While part of Wednesday’s commentary brought out the fact that not all members of Congress are corrupt, the perception of political corruption continues. According to the results of a survey by the campaign reform advocacy group United Republic, 51 percent agree with the statement that “most politicians” are “corrupt.” I’ve quoted ethicist Michael Josephson in the past as well as crediting...

“If you ever do that to me again, I will throw you off this f…ing balcony.” That was United States Representative Michael Grimm bluntly threatening NY-1 political reporter Michael Scotto. After discussing Grimm’s reaction to the president’s State of the Union message, Scotto questioned the New York congressman about 2010 campaign violations. With that, Grimm abruptly ended the interview. However, immediately after...

On Friday, Texas Judge R.H. Wallace, Jr., ruled that Marlise Muñoz, a 33-year-old mother who has been on life support since November and pronounced brain-dead by doctors, should be taken off the ventilator that’s been keeping her alive for the sake of her unborn child. Spokesmen for John Peter Smith Hospital said that a Texas law dealing with life support...

Continuing my look back at some stories that were, initially, major political and media firestorms, but facts later proved them to be less reliable than first believed. More on Benghazi – Wednesday’s release of the long-awaited Senate Intelligence Committee report on the assault on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya revealed more pertinent information. The Washington Post reported (Jan. 15) that “The...

Earlier this month, I revisited the case of NSA leaker Edward Snowden. At the time, I wrote, “There is a very real problem… when factual information is incomplete because a story is still evolving…” I thought I’d take a look at some past stories that were, initially, major political and media firestorms, but facts later proved them to be less...

Loveable Duck Dynasty graybeard Phil Robertson has had his “indefinite suspension”… suspended! After Robertson came out in a GQ interview describing homosexual acts in crude terms and labeled it sin, A&E officials suspended him “indefinitely” after the patriarch’s comments embarrassed the cable channel, sponsors and offended much of the L.G.B.T. community. Upon hearing of the suspension, the remaining “cast members” of the Dynasty clan,...

Remember these guys? Did they rise to the top of the bottom of the barrel? A look at the Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous over the past year. By the numbers – The Center for Public Integrity offers up a few items from the ridiculous: Number of bills passed by Congress this year that have been signed into law: 58 Number of bills passed in 1948,  » Read more...

There’s a moment in the Tom Hanks film Forrest Gump where Forrest does something incredibly dangerous. He repeatedly puts his life at risk to save five members of his unit in Vietnam. “Are you stupid, or something?” a military official asks. In a line that is repeated throughout the film, Forrest answers, “Stupid is as stupid does, sir.” I thought of that...

The last time I remember a miracle of this magnitude happening it was 1969. Dubbed the “Miracle Mets,” the New York ballclub never finished higher than ninth place (in a ten-team league) in their first seven seasons. With help from the gods, the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series in an astonishing five games! The gods must be in...

Last week a decision was made that could lead to important changes in Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. The first-step in A Joint Plan of Action on Iran’s Nuclear Program appears to have been agreed to. As stated in the preamble to that agreement: “The goal for these negotiations is to reach a mutually-agreed long-term comprehensive solution that would ensure Iran’s nuclear...