Recent Politics Commentaries

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The Trouble with Barr
“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have right to do and what is right to do.” – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart When Attorney General William Barr issued a four-page summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, the first thought I had was, “why not just release the report and let Congress and the public read it...
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April 24, 2019
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He Doesn’t Think It’s Okay, And You Shouldn’t, Either!
After President Trump attacked Adam Schiff, the Democratic Chairman of the House Committee on Intelligence, Republicans on that committee called on Schiff to resign. In a powerful statement (about 3:22 in), during today’s committee hearing, Congressman Schiff perfectly summarizes why some Republicans have become morally bankrupt. “I’m going to turn to our witnesses who are the subject of our hearing...
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March 28, 2019
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Why We Should All See the Mueller Report
Due to the release of the Mueller Report to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, I am re-posting this commentary which originally appeared on March 6. After almost two years of investigative work examining “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and any matters that arose or may arise directly...
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March 23, 2019
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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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Trump TV
“If the people don’t have the facts, democracy doesn’t work.” – Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson, in a statement before sentencing former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort The extent to which Fox News personalities have embedded themselves, literally, into the Trump administration is breathtakingly immoral. Let’s begin with the obvious. According to PunditFact, of 171 statements made by Fox News...
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March 15, 2019
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When Popularity Trumps Judgment
R&B singer R. Kelly was “…recently indicted on aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four victims.” The New York Times reports (Feb. 22) that “three of whom were underage, according to the Cook County state’s attorney, Kim Foxx. Aggravated criminal sexual abuse can carry a sentence of three to seven years in prison for each count. Mr. Kelly… faces 10 of...
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March 1, 2019
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The New Collusion
Donald Trump’s new rally slogan has just one problem: it’s false. With chants coming from his supporters at a recent El Paso, Texas rally, “Build that Wall,” President Donald Trump corrected them. “…you really mean, ‘Finish that wall,’ ” Trump said, “because we’ve built a lot of it.” In earlier rallies, Trump has said, “We’ve already started (the border wall)....
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February 20, 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