In 1949, Sen. Joseph McCarthy arrived in Columbus, Ohio, to make a speech but within an hour allegedly was shooting craps. “It was a disgusting sight,” according to a source, “to see this great public servant down on his hands and knees, reeking of whiskey and shouting, ‘Come on babies, Papa needs a new pair […]
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Once again, Obama offers failed Democratic policies
I’m still waiting; waiting for someone to show me how laws stop a person intent on breaking them. Daily on the roads I see people breaking speed limits despite the possibility that cameras will catch them and send a ticket in the mail. In one of his last gasp efforts to “fundamentally change” America, President […]
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Deep schism among Republicans
WASHINGTON — The Donald Trump phenomenon ranks as the great political story of 2015 — and maybe 2016 — but could it simply be a subplot of a bigger story: what commentator David Frum, once a speechwriter for President George W. Bush, calls the Republican party’s “internal class war”? Yes, argues Frum. His thesis is […]
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The aftermath of al-Nimr’s execution
Saudi Arabia’s Jan. 2 execution of Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr ignited a diplomatic battle with Iran. The Saudis hoped it would. Iran’s attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran generated global headlines and reminded Americans of revolutionary Iran’s 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy. Now the Saudis have a chance to spotlight Iran’s increasingly […]
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Ending the gun lobby’s con game
WASHINGTON — The apologists for the weapons industry — they pass themselves off as the gun rights movement — demonstrate their intellectual bankruptcy by regularly contradicting themselves with a straight face. On the one hand, President Obama’s modest initiatives to keep guns out of the wrong hands are denounced as an outlandish abuse of his […]
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What happens when private money pays for science?
As a select few accumulate massive fortunes, two schools of thought vie on how to funnel some of that money toward the public good. One school says to hike taxes on billionaires and let our elected officials spend the revenues on worthy projects. That’s involuntary giving, and the giver doesn’t have much of a say […]
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A white man just can’t catch a break
He brought his rifle up at the sound of footsteps crunching the Oregon snow. “Who goes there? Stop and be recognized.” A weary voice answered out of the darkness. “It’s me, Sam. It’s Bud.” “Give me the password.” “Come on, Sam. Stop foolin’ around.” “The password,” Sam insisted. Bud sighed. “‘Patriots act.’ Are you happy […]
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PBS program inspires interest in history
Ever since the miniseries “Roots” was shown on ABC in 1977, Americans have demonstrated a keen interest in finding out more about where they came from and the names and circumstances of their ancestors. Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. is fulfilling that longing in the latest installment of the PBS series “Finding Your […]
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California’s successes refute conservatives
In the mythology of the right, California must fail. Its high taxes, strict environmental rules and thick book of regulations are all ingredients in the conservative recipe for economic meltdown. That California is prospering nicely throws a pie in the face of its harshest critics. To get around this clash of ideas and reality, an […]
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Economic inequality on the increase
WASHINGTON — We’ll be hearing a lot about the middle class in the coming months. That’s one sure bet for 2016, as both parties compete for votes. What’s less sure is whether we’ll get an accurate assessment of the middle class’ condition. By now, the conventional wisdom is familiar: The top 1 percent has skimmed […]