WASHINGTON -- The democratic world is burning, and we have a president obsessed with a purely symbolic, trivial, and politically manipulative fight over a wall -- a giant piece of concrete that he laughably promised would be paid for by Mexico. You can surely be entertained by President Trump's encounter Tuesday with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. At … [Read more...] about Don’t just laugh at Trump’s fecklessness
Brexit rooted more in elite politics than mass resentment
Craig Parsons, University of Oregon Thirty months after the British voted to exit the European Union, or the EU, nobody knows where Brexit will end up. Champions of the exit hoped to free themselves from the EU’s constraints – especially requirements for open migration from Europe – while maintaining access to its vast market. This proved impossible to negotiate with the … [Read more...] about Brexit rooted more in elite politics than mass resentment
Cartoon: Nancy Boy
Emergency! It’s time for Trump to fabricate another crisis!
WASHINGTON -- Robert Mueller is circling, recessionary clouds are building, and Democrats are rising to power. For President Trump, this can mean only one thing: It's time to fabricate a new crisis. And that's exactly what he's doing. Trump summoned Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi to the Oval Office on Tuesday for what was supposed to be a negotiating session about border … [Read more...] about Emergency! It’s time for Trump to fabricate another crisis!
Wisconsin GOP’s power grab is a danger to democracy
The Wisconsin State Capitol. Wikipedia/RAHurd, CC BY-SA Christopher Beem, Pennsylvania State University In Wisconsin, Democratic candidates won the 2018 elections for governor and attorney general. But the Republican-controlled legislature quickly introduced and passed lame-duck legislation that takes power away from these incoming officeholders … [Read more...] about Wisconsin GOP’s power grab is a danger to democracy
Cartoon: Nancy Pelosi Tinkle Contest With Trump Skunk
Democracy Equals Chaos
There has been no period in the past where the fate of democracy has been so uncertain, with so many democratic nations fighting disorder and chaos within their borders. In virtually every democratic state, a large percentage of citizens are dissatisfied with the workings of democracy, with populism and autocratic regimes preferred. America itself is divided into warring tribes … [Read more...] about Democracy Equals Chaos
Trump vs. Mueller: A Study in Contrasts
Both men come from wealthy, privileged families. Both were “raised in rare comfort.” Both men “attended elite all-male private schools, were accomplished high school athletes and went on to Ivy League colleges…” Both men “rose to positions of enormous authority…” But that’s pretty much where the similarities, as described in the Washington Post, end. Ironically, … [Read more...] about Trump vs. Mueller: A Study in Contrasts
We Need to Tackle the Daunting State of Our Country’s Elder Care
As the baby boomer generation ages, the need for caregivers to support the aging population increases. Traditionally, family members of elderly individuals in need of care stepped up to the plate. However, a changing economy has rendered it difficult, even impossible, for children of boomers to tackle care-giving and employment responsibilities simultaneously. Many Americans … [Read more...] about We Need to Tackle the Daunting State of Our Country’s Elder Care
The Republican Election Fraud that Trump Refuses to Tweet About
In case you're wondering why you should care about a scandal-ridden House race in North Carolina - the last race on the midterm calendar that has yet to be decided - I'll simply quote congressional expert Molly Reynolds, who's based at the Brookings think tank in Washington: "Fundamentally, all Americans have a stake in ensuring that our elections are conducted fairly and that … [Read more...] about The Republican Election Fraud that Trump Refuses to Tweet About
Dazed and Confused
The current media firestorm surrounding the alleged murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi assassination team in their Turkish consulate is partially a reaction to the confused state of American foreign policy. Khashoggi, born in Saudi Arabia and living in the United States, was a fierce critic of the Saudi regime. The CIA has verified from taped … [Read more...] about Dazed and Confused
The perfect cover letter for aspiring White House chiefs of staff
WASHINGTON -- I awoke on Monday to find myself in complete agreement with President Trump. "Democrats can't find a Smocking Gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia after James Comey's testimony," he tweeted, repeating that there is "No Smocking Gun." This is true! Though Trump appears to be in considerable legal trouble, no one investigating the president is believed to … [Read more...] about The perfect cover letter for aspiring White House chiefs of staff
Cartoon: Hatch Act
Trump, a Grand Master at his game
As a student in the med school, I had found a way to control my viva exam. I would answer and steer the question asked to a territory I knew well, and the follow-up question would then often be from this area and so on. Trump is a Grand Master of controlling the discourse. Right in the middle of all his brewing legal troubles, he changes the headlines to an ugly meeting with … [Read more...] about Trump, a Grand Master at his game
Are Congressional Democrats Correct About Climate?
Are congressional Democrats correct about the state of the Earth's climate? Before answering that question, let's review the facts from the settled science. 1 - The climate has been changing for as long as there has been a climate. 2 - The climate would be changing even if Humans never existed. 3 - Global warming is inevitable because the Sun is growing brighter. … [Read more...] about Are Congressional Democrats Correct About Climate?
Duty, Honor, Country and ‘All That’
“Duty, Honor, Country.” How often do we read or hear those words “thrown around” lightly? How about heroism and heroes – words which this author perhaps uses too “loosely” and too frequently, but the use of which he defends. I listened to a story recently on National Public Radio (NPR) wherein the young sailor involved deserves every one of those accolades, and … [Read more...] about Duty, Honor, Country and ‘All That’
What has the president been ‘smocking’?
WASHINGTON -- President Trump was up early Monday morning, tweeting falsely that investigators have found "No Smocking Gun" that proves he did anything wrong. He meant "smoking," of course. His vision must be clouded by the haze. In a sentencing memorandum for the president's one-time personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, federal prosecutors in Manhattan wrote Friday that Cohen … [Read more...] about What has the president been ‘smocking’?
AMERICA: MURDER BY SUICIDE
“My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over ... Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule. But there is a higher Power, by whatever name we honor him, who ordains not only righteousness but love, not only justice but mercy.” - Gerald Ford in his 1974 swearing in speech. One of the most … [Read more...] about AMERICA: MURDER BY SUICIDE
Will Orange Be the New Orange?
According to latest filings in the Michael Cohen case, the Southern District of New York prosecutors have determined that the evidence shows that the man who would be FEPOTUS (Future Ex-President of the United States) directed Cohen to pay hush money to cover up one of his affairs to keep it from the voting public. That’s a felony. Although he deserves to be prosecuted, it’s … [Read more...] about Will Orange Be the New Orange?
Are Republicans abandoning democracy?
WASHINGTON -- Especially after last week's court filings in the ongoing investigations of President Trump, his critics have good reason to focus on the threats he poses to democracy and the rule of law. But the president is not alone in his party. In case after case, Republicans have demonstrated an eagerness to undercut democracy and tilt the rules of the game if doing so … [Read more...] about Are Republicans abandoning democracy?