Mid-August Reflections

August 15, 2019: We mainly get dispatches from Iowa as the candidates jockey for position, striving to qualify for the third debate, or set of debates, coming next month. The mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton have raised the issue of gun control, giving the Democrats one more cause to cudgel Trump and Republicans with, […]

The First Democratic Debate

June 28, 2019:  Until last week I was banking on a Biden/Harris ticket. I thought, while Biden is not electric, everyone is comfortable with “Uncle Joe” and would have no reason to vote against him. He could collect all the long-time Democrats plus everyone who was turned off by Trump, which should be enough to […]

Endangered Species

Of all the horrible things the Trump Administration is contemplating or doing, weakening the Endangered Species Act is the one that, surprisingly, bothers me the least. I say “surprisingly,” because I consider myself an ardent environmentalist/conservationist/naturalist. The philosophy behind the ESA is that man is the steward of this planet and responsible for the health […]

The Russia Investigation

With Washington seemingly consumed by the Russia investigation, when they aren’t being shot at playing baseball, I thought I’d hazard a comment in media res. In short, I suspect there is more smoke here than fire, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the smoke became a turning point in Trump’s presidency or even, although unlikely, […]

Dear Speaker Ryan:

846 Lilac Drive Montecito, CA 93108 February 22, 2017 The Hon. Paul Ryan Speaker of the House H-232 The Capitol Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Speaker Ryan: Please stop Donald Trump! President Trump apparently believes he can do whatever he wants, say whatever he wants, with no need to think, consult or ask what the majority […]

The Trump Era

I enter upon the Trump Era with nothing but fear and loathing. Literally, I do not know of an American public figure I would less like to have as my President. He is a bully, a narcissist, a brazen liar, rude, selfish, uninterested in facts. Anyone who gives his first speech to the CIA and […]

History Unfolding

The combination of reaching a certain age – I having just turned 70 – and reading a new, overarching history of the world, Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan, makes me feel, unusually, that I am not just living in the present but am living in history. On TV we are watching Borgen, which provides insight […]

GOP vs. The Planet

[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]You’d think that saving our planet might be one goal that merited bipartisan support. A chance to bring all the world’s powers together […]

Bernie and The Donald

[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Amid all the analysis trying to understand the seemingly inexplicable success in the polls, at least, of Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald […]

The Republicans Debate

[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]What a dispiriting performance by the ten top-tier Republican candidates in last night’s Fox debate. The “Fox” is an important qualifier here, because […]