It’s Election Day and in Kentucky, longtime Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and his minions have been working the precincts with supporters carrying signs proclaiming, “Go, Mitch!” While the majority of polls favor the Republicans retaking the Senate, pollster John Zogby has an interesting, and frustrating personal story about McConnell that, sadly, confirms the worst of some politicians. “I gave a...

I sometimes get accused of liberal bias. So, I thought I’d take this commentary to focus on PolitiFact’s check on recent Democrat statements. Virginia Democrat Senator Mark Warner – Warner has represented Virginia in the U.S. Senate since 2009. He serves on the Banking, Budget, Commerce and Intelligence committees. He is the honorary co-chairman of the Forward Together PAC. Warner...

In countless letters to his wife and partner, Abigail, John Adams poured out his heart and his mind. Abigail was not just a sounding board for his political conscience; she was his moral compass in every way. Adams, 90, and Thomas Jefferson 83, while gravely ill, wanted very much to live to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of...

According to the Center for Public Integrity (June 20), Supreme Court justices averaged $250,000 last year in addition to their courtly salaries: $244,400 for associate justices; $255,500 for the chief justice. “Top earner Justice Antonin Scalia,” the Center writes, “raked in more than $100,000 in book royalties for his 2012 tomeReading Law: Interpretation of Legal Texts and teaching wages from Southern Methodist University,...

My trainer Steve and I have a special relationship. I share ethical observations with him and he shares his considerable wisdom with me. I stopped during a session once to point out: “It’s not just what you say, Steve, it’s how supremely confident you are when you say it.” He nonchalantly smiled through his sunglasses, “That’s because you are in the presence...

With the conservative political activist Koch brothers in the news questions of political influence always come up: Do the rich call the shots? Has the United States become more of an oligarchy – a power structure that rests primarily with the elite few – than a democracy? The New York Times Room for Debate (Apr. 21), explored those questions. “A recent study...

Jeb Stewart Magruder, one of the last key individuals in the scandal known simply as ‘Watergate’ which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, died last week. Magruder eventually confessed his role in the botched break-in of National Democratic Headquarters at the Washington, D.C. hotel in the early 70’s. However, decades later, Magruder added another interesting twist to the...

In an interview for Spanish channel Univision (Sept. 20, 2012), President Obama stated: “I think it’s important for us to understand that the Fast and Furious program was a field-initiated program begun under the previous administration.” The Washington Post Fact Checker wasted no time in giving the president’s statement three out of four Pinocchios. “Clearly, ATF didn’t develop the practice of gun walking under the current...

Operation Fast and Furious was the name given by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) “…to a group of Arizona gun trafficking cases under Project Gunrunner that began in the fall of 2009,” according to a report by CBS News. President Obama took office in January of the same year. CBS News journalist Sharyl Attkisson offers one of the clearest narratives based...

My opportunity to give a little advice (some ethical, some not), short and sweet. Memo to: Adam Silver (NBA President) CC: All other sports franchises Kudos on your handling of the Donald Sterling crisis: from first reaction to investigation to decision… in three days! Now, don’t let him or the owners off the hook. Continue to press and use this event to broaden race...