Recent Government Commentaries

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The State of Ethics in Washington
“I remember my uncle Harold told my aunt about this affair he had. It was a sort of mildly upsetting event in my family… The affair was over something like eight years. So I remember asking him, ‘Why did you tell her? You got away with it.’ And I’ll never forget what he said. It was the getting away with...
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May 9, 2023
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The Thomas/Crow Affair
Starring Clarence Thomas as the Supreme Court’s oldest serving justice, and . . . Harlan Crow as the Republican Megadonor. The latest saga in Justice Thomas’s lifestyle has just been reported by ProPublica, a non-profit group of investigative journalists. To recap: “The Virginia ‘Ginni’ Thomas Caper.” Despite a complete lack of evidence, Mrs. Thomas held the opinion that the 2020...
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May 5, 2023
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A New Heart of Darkness
Is cobalt a savior for a greener planet? Possibly, but at great cost. The ferromagnetic metal—one of the most abundant of all metals found in the earth’s crust—is the essential element in all lithium-ion batteries used in cell phones, laptops, electric cars, and other products that depend on more efficient batteries. However, it is only economically feasible to mine in...
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March 31, 2023
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Lessons From Ukraine
Think about this. Because of Putin’s war against Ukraine, millions of Ukrainian men, women, and children are enduring the harshest conditions imaginable: nightly bombing; an absence of light, heat and water. Ukraine’s health system cannot keep up with the sick and injured. Schools have closed in much of the country. Despite help from European and Western allies, life in Ukraine...
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February 24, 2023
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Supremely Compromised
Let’s cut to the chase: Americans expect a higher standard from the US Supreme Court than the other two branches of government . . .  much higher and we’re not getting it. Let’s start with Justice Alito. “A former leader of the anti-abortion movement wrote to the chief justice to report an alleged earlier breach, of a 2014 contraception decision,...
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January 27, 2023
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Ignore Trump? I Was Wrong!
Last week, I wrote that the media needs to ignore former president Donald Trump. I was wrong. None of us should ignore Donald Trump. Time and time again, Trump has proven himself to be a bigoted, misogynistic, narcissistic and dangerous liar. Now, he’s crossed the Rubicon . . . no course correction . . . no going back . ....
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December 6, 2022
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The Supreme Court: “Ethics, What’s That?”
The Supreme Court has dealt with serious issues this past session: Immigration; Climate Change (the court rolled back the EPA’s ability to reduce the country’s carbon footprint; big mistake); in a rarely seen Second Amendment ruling, the court has allowed law-abiding citizens to carry handguns outside the home for self-protection, (Bigger mistake); overturning Roe v. Wade (HUGE MISTAKE). Then there’s...
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December 2, 2022
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Memo to Democrats: Don’t Gloat
Note: On assignment, but I’ll be back! No high-fives. No victory laps. No champagne room. You’re not out of the woods, yet. Watching Democratic leadership win back the Senate, you’d think they had won the Super Bowl. They didn’t. What we all won was a return to democracy, and a keen sense that most Americans don’t want to hand over...
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November 15, 2022
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Stand for What’s Right!
Integrity: firm adherence to a code of moral values—uprightness. A rap star spouts antisemitic and anti-Black remarks and refuses to apologize. A basketball star apologizes for antisemitic remarks only after he was suspended for his actions. A Supreme Court Justice will not step aside from legal decision-making on any issue brought before the court regarding the 2020 election involving the...
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November 7, 2022
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Great Moments in Republican Hypocrisy
How much toxicity can American democracy take before it collapses? Here’s pro-life conservative pundit Dana Loesch speaking about the scandal surrounding former pro-football player, anti-abortion advocate, and Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker after Walker denied allegedly paying for an abortion for his girlfriend. “I don’t care if Herschel Walker paid to abort endangered baby eagles. I want control of the...
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October 11, 2022