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Trump right to wage war on cartels

While I am willing to criticize the President, and such criticisms have cost me jobs and opportunities over the years, there are also many things he has done that I agree with. As an aside, the poor man zone of punditry on the left and right is being the person willing to praise and criticize from inside the tent. Going all in and all against is what sells. Nuance does not. But let me now make a nuanced case for the president. The legally meritorious argument is simply stated. Narcotics trafficking is a federal crime. Drug traffickers have been running drugs into the United States for ...

What’s ahead in 2026 political landscape?

The political landscape heading into the 2026 midterms is far more volatile than many Republicans want to admit. On paper, the GOP holds the advantage: the House majority, a favorable national mood on issues like immigration and crime, and an opposition party internally split between moderates and an increasingly aggressive progressive wing. But beneath the surface, a series of electoral tremors from special elections to off-year contests should give Republicans serious pause. The numbers, the trendlines and recent history all point in the same direction: Democrats have more energy than ...

Two towering individuals deserve more praise

While only a small number of us live to be 100, everyone ‘s birthday has a centenary date. For historians who seem mostly to be of the liberal persuasion and obituary writers (ditto) the way the 100th anniversary of a conservative’s birth usually results in one of the following: ignored, diminished with attachment of “right-wing” or “so-called,” and my personal favorite that is rarely attached to a liberal, “controversial.” This year is the centenary of two towering individuals in the conservative movement, neither of whom received the respect they deserved among the ...

Who remembers why to dress respectfully?

Sean Duffy’s entreaty to “dress with respect” on airplanes rapidly ran into some turbulence. Duffy noting “a degradation of civility” among air travelers is on the mark, and so is his contention that flying would be more pleasant if grown-ups behaved better, which would include not wearing pajamas on flights. The Federal Aviation Administration reported 1,240 unruly passenger cases last year. That doesn’t include uncountable incidents of mere rudeness or simply playing the eyesore in dirty sweatpants. Testy reactions to Duffy’s plea centered on anger at the ...

Two-pronged strategy planned for 2028 election

Democrats appear to have settled on a dual strategy heading into the 2028 election: Sow doubt within the military ranks, and present a slate of candidates who project moderation. The first prong centers on an emerging talking point — one that suggests members of the armed forces should question whether orders coming from the Trump administration are legal. Figures such as Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin have warned servicemembers that following an “illegal order” could lead to punishment, yet they have offered no clear definition of what constitutes such an order. The ...

Let’s fix our broken health care system

We just went through the longest government shutdown in history over contention regarding renewal of temporarily enacted government subsidies to Obamacare premiums. This battle is not over. Eight Democrats threw in the towel and agreed to postpone the issue and cooperate with Republicans to get a continuing resolution passed to fund our government and get back to business. But the subsidies still need to be dealt with, so rest assured that more rancor and division lie ahead. What troubles me is our refusal, or inability, as a nation to deal with issues of policy in the most ...