My columns and other writings have long chronicled the decline of moral values in America. However, I must admit to being absolutely shocked when I read recently that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that nearly 40 percent of U.S. births in 2007 occurred outside of wedlock. Published April 22, 2009
Legend has it that on their epic voyage back home to Ithaca from Troy, Odysseus and his crew had to pass through the deadly Strait of Messina. On one side, the monster Scylla threatened to eat any sailor who passed too closely. And on the other, Charybdis' gaping maw threatened to swallow Odysseus' ship whole. Published April 15, 2009
The Washington press corps was busy last week stocking up on Red Bulls and Diet Cokes in anticipation of a late night following President Obama's second prime-time news conference in his short tenure. Published April 1, 2009
It's one thing for a politician to have the popular touch, but it's quite another for a leader who takes seriously the task of rebuilding a downtrodden party to go about preening before the paparazzi like a B-list actor on the comeback trail. Published March 18, 2009
President Obama has talked the talk on our nation's energy independence, identifying it as at the top of his big-three immediate fixes. Published March 11, 2009
President Obama has a large number of programs on his domestic agenda. Published March 4, 2009
The specter of terrorism and tough economic times, have brought the immigration debate to the forefront of American politics in a big way. The average citizen sees the flood of immigrants entering the country as a symbol of the lack of border security in the midst of a particularly dangerous time for America. Published February 23, 2009
In the rush to get a new spending bill out of Congress as soon as possible, proponents of the massive bailout seem to have overlooked a fundamental point. The government cannot possibly cure what ails the American people by pouring more money on the problem. Published February 16, 2009
President Obama has an image problem. Granted, the sin that stained the Obama Brand was largely one of omission, not commission, but it's something the president needs to quickly repair if the administration is to keep its momentum. To Mr. Obama, Tom Daschle was more than a cabinet pick - he was a friend and mentor. Perhaps that explains why the president was temporarily blinded by his loyalty to the former majority leader when he insisted Daschle was the right man for the job even in the wake of a similar scandal with his Treasury nominee - a loyalty that Daschle clearly did not see fit to reciprocate to his potential boss. Still today, many speculate that the Senate would have confirmed Daschle. So why did the White House walk away when it did, leaving Mr. Obama to repentantly cry, "I screwed up."? Published February 9, 2009
In case you didn't get the memo, this former slaveholding nation has just sworn in a guy with the name Obama as its 44th President. With this momentous occasion, all the "-isms" that were born from racism, reparations, and white guilt are now dead and buried. Published February 2, 2009
President Obama's hand that was raised to take the historical oath of office came down hard on lobbyists during his first full hours in the Oval Office. Facing a limping economy, the newly installed commander in chief froze senior staffers' pay and executed stricter restraints on relationships between federal lobbyists and his administration in an ode to public service's original objectives. Those are admirable moves and send the right message that he's ready to lead by example. However, even though this is the right message, is it really form over substance? Most Americans would agree that there are more pressing issues concerning the economy and national defense that should be addressed first. Published January 26, 2009
What an experience in history. The presidential inauguration of Barack Obama was truly one of the defining moments of our time. It represented change and hope, and it somberly reminded us of the crises we are experiencing as a nation. Published January 20, 2009
Unlike most Inauguration and changing-of-the-guard celebrations, we turn our calendars with more trepidation and fear than ever as we face an uncertain and difficult 2009. Many people have resolved to be more responsible financially by saving more and spending less. It is truly beginning to resonate with our countrymen that we must become more financially prudent and place a premium on keeping their credit in good standing. And people realize just how precious jobs really are. No one I speak to these days is taking their jobs for granted. They are going the extra mile to insure job security. Published January 19, 2009
When Congress objects to an action (or inaction) by the executive, it can pass a law or withhold or increase an appropriation; the president can veto a bill passed by the Congress; Congress can with a two-thirds vote override the President's veto; the Supreme Court can hold a law passed by Congress and signed by the President unconstitutional; Congress can pass and the president can sign a new law overriding the court's decision; and so on and so forth. Therefore, it should not be a surprise that, in recent times at least, the legislative and executive branches both fare better when they are in different party hands and thus freer to pursue their institutional constitutional aims. Put another way, when he becomes president, Barack Obama may yet quietly celebrate the failure to attain a filibuster-free 60-vote Senate. Indeed, at some point, he may long for the divided government that saved Bill Clinton's presidency and could have greatly benefited his successors. Published January 12, 2009
No one is ever really ready for the death of a loved one — whether it be an aging parent or a sibling whose life is cut short prematurely. This reality was brought home when two of my aunts (Fredrena and Loupenn), my mother's sisters, both died within a few months of each other. While we are all faithful that they are going to a better place - a place where we again might see them - we just don't know what will happen to our loved ones or ourselves after our bodies have died. In reality, only God knows. The one thing we do know is that death is the final retort to the life we know and cherish. Published January 5, 2009
I've been around institutions of government most of my professional career, so you may think that, after all these years of my immersion in and exposure to the trappings of Washington, my "expectations" meter would be fairly calibrated and very little would surprise me. After witnessing the latest actions of the Congress, I have once again achieved new heights of amazement. Published December 29, 2008
This has been a holiday season filled with negative news. From the problems on Wall Street to those on Main Street, all we've heard these past months is that people are losing their money, their homes and their jobs. Families are forced to cut back as their paychecks are stretched to their limits and beyond. In times like these, heartwarming stories are hard to find, but I found one recently from a friend whom I ran into while he was walking his dog. Published December 22, 2008
The persistence and magnitude of the ongoing financial crisis has spared no one. It has wrecked havoc on our nation and sent ripple effects throughout the global economy. Published December 15, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama´s selection last week of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as his secretary of state came as no surprise. After all, both camps were publicly wrestling for weeks in negotiations over what to do about everything from her husband´s secret fundraisers to key placements of her staff. I often found myself smirking at how much better President Bush was interacting with the incoming administration than the Clintons. Published December 8, 2008
Will America trickle-down or go bottom-up? President-elect Barack Obama's New Deal-style economic vision is reminiscent of an American nightmare. The president-elect - professorial in his socioeconomic approach - may be forgetting one of history's valuable lessons. Undoubtedly controversial, the New Deal marked a change in government socioeconomic oversight. But are there lessons to be learned from New Deal programs? After all, in an attempt to domesticate capitalism, many of its programs placed an unnecessary burden on businesses - the engine of the economy. Published December 1, 2008
