Recent Honesty Commentaries

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What Biden, Congress and Journalists Should Do
“It’s good to be the King!”  – Mel Brooks, “History of the World Part I” It’s fifty days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. While the Covid-19 virus remains the top priority for both the incoming president and Congress, there are steps that both can take to begin to restore trust in government, protect the interests of Americans, and...
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November 30, 2020
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How Can We Restore Our Faith in Democracy?
“No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried.…” – Winston Churchill We think of America as exceptional, the leader of the free world, an example of doing the right thing. However, we’ve made our share of...
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November 23, 2020
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Final Pitch
Dear Undecided Voter, I’m hoping to aid your decision-making and help clarify what’s at stake in tomorrow’s election. Here’s what we know: According to Washington Post fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, since his time in office, Donald Trump as made a total of 22,247 false or misleading statements since assuming office. FactCheck.org and Politifact.com offer similar lists. Absent any evidence,  » Read more...
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November 2, 2020
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How Do We Restore Trust?
In 2006, I completed a survey entitled, Honesty and Trust in America. While the study took place 14 years ago, the solutions from more than 8,000 Americans are more relevant than ever. “When it comes to grading the level of trustworthiness of various groups that determine the course of the nation,” I began, “congress received the lowest levels of trustworthiness...
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October 28, 2020
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This Fever of Fear
During the Trump presidency, 35 to 40 percent of Americans have been consumed by a fever of fear: fear of immigrants; fear of black and brown Americans; fear of election security. (The only thing Trump has told supporters not to fear is the coronavirus.) However, Trump’s greatest abuse is sowing doubt and distrust; doubt climate science; distrust our intelligence communities...
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October 26, 2020
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Truth, Context, Perspective
For more than two decades, Fox News anchor Shepard Smith reported the events of the day without fear, favor or attacks from President Trump and the network’s opinionistas. Nonetheless, Smith shocked his colleagues a year ago when he ended his broadcast to announce his departure. “Gathering and reporting the news has been my life’s work… FOX has allowed me to...
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October 9, 2020
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The Height of Irresponsibility
Will return to commentary central on Friday. “Are you worried about getting it? “No.” “Why not?” “I don’t know.” – Reporter Bob Woodward asking President Trump if he’s worried about getting the coronavirus. After the president was diagnosed with Covid-19 — a virus that has claimed more than 209,000 American lives —  » Read more about: The Height of Irresponsibility  »...
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October 5, 2020
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What Will it Take?
Last night’s “Presidential Debate” was such a total mess that even the experienced and controlled Chris Wallace had trouble handling it. How undecided voters make sense out of a mountain of lies, interruptions and personal attacks by Trump would be a miracle. And this election could easily come down to undecideds. Last month, Newsweek reported that “Undecided voters were key...
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September 30, 2020
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Lindsey Graham’s “Defining Moment”
“… And you could use my words against me and you’d be absolutely right.” – Sen. Lindsey Graham, in remarks to Senate colleagues shortly after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Here’s what the “principled” Senator repeated to The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, at the magazine’s sponsored conference just two years ago: “If an opening comes in the last year...
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September 23, 2020
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Meanwhile Back at Conspiracy Central
Apologies to readers. Due to the many conspiracy theories and scandals reported on an hourly basis it’s hard to keep up! Let’s begin with the “latest.” While Oregon continues to suffer under unprecedented wildfires that are consuming neighborhoods at a record pace, another firestorm is moving at light speed. Some Oregon Facebook members are posting messages like this: “Has anyone...
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September 18, 2020

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),...