Cal Thomas
Columns by Cal Thomas
Catch a falling star
Seven months after taking office amid a religious-like faith that he was the one (or even The One) we had been waiting for, President Obama is beginning to resemble a shooting star. Published August 20, 2009
National Health vs. USA
For the past month, I have watched British media report and comment on the American health care uproar. American cable networks also are available here. The back-and-forth reporting and commentary resemble a replay of the War of 1812, this time with verbal salvos. Published August 18, 2009
Invasion by immigration
The Daily Telegraph's headline is meant to shock, or at least get the attention of Europeans apathetic about the threat they face: "A Fifth of European Union Will Be Muslim by 2050." Published August 13, 2009
Getting rid of granny
The debate -- OK, the shouting match -- we are having over "health care reform" is about many things, including cost, who gets help and who does not and who, or what, gets to make that determination. Published August 11, 2009
Fame: Not going to live forever
What is it about celebrity that so fascinates us? And it is celebrity, not fame. As the now defunct New Times magazine editorialized 30 years ago, "There are almost no famous people anymore; only celebrities." Published July 2, 2009
Selective meddling
Help me out here. President Obama immediately "meddles" in the affairs of Honduras, denouncing a military coup, the intent of which is to preserve the country's constitution, but when it comes to Iran's fraudulent election and the violent repression of demonstrators who wanted their votes counted, the president initially vacillates and equivocates. Published July 2, 2009
She cheered me on
I used to enjoy discussing with Mary Lou Forbes the heady days of real journalism when there were more than two newspapers in Washington and people spent time reading them. Published June 29, 2009
Obama’s shifting stance
There was a noticeable change in the climate during President Obama's Tuesday news conference that had nothing to do with the heat and humidity, the excuse given for moving the event indoors from the Rose Garden. Those Chicago boys (and girls) know all about cold winters, but if they think 80 degrees and partly cloudy is hot, wait until August, when the three H's - hot (95 degrees), humid (95 percent) and hazy - take over. Published June 28, 2009
Should we forgive him?
The first thing that should be acknowledged about South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's admission to an extramarital affair is that it could happen to any of us. That is not an excuse (and no, it has not happened to me, or to my wife). Every married person has heard the voice; the one that says you deserve something "better." Published June 26, 2009
THOMAS: Bulldozing American cities
There are perhaps dozens of small towns and failing neighborhoods beginning to resemble ghost towns. We've all seen them if we have gotten off the interstate and driven down state or county roads and once-thriving Main Streets or into blighted neighborhoods. Published June 16, 2009
THOMAS: Obama’s unquestioned authority
A criticism heard during the early years of the George W. Bush administration was that the media were "in the tank" for Mr. Bush, fearing to question his foreign and domestic policies in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. Published June 11, 2009
THOMAS: Reagan unveiled
A statue of Ronald Reagan was unveiled last week in the Capitol Rotunda at a time when many Republicans, and even some conservatives, think Mr. Reagan's ideas are passe. Before moving on, Republicans and those conservatives who don't want to "live in the past" should be asked what better ideas they have to offer. Published June 9, 2009
THOMAS: Downfall of an icon
"See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet. America is asking you to call. Drive your Chevrolet through the U.S.A. America's the greatest land of all." Published June 4, 2009
THOMAS: Innocent or ‘infidel’ abroad?
President Obama faces numerous challenges as he heads to Cairo this week for a much-anticipated speech to the Muslim world. Published June 2, 2009
THOMAS: Biography and the law
In introducing his choice to replace Justice David H. Souter on the Supreme Court, President Obama touted Judge Sonia Sotomayor's biography. Published May 28, 2009
THOMAS: Obama at Notre Dame
Put aside the question of whether a distinctly Catholic institution like Notre Dame should award an honorary degree to a man who stands against any restrictions on abortion. Put aside the notion of academic freedom, which liberals favor as an intellectual premise, but rarely practice when it comes to conservative speakers, whom you very rarely see at the lectern at any U.S. commencement ceremonies this time of year. Published May 19, 2009
THOMAS: The titled and entitled
There are titled people in Britain, and then there are people who consider themselves entitled. Published May 12, 2009
THOMAS: A friend for life
Many have commented on the life and legacy of Jack Kemp - the former Buffalo, N.Y., congressman; former vice-presidential candidate, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, former professional football star and a friend for life to all those who knew him. Published May 7, 2009
THOMAS: When the Iron Lady took over
There is a story, probably apocryphal, about Margaret Thatcher who became prime minister 30 years ago this week and led Britain's economic and political revival. Published May 5, 2009
THOMAS: Good riddance from GOP
The return of Sen. Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party (he flipped in 1965 from "Kennedy Democrat" to Republican) is something that should be celebrated by Republicans, at least those who are proud to call themselves conservatives. Mr. Specter is a career politician whose first priority is himself. Published April 30, 2009
