising and flooding has gotten worse in their area. Residents already experience more days of flooding every year due to outdated … [Read more...] about Oops! ABC News reveals inconvenient fact.
Why we’ll miss George H.W. Bush, America’s last foreign policy president
Unlike every president who followed him, George H.W. Bush had a background in foreign policy. In 1972, Bush was serving as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. AP Photo/Dave Pickoff James Goldgeier, American University School of International Service There are many reasons to miss George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States. A World War II hero, … [Read more...] about Why we’ll miss George H.W. Bush, America’s last foreign policy president
Cartoon: Bush League
Email Clay Jones at [email protected] … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Bush League
NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES
How has America arrived at the point where our president may have been extorted by a hostile foreign power to craft a foreign policy that seeks to subvert congressional sanctions, alienate our NATO allies, and threaten our national security? And how do we explain a Republican Congress that appears to be participating in a coverup for this president while … [Read more...] about NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES
Annie at The 5th Avenue Theatre: A Not So Cynical Review
A musical that repeatedly proports “the sun will come out tomorrow” seems appropriate for audiences used to perpetually cloudy, dark, rain-slogged Pacific Northwest winters. Consequently, Annie finds itself back in Seattle once again championing the infectiously optimistic, dare I say escapist, mantra that “tomorrow there will be sun.” Despite my preconceived cynical … [Read more...] about Annie at The 5th Avenue Theatre: A Not So Cynical Review
George H. W. Bush: A Life of Distinguished Service to the Nation (UPDATED)
UPDATE: This morning on ABC’s “This Week,” George Stephanopoulos along with former secretaries of state James A. Baker III and Colin L. Powell reflected on the life of George H. W. Bush. All three paid eloquent and memorable tribute to our 41st President. I would like to selectively focus on some of Colin Powell's words in the context of the political nightmare our … [Read more...] about George H. W. Bush: A Life of Distinguished Service to the Nation (UPDATED)
President George H. W. Bush Dies
Former President George H.W. Bush has died at the age of 94, only a few months after the death of his wife Barbara. No official cause of death has been announced yet, it looks like the funeral will be on Wednesday According to a tweet from a Bush family spokesman, his final words were directed to his son George, saying "I love you too" Tributes have been flowing in all … [Read more...] about President George H. W. Bush Dies