Here’s a good story that should have had a sequel. About 100 days after he suddenly found himself president of the United States, Harry S Truman had to fill his first vacancy on the Supreme Court.  In 1945, the Court was composed of seven Democratic appointees and one Republican. Himself a Democrat, Truman naturally wanted […]

“Well,” said Steve, polishing off the last of his coffee, “what should we discuss this fine morning?” “I’m awful glad you asked, ol’ pard,” came the cheerful voice of Windy Wilson, emerging through the swinging doors that came from the kitchen of the Mule Barn truck stop. “Yessir. Awful glad.” Steve and the other members […]

What Washington needs is a New Deal culture — or, more precisely, a new culture of the deal. All the elements are in place: a president who prides himself on the art of the deal. Congressional Democrats who have made careers out of fashioning deals. And a government-closure stalemate that reduced Washington to paralysis, exposed […]

Politicians and pundits often talk about the importance of economic growth. While bigger isn’t always better, the premise behind the focus on growth is that it will improve the collective quality of our lives.  More opportunities for all of us to contribute to society and make a better living for ourselves, our families, and our […]

Recent events in Washington inspire nothing so much as sheer disbelief. Is this a government or a sitcom? Impeach Trump? Why not offer him a prime time gig on Fox News instead? For the right price, he might take it. “The Trump Show” could qualify as a brand new genre: “unreality TV” — whining, boasting, […]

Toxic masculinity strikes again, this time in Provo, Utah on the day of the 2019 Women’s March. Police were alerted to the problem when Christopher Cleary posted on his Facebook page that “All I wanted was a girlfriend. All I wanted was to be loved, yet no one cares about me I’m 27 years old […]

There are two sides to special counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment of longtime Trump associate Roger Stone. On one side there are the under-oath statements Stone made to the House Intelligence Committee that Mueller says are false. On the other, there are the Stone statements Mueller did not challenge. The testimony for which Stone was indicted concerns his […]

The modern eugenics movement is attributed to Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911), a half-cousin of Charles Darwin. Perhaps better known as the Father of Psychological Testing, Galton argued that the human gene pool could be improved, natural selection explicitly facilitated, and the evolution of the human race accelerated, by reducing the number of children born to […]

One of the most brutal dictators on Earth, Vladimir Putin, is a happy despot these days. His boy Trump has been performing even better than commanded. Yes, we know from past pondering that Putin was getting some of the joy he ordered up, but consider how his smirk is now an uncontrollable grin as he reflects on […]

When it comes to graffiti in public restrooms I am, like most people, a reluctant reader rather than an inspired writer. The wit displayed on those walls is rarely memorable; there are only so many poems that begin with, “Here I sit, broken-hearted,” and tired messages along the lines of “For a good time, call […]