Stealing from Shakespeare, the midterm elections were “much ado about nothing”—if we’re talking about unlawful voting. Despite cries of voter fraud from the right, no one has reported any unlawful voter activity in the midterms. But the Trump administration sure was concerned and threatened to intervene and sent monitors to polling sites. We begin with
Article II allows the president to grant pardons for any offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. The presidential pardon power is among the most absolute authorities granted in the Constitution, and President Donald Trump has abused it. It has been just over a year since Trump issued pardons to the 1500
President Trump has abused the presidential pardon Read Post »
It’s hardly a news flash that Republicans in Congress have failed to confront President Donald Trump about the wrecking ball he is wielding. Maybe they should watch “Band of Brothers” and take stock of the late Senator John McCain’s courage, which I’ll discuss in a minute. First, let’s review what’s going on. Republicans have been
Politicians are enamored with prestige and forget their duty Read Post »
By way of executive orders, President Donald Trump has accused several of American’s largest and most prestigious law firms of substantial misconduct and is punishing them. The firms are left with a Sophie’s choice: either capitulate and strike a deal or risk losing their clients. It’s self-preservation versus standing up to an unprecedented threat to our
It’s a shakedown. Trump is going after “enemy” law firms with relentless vengeance Read Post »
No one seriously questions that our immigration system is broken, but even with plenty of legitimate reasons to support comprehensive reform, Donald Trump chooses to engage in fiction to gain votes. Why? Because lying works; voters don’t question what they hear. And, yes, Democrats also lie. It’s just that Trump has elevated lying to a
Simply blaming Trump for lying is the easy way out Read Post »
Why is it Bishop Earl Fernandes cannot speak the truth? In the May 28 edition of the Dispatch, he again denied that he forced the Paulist priests to leave the Newman Center last year and repeated the fiction they “chose to leave.” The Paulists left because Fernandes would allow them to stay—just two, not all
Bishop can’t speak the truth and is blind to reality Read Post »
I’m intrigued by the theology of Paula White, President Trump’s new spiritual adviser. Let me give you a couple snippets of her belief system and then contrast them with Richard Rohr, a Catholic priest and author. Most striking about White is that she knows what God wants for us politically. If you don’t support
Trump’s spiritual adviser has a direct line to God Read Post »
President Donald Trump warns that the Senate confirmation hearing for Brett Kavanaugh indicates that “it’s a very scary time for young men in America.” Fox journalist Jeanine Pirro believes the left is setting a new standard—“You are guilty until proven innocent”—and that due process, probable cause and reasonable doubt no longer have any meaning. Let’s
Men are no more at risk now than before Read Post »
The Pew Research Center reports that income inequality is at its highest point since 1928. Will it ever substantially improve? Not without a dramatic paradigm shift. From 1979 to 2015, annual wages increased for the bottom 90 percent of Americans by 21 percent, according to the Economic Policy Institute. For the top 1.0 percent, the
U.S. wage gap is not likely to improve Read Post »
Why is it hard to debunk misinformation? Why aren’t people willing to change their minds? Part of the problem lies within our own psyche, and part of the problem is with the news media. Ezra Klein of Vox interviewed Dartmouth University political scientist Brendan Nyhan about our reticence to accept proven facts. The underlying problem
Why it’s hard to debunk misinformation Read Post »
Two years ago, Kathryn Steinle was killed by Jose Garcia Zarate, an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times and had a history of drug convictions. On Nov. 30, Zarate was acquitted in Steinle’s murder trial. President Donald Trump called it “a disgraceful verdict.” It’s a shocking and a horrible result for Steinle’s family,
Trump wrong to criticize judge and jury Read Post »
The mark of a man is his ability to admit his errors. Former governor of Alabama, George Wallace, after trying his best to prevent integration, publicly apologized for his bigotry. Donald Trump, who has displayed at least the same level of bigotry, doesn’t even know he should. The photo you see is from the day
George Wallace and Donald Trump—two bigots, one repentant Read Post »