Category: Politics & Government

Opinions on contemporary political happenings and the workings of civil government.

A Contrast, Not a Comparison

A new theme being promoted by some in the media and, implicitly, by the Obama administration itself, is the similarity between the current occupant of the people’s White House and Ronald Reagan. Time magazine was up front with the linkage this week on its cover: Well, I would like to do a comparison myself. Let’s start with the economy. Both Reagan and Obama inherited a mess. Reagan’s solution was to reduce the tax burden on citizens and cut back on… Read more »

Reagan Symposium

Yesterday was Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday celebration. Yes, he wasn’t here to participate in the remembrance, but I believe he was watching. I attended a fine Reagan Symposium at Regent University in Virginia Beach. This is an annual event that attracts the best Reagan/conservative scholars in America. The most well-known speakers, due to television exposure, were Michael Barone and Bill Kristol. Stephen Hayward, who has authored two massive volumes on the age of Reagan, was there, as was George Nash,… Read more »

No Place at the Table

In a speech last night, Hosni Mubarak said he would not run again for president of Egypt in the next election, slated for September. That’s hardly going to satisfy the protesters. In the words of almost every commentator I’ve read, it’s “too little, too late.” The protesters will settle for nothing but a total capitulation and a new government run by those who didn’t work with Mubarak. But who will those people be? A radical organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, wants… Read more »

Legal … But Immoral

Thirty-eight years ago today, the United States Supreme Court decided that innocent children could be put to death. That statement may be jarring to some, but that’s exactly what Roe v. Wade accomplished. More than fifty million “legal” abortions have been performed in those thirty-eight years. Something can be legal and still be immoral. As a society, we have become numb to the atrocity. We treat it simply as a political issue rather than an issue of life or death…. Read more »

Memorial?

Perhaps this will be my last post on the Tucson tragedy. There are a few words more to say, particularly after the memorial with President Obama on Wednesday. First, a final word on the so-called journalism that has dominated the week. The journalistic profession, in my view, was another of the casualties: The irresponsible charges during the week set a new low standard, not only for journalists but for those in politics who sought to use this for their own… Read more »

Pelosi vs. Reality

There are times when a statement by a politician is so far from reality that it takes a while to be able to come up with a response other than laughter. For instance, in case you missed it, Nancy Pelosi, defending her four years as House Speaker made this astounding claim: “Deficit reduction has been a high priority for us. It is our mantra, pay-as-you-go.” When I first heard her say this, I thought perhaps I had misunderstood, but it… Read more »

The Tucson Tragedy

When we celebrated our one-year-old grandson’s birthday in Tucson on December 29, I went to the nearest grocery store to buy the ice cream. It was a Safeway store located in a shopping center on the corner of Ina and Oracle. On Saturday, that very store was in the news as the scene for a most horrific shooting. As I have watched the coverage the past couple of days, I can visualize from my own experience the very spot where… Read more »