Recent Politics Commentaries

Trump, Social Media and The First Amendment
Embed from Getty Images Apologies for the delay in Wednesday’s commentary. Taxes. Returning Friday. On January 6, the day the 2020 presidential election was set for certification by the Congress, Donald Trump gave a speech in front of the White House that became a drumbeat of rebellion built on lies, and conspiracies. It was a speech that whipped-up thousands of...
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May 17, 2021
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Moment of Principle
In my 2004 book, What Do You Stand For? I asked a cross-section of more than 100 individuals to answer a questionnaire: What do you stand for, what principles have you lived by? Describe a “moment of principle” in which your convictions were tested or a story in which you were inspired by another. Last night, on the floor of...
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May 12, 2021
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Profile in Courage; Profiles in Cowardice
“In a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘holds office’; every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or...
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May 6, 2021
What’s the Truth About Georgia’s New Election Law?
Embed from Getty Images “I’m telling you the truth about this bill,” Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp tells Atlanta’s NPR affiliate. “It expands access.” You can fool all the people some of the time… “After the November election last year, I knew,” Kemp said, “like so many of you, that significant reforms to our state elections were needed.” And some of...
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April 7, 2021
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The Spirit of America – Conclusion
Only historians are likely to recall Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, the Mississippi Representative who, in a speech that brought tears to the eyes of many battle-hardened House members, spoke passionately of “the South’s most implacable enemy, the Radical Republican who helped make the Reconstruction Period a black nightmare the South never could forget,” Kennedy wrote in Profiles in Courage. In...
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March 31, 2021
What is Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson’s Skill Set?
The “brilliance” of the Wisconsin Senator cannot be overstated. Embed from Getty Images In his last 4 “productive” years, Johnson initiated an investigation into Joe Biden’s connection to the Ukraine conspiracy. Lot’s of attention. Big headlines. But Johnson found no evidence that Biden had participated in any wrongdoing. Last November, Johnson, the Republican Chairman of Homeland Security,  » Read more about:...
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March 24, 2021
Trump and the First Amendment – Conclusion
Trump has been banned from all social media. That’s good news, right? Embed from Getty Images Gone is the misinformation, false conspiracy theories, lies, bigotry and personal attacks. Perhaps, more importantly, gone is the media’s Fugitive-like obsession, (well, not completely), in covering every tweet, twitch and tongue lashing coming from his chubby fingers. But… …what about Trump’s First Amendment rights...
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March 22, 2021
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Trump and the First Amendment – Part 1
Donald Trump has been banned by social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Amazon web services, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Liquid Web and Shopify have all banned the ex-president from tweeting posting, chatting and twitching his rants and lies. Many of his staunchest supporters are banned, as well, including Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani. Twitter also banned the MyPillow guy Mark Lindell...
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March 19, 2021
The Darkness
“It is written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice.” – Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness The poison that is Donald Trump has so deeply infected followers that they forcefully speak out against any unfaithful Republican who dares speak against him much less hold him accountable for the attack on the Capitol. Embed from Getty Images Here’s...
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February 19, 2021
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On This Presidents’ Day: A Truism and a Warning
With Saturday’s verdict by the Senate to acquit former President Donald Trump of inciting the attack on the Capitol, it’s more evident than ever that the Republican Party is on a ventilator and they are — for the foreseeable future — likely to willfully remain in a Trump coma. Any additional words I might use to describe a party that...
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February 15, 2021