Recent Government Commentaries

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Reason and Courage
“I place but little dependence on the honesty and truthfulness of a large portion of the Senators. A majority of them are small lights, mentally weak, and wholly unfit to be Senators. Some are vulgar demagogues… some are men of wealth who have purchased their position… [some are] men of narrow intellect, limited comprehension, and low partisan prejudice…”– unknown Washington...
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July 29, 2011
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Politifact and the Debt Talks
Six weeks ago, a friendly conversation ended with a wager. “I’ll bet they settle the NFL strike before the debt-ceiling issue.” When it comes to wagering, my track record is far from sterling. This time, however, I came out a winner. Why? Simple, money… $9 billion, to be exact. No matter what details the players and owners were haggling over,...
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July 27, 2011
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Debt-Ceiling Talks: Impossible
Negotiations stalled? Partisan gridlock? Angry citizens? It’s time to call in the heavy artillery. Chef Robert Irvine, fresh from the battlefront of Food Network’s Restaurant:Impossible, knows deadlines like the back of his hand. In fact, he’s very accomplished in using the back of his hand in dealing with entrenched chefs, staff and owners. “Sometimes you gotta just take the bull by...
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July 18, 2011
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Optional Ethics
Last February marked the fifth year of silence from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during oral arguments held before the court. While Thomas certainly has a right not to enter the Q & A with lawyers, it does raise a simple question, “Why?”  This is a question that many have raised in the last several years. The simple fact is...
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July 15, 2011
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Our Sacred Honor
Adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, Mr. Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence clearly lays out the principles – both ethically and spiritual – that we stand for. The opening sentence sets in motion an unequivocal understanding that God gives both independence and equality and that due to the “opinions of mankind” they declare themselves an independent country. When in the...
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July 4, 2011
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Confirmation Bias
No sooner had the White House released the long-form birth record of President Obama than speculation began anew by “birthers.” Is it real or fake? Why did it take so long to produce? “It raises far more questions than it answers,” said Joseph Farah, editor-in-chief of WorldNetDaily and grand-high-exalted poobah of “birthers.” (Where’s the Birth Certificate? by Harvard Ph.D. Jerome Corsi...
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April 29, 2011
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Building Trust and Confidence
Earlier this week I gave a keynote address at a conference of security professionals – a group whose integrity is embedded in their DNA. “This Code of Conduct and Ethics signifies a voluntary assumption by members of the obligation of self-discipline above and beyond the requirements of the law… members intend to maintain a high level of ethics and professional...
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April 22, 2011
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Who Didn’t Read the Memo?
Q: Who gets the blame if Congress chooses to shutdown the federal government? Before I answer that question, let’s take a look at some facts. Although Congress has been in session since January, absolutely nothing meaningful has been accomplished. With Republican control of the House, Speaker John Boehner has talked repeatedly about his promise to cut government spending: “We need to cut spending....
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April 8, 2011
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Those who do not learn
At the height of all the Watergate scandal coverage in the ‘70s, TIME magazine ran an interesting story about Jeb Stuart Magruder. Don’t remember Magruder? He’s the man frequently mentioned in the first hour of the movie All the President’s Men. Based on the 1974 book by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two investigated the initial break-in at...
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March 21, 2011
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Fifty Years Ago…
January 20, 1961, I sat in my seventh grade homeroom class while the teacher rolled in a big, black & white television and announced that we would all be watching history today. What I was unprepared for was how quiet and engaged everyone in class would be in watching John Fitzgerald Kennedy take the oath of office as the 35th...
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January 20, 2011

Read Some of the Most Recent Articles
The Latest... And Often Greatest
It Was Important Then. It is Important Today
Freedom of speech in America is under attack, not only when people are denied the right to speak, but when lies, intimidation and the deliberate...
When Political Identity Replaces Ethical Judgment
The political and cultural landscape has become a minefield of conflicting beliefs, many now rooted less in public policy than in personal identity. One of...
Principles Matter.
A few nights ago, I was watching The Way We Were, a film I’ve seen more times than I can count. This time, a single...
All the President’s Men 2.0
“Politics had infiltrated every corner of government—a strong-arm takeover of the agencies by the Nixon White House.” —Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, All the President’s...
The Threat to November Is Already Here
“Cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”—George Washington’s...
Jon Ossoff and the Conscience of Atticus Finch
I’ve written about Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff before, but after watching his questioning of Jay Clayton, President Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence (DNI),...