Guns as Dangerous and Privileged Products
There are many special laws that give firearms special privileges compared to anything else in our society. One of the worst is the exemption from ordinary safety regulation by the Consumer Product...
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Fasting for Families and Immigration Reform
I was grateful to be at the beginning of the Fast for Families on November 12. Courageous leaders from many communities were making an incredible sacrifice to remind our leaders what is really at stake...
View ArticleA Balanced View of the Affordable Care Act
A full, fair reckoning of the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will take years. An earlier blog post outlined some of the measures -- such as reductions in rates of uninsurance and...
View ArticleObama Updates His Story About America
When President Obama frames the story of the American dream as one that is harmed by economic inequality, progressives should cheer -- and they should also prepare to sharpen that story and tie it to...
View ArticleReal Journalism vs. Global Big Brother
Every new revelation about the global reach of the National Security Agency underscores that the extremism of the surveillance state has reached gargantuan proportions. The Washington Post just...
View ArticleObamacare: Mismanagement, But Messed Up Politics Too
There is no question that the roll-out of healthcare.gov, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment website, has been a management disaster. The president agrees. The Administration had three-and-a-half...
View ArticlePension Theft: Class War Goes to the Next Stage
In the past two days we've seen a federal judge rule that Detroit can go bankrupt, putting its workers' pensions in jeopardy, and we have seen Illinois' legislature vote for substantial cuts in its...
View ArticleMandela, The United States, And Bahrain
As the eulogies for Nelson Mandela begin to appear it's the perfect moment to reflect on how the U.S. responded to his calls to end apartheid. In the early 1980s I was living illegally in the "Blacks...
View ArticleQuestionable Convictions: Congressman's Cocaine Problem Shows Need for a...
Normally, if a person is convicted of a crime and goes into a drug rehabilitation program, he or she often must cope with harsh consequences. But not if you're a congressman, or for that matter, any...
View ArticleWhy President Obama's Approval Dip Doesn't Matter
There have been some discernible jitters among some Democrats over President Obama's approval rating dive. This shouldn't surprise. 2014 looms big as an election year in which Democrats will have to...
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To Nelson Mandela, My Favorite College Professor
A political prisoner changed my life. That man, now free -- always free, really -- wore number 466 at Robben Island prison in South Africa. Today, he died. I know Nelson Mandela won't have the...
View ArticleToward a Powerful Living Legacy for Nelson Mandela Now
Nelson Mandela's exceptional and exemplary life will produce worldwide celebrations of his extremely unique blend of character, personality and resolve for broad-gauged justice for generations to come....
View ArticleFive Questions Reporters Should Be Asking About Those Cancelled Policies
Americans who have been unable to afford health insurance in the past are finally able to use HealthCare.gov to enroll in a plan that doesn't bust their household budgets. I'm now getting emails from...
View ArticleMandela Was an Inspiration and a Model
You don't meet a lot of people in this world who leave you with a feeling that can only be described as awe. He was a hero to my wife Teresa. We had the honor of sitting with Mandela over the...
View ArticleF-35 Contract May Be the Worst Deal the DOD Has Ever Made
In June of 2013, Time magazine reported that the DOD will have spent $87.5 billion on R&D, Procurement and Initial Spare Parts on the F-35. It also reported that "there is a discernible trend in...
View ArticleEmployers vs. Free Markets: Why the U.S. Needs a Minimum Wage Hike
In a capitalist system, the government should not intervene in free market dynamics, but what if those free market principles fail? On the heels of Black Friday's Walmart worker strikes and historic...
View ArticleUN Public Delegate -- Public Honor for a Private Citizen
NEW YORK - I never joined the armed services, Teach America, or the Peace Corp, but last year, from September through December 2012, I had been given the extraordinary honor of serving my country as a...
View ArticleHere We Go Again
Republicans are hoping to find a star for 2016. It's still three years before the next presidential election but already potential candidates are maneuvering for a shot as the party's top contender....
View ArticleUse America's Strength to Sustain Peace Instead of War
As we celebrate the Christmas season, we should recommit ourselves to avoid conflict and instead, focus on purging violence from our culture in all its manifestations. We must re-employ comity in order...
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