“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful. It is as simple as that.” ~ Edward R. Murrow, 20th century journalist in testimony before a Congressional Committee, May 1963 Let’s face it, credibility is not that simple anymore. It has less to do with facts and more...

Historian Jon Meacham has become a reliable storyteller of past presidents. They come alive in his pages through the many stories that illustrate who they were and what they stood for. However, in The Soul of America – the Battle for Our Better Angels, Meacham is concerned with more than historical biography. Alarmed by the man who inhabits the White...

Taylor Swift is a most unlikely political firebrand, and yet the 28-year old pop singer is stirring up voters in her adopted home state of Tennessee like no one else. In an Instagram post to 112 million of her followers (yes, that’s right, one-third of the country!), Swift writes movingly about who she is voting for and why. “In the...

The evidence doesn’t get any clearer than this. “Do what science demands before it is too late.” That’s United Nations Secretary General António Guterres in a direct warning to world leaders. In a press release issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) two days ago paints a climate picture far more urgent than we thought. “ ‘With more...

Eighteenth century French philosopher Voltaire once observed, “Common sense is not so common.” In Washington, it’s virtually extinct. But if you travel Northwest to Columbus, Ohio, you will find one man who reflects the kind of practical intelligence we need right now. In case anyone forgot, among the hodgepodge of hopefuls trying to overtake The Trump Reality show in 2016,...

After two weeks of turmoil and rage, what more could possibly happen? We’ve given up the common ground for my ground. We’ve gone from dissent to disrespect; from disrespect to hatred. Before we face the next bitter Division Du Jour, perhaps it’s time for us to consider what we stand for? I believe Judge Brett Kavanaugh is, fundamentally, a good...

With Two Updates — Last night, before the close of the Senate’s business, before reading the FBI report that is scheduled to be available to Senators as early as 8:00 am this morning, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “I am filing cloture (closure) on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination this evening, so the process can move forward, as I indicated...

Alex Jones – the radio/internet hate host and false conspiracy theorist – has been banned from most social media platforms… finally! “iTunes, Facebook, Spotify and YouTube all removed his audio and video material from their platforms, saying Jones violated their policies on hate speech,” NPR reported. He’s also been removed from MailChimp,  » Read more about: The Reckoning  »...

At the end of this commentary, I will ask a question of Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members. After watching several moments of the committee’s hearing with sexual assault victim Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, followed by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, several things stood out. The Obvious – After several weeks of only reading about Dr. Blasey Ford’s allegations, the committee...

Sometimes, in spite of all the practice, persistence and patience we still miss an opportunity. And sometimes that loss comes when we least expect it and from circumstances beyond our control. This is the story of left-handed pitcher Brian Mazone who, after eight years in the minor leagues, finally got a call from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006. He was...