More than once, the late Supreme Court Justice William Brennan told me: “This nation will not be civilized until it ends the death penalty.” But how civilized are we now, when, according to extended research by the Center for Constitutional Rights, or CCR: “Tens of thousands of individuals across the country are detained inside cramped, […]

Heard any good jokes lately? Me either. Verbally relating funny stories has become something of a lost art, and for a variety of reasons. One is political correctness. From big name entertainers to the really funny guy or gal at the office, joke tellers are understandably reluctant to share any quips that could be construed […]

When Gov. LePage released his two-year budget proposal, I was interested in digging into the details to understand how the policy proposals will affect Maine people. I believe that his budget proposal is a starting point and it will be seriously considered by the appropriations committee and the entire Legislature over the coming weeks and […]

There’s a lot being spoken about the 2016 presidential election. What isn’t being said is far more interesting. Indeed, there are two principal unspokens in the run-up to the next presidential campaign. The first is the quiet Republican hope that maverick Sen. Elizabeth Warren will challenge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from the left […]

The American system of government, enshrined in the federal and state constitutions that are two centuries old, is challenged. Is change needed? Do Americans want a stronger legislature or more powerful executive? The federal system, with Congress and the president elected separately, is unlike the British parliamentary system where the prime minister is a member […]

The Kennebec Journal of Augusta, Jan. 22: Since 2008, thousands of police agencies in every state in the country have seized $3 billion in cash and property under a federal law designed to thwart drug organizations. But the reality is that motorists and others charged with no crimes have forfeited cars, cash, homes and even […]

Back in 1960, then-senator and future President John Kennedy gave a speech about the presidency at the National Press Club. He said: “Nor can we afford a chief executive who is praised primarily for what he did not do, the disasters he prevented, the bills he vetoed ”“ a president wishing his subordinates would produce […]