Haley and DeSantis – a So’s ya mutha! debate

Former Ambassador Nikki Haley and Governor Ron DeSantis were like two playground kids pretending to be scorpions in a bottle in Wednesday night's debate, jabbing at each other, oblivious to the big foot about to crush them both. You lie. Nah, you lie. Back and forth they went, with slanted opposition research about each other's …

Continue reading Haley and DeSantis – a So’s ya mutha! debate

Headlines you may – or may not – see in 2024

It's bedtime for 2023. It has been an ugly year. Ukraine. Hamas'October 7th attack. Bloodshed in Gaza. Wildfires and floods from global warming. House of Representatives chaos and gridlock. Biden's slump in polls. Social media's pollution of young minds. Misinformation. Disinformation. Need I go on? In this posting, I present my traditional list of headlines we could …

Continue reading Headlines you may – or may not – see in 2024

Nancy Pelosi for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year

Sometime in the next 24 to 72 hours, Time Magazine will be announcing its Person Of The Year.  One of the early favorites at Ladbrokes online betting was Greta Thunberg,  the eloquent Swedish climate change activist. She is clearly deserving, and the award could heighten focus on the looming existential crisis, but the bookies, if …

Continue reading Nancy Pelosi for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year

Return to checks and balances brings hope

I have to post quickly before events reactivate the despair and cynicism of the last two years.  I felt a smile emerge when watching the swearing-in of Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Imagine the pleasure of hearing about Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, establishing the Congress as a coequal branch …

Continue reading Return to checks and balances brings hope

Outing Harvey Weinstein isn’t enough

Outrage over sexual assault shouldn't be a partisan contest. Whether you’re Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein or Bob in Accounting, sexual predation is inexcusable. But as bad as their behavior, I’m similarly outraged by those who, because of self-interest, enable miscreants to continue unchecked and law enforcement and …

Continue reading Outing Harvey Weinstein isn’t enough

Political lessons from the New England Patriots

Set aside the friendships between Donald Trump and New England Patriots MVP quarterback Tom Brady, or coach Bill Belichick or owner Bob Kraft (who, as a young man, stood with his late wife as leading progressive Democrats), there's still plenty of inspiration to be found in last night's epic comeback by the Pats in defeating the tough, aggressive, skilled and energetic Atlanta …

Continue reading Political lessons from the New England Patriots

Women’s March Boston: life in the bubble?

I hate being in large crowds but had to be at Boston Common yesterday for the local version of the Women's March occurring in hundreds of cities around the nation and on all continents.  As with anti-Vietnam War marches in the late sixties and early seventies, this was a time to stand up and be …

Continue reading Women’s March Boston: life in the bubble?

Obama still stands for hope, alloyed with action

"When they go low, we go high," is Michelle Obama's credo.  Last night, her husband exemplified that commitment.  He spoke to the best that is in the American people, the power of faith, the ability of ordinary people to come together over shared values.  We will remain the most powerful and respected nation on earth …

Continue reading Obama still stands for hope, alloyed with action

Recovery is slow, Rx uncertain

Critics of my blogs may be delighted to know that my operating system was corrupted, and I have been without a computer for two weeks. It was a most peculiar time to be silenced.  Hallelujah, the tech crisis is over. But the inability to post provided an interesting time for reflection. I have never seen a reaction …

Continue reading Recovery is slow, Rx uncertain

Warning: watching polls may be hazardous to your health

Last Sunday, when the Cubs were down 3-1  to Cleveland, celebrated prognosticator Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight  proclaimed that the Cubs had a smaller chance of winning the World Series than Trump did winning the presidency.  More recently,  he’s been soberly  covering his bases, indicating why more reassuring predictions of a definite Clinton victory could be wrong. The …

Continue reading Warning: watching polls may be hazardous to your health