The other day a bearded man planted himself in a treetop along a busy Seattle street, forcing police to shut down traffic for hours in both directions, afraid of what he’d do. I scanned the headlines later to see what Sen. Ted Cruz recommended we do to protect us from bearded men…
DetailsWe’re told that women’s health is the concern motivating increasingly restrictive laws bearing on abortion providers. No, it’s not. We’re told that voter fraud is the concern behind increasingly restrictive voter I.D. laws. No, it’s not. We’re told that more efficient and cost-effective government motivates privatization. Again, no. These lies have been sculpted into truths…
DetailsAs corrections go, this was Page 1 material, at least for the circulation that Hillary Clinton targets. Magnanimous at a tender time, she had offered praise Nancy Reagan did not earn – of having been a prominent voice in the effort against AIDS. No, no, a thousand times no. If Ron and…
DetailsAt the onset of this soapbox derby, one outcome seemed scariest of all for the GOP: that Donald would go third-party. Well, brethren, that outcome has come. Don’t let the ballot confuse you. How else to explain the following headline on CBS.com? “Inside Republicans’ failed attempts at blocking Trump’s rise.” Republicans blocking Trump? He’s a Republican,…
DetailsLike blowing out that last birthday candle, Mitch McConnell is going to get his wish. For the remainder of 2016, no one will occupy the seat vacated by the death of Antonin Scalia. No concession will be made to a lame-duck president. That nominee won’t get a sniff of a hearing room.…
DetailsBefore discussing what Pope Francis said the other day, let’s discuss one of the most Christlike things a U.S. president has done lately. That was when President Obama brought soothing words to an American mosque, words like, “You’re not Muslim or American. You’re Muslim and American.” Marco Rubio,…
DetailsA photo widely shared upon the death of Justice Antonin Scalia is a reminder of what the stakes are when we vote for president. The photo shows a beaming Scalia and a beaming Ronald Reagan, who nominated him. It shows then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who couldn’t be happier with the pick. The Constitution…
DetailsJeb Bush didn’t exactly get skunked in Iowa. But, well, his 2.9 percent showing meant – let’s put the calculator to it, as political savant Nate Silver did: The $14.9 million he spent on advertising alone there meant he harvested one vote for every $2,844. It would have been better for Jeb…
DetailsOn behalf of a planet and its species, I’m asking a certain Texas grand jury if it still has time on its docket. I speak of the Harris County grand jury that turned the tables on hucksters who conspired to paint Planned Parenthood as a law-breaker. Instead of indicting Houston Planned Parenthood, the grand jury…
DetailsAt the height of Prohibition, columnist H.L. Mencken proclaimed, “There is not less drunkenness in the Republic, but more. There is not less crime, but more. There is not less insanity, but more.” He was right. Though single-issue politics had held sway over public policy with the 18th Amendment, the result had been…
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