Recent Government Commentaries

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@StopTheInsanity
I humbly submit this small request to members of Congress (and others): Stop Tweeting Responses to “President” Trump’s Inane Tweets! Since taking office, Trump has tweeted more than 37,000 times (that’s not a typo)! Every time a member of Congress responds, it only gives this man the attention he desperately craves. I don’t care if you are a Democrat, Republican,...
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March 22, 2019
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It’s Presidents’ Day!
And what better way for President Trump to celebrate a national emergency than unwinding for a three-day weekend at Mar-a-Lago playing golf! How does President Trump rank among his predecessors? Okay, we all know he wouldn’t make the top ten… twenty… or even thirty, but where does he align? Wikipedia compiled several lists from historians to public opinion polls. “The...
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February 18, 2019
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What’s Happened to Leadership in America?
In Washington these days, crises happen at the speed of Trump — sometimes, faster. Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that President Trump “…has indicated he is prepared to sign the [spending] bill [that would avoid another government shutdown]. He will also be issuing a national emergency declaration at the same time. I’ve indicated to him that I’m going...
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February 15, 2019
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The Responsibility We All Hold in Our Hands
How does that ancient Chinese curse go, “May you live in interesting times”? Actually, that quote comes not from the Chinese at all. The closest Chinese expression is, “Better to be a dog in a peaceful time, than to be a human in a chaotic period.” (We clearly seem to be living in the latter.) While John Dingell was the...
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February 13, 2019
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The Other Shoe
“Together, we can break decades of political stalemate, we can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future.” – President Trump, State of the Union speech, Feb. 5, 2019 Despite all his bluster, I thought President Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday left open the possibility...
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February 8, 2019
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Congressional Republicans Need to Ask Themselves One Critical Question
It’s time for Congressional Republicans to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves one critical question: Will you act in the best interests of the country or the interests of President Trump? You can’t do both. Here’s why. On January 29, FBI Director Christopher Wray, CIA Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Security Dan Coats –...
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January 31, 2019
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Follow Nancy
Last Friday (Jan. 25), when Trump announced that he would temporarily end the government shutdown without funding for his wall (for now), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered the right response: no gloating, no victory lap, no expressions of, “we won, you lost!” Trump likes to define his actions in terms of winning and losing, and his remarks on Friday, despite...
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January 28, 2019
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Episode (Day) 35: Now What!?
In our last episode, Mitch McConnell, (you remember him, he’s the one in the pinstriped suit and the clueless look playing the part of the Senate Majority Leader), was bringing two bills to the floor of the U.S. Senate (that’s the chamber of Congress where serious reflection and decision-making takes place), to reflect and decide on two very different plans....
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January 25, 2019
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“The Time is Always Right to do What is Right.”
Every week, shameful actions in our nation’s capital seem to surpass those of the previous week. Thursday (Jan. 17), House representatives – individuals who are supposed to act responsibly and represent the best interests of the country – almost came to physical blows. “Republicans accused Democrats of trying to steal a vote,” The Washington Post reported (Jan. 19), “Democrats accused...
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January 21, 2019
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Don’t Give an Inch but at What Cost?
No sooner had I written that I could not find any evidence of a single furloughed federal worker who supports the president in shutting down the government in favor of a southern border wall, (Faces from the Crisis, Jan. 14), then The New York Times reported late Monday (Jan. 14), that there are some federal workers – in Parkersburg, West...
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January 16, 2019

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