Ignore that…

Hitler rose to power; across the Atlantic Ocean in America banks shuttered, out of work fathers stood in bread lines, the Great Depression deepened. German stormtroopers marched into the Rhineland, Austria, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia – standing in bread lines people shook their heads, Hitler doesn’t matter to us. Hitler rolled tanks into Poland, Belgium, Holland, France,…

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Iran

Back when the Shah ruled Iran Ali Khamenei was arrested six times, exiled. The Shah fell, Khamenei returned home, became president of Iran. An assassin set a tape recorder with a bomb inside in front of him – the bomb exploded, mutilated his arm. After Iran’s first Ayatollah died, Khamenei became the Supreme Leader. His…

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The New Era

Ukraine. Israel. Two wars that look different but have a lot in common. In both wars China, Russia, and Iran are on one side – while we’re on the other. China, Russia, and Iran are all dictatorships – while we’re a democracy. Three decades of peace followed the end of the Cold War – a…

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An Old Problem

Years ago sitting in a Republican convention I stared at a stranger standing at a microphone – I had no idea who he was but we were on opposite sides and when he finished speaking I had no doubt he’d handed us a problem. Back then Bob Orr was what I called a Mountain Republican.…

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Biden’s Pause

Twenty-nine hundred Americans died on 9/11. Twelve hundred Israelis died on October 7. A week ago White House spokesman John Kirby voice purring told Meet the Press about Biden’s “intense effort” to get Israel to “pause” its war with Hamas. “We are still working it really hard, hour by hour, to see if we can…

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Politics Takes Control

After Roe vs. Wade for decades Republicans said, ‘Taking an innocent life is wrong. A fetus is alive. We can’t do that.’ After the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, Republicans lost elections in 2022 and 2023 – eyes locked on the next election Republican political gurus started telling candidates: Voters don’t like banning abortions…

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A Forgotten Memory

The first speech I heard Ronald Reagan make was six weeks after Russian tanks rolled into Saigon in 1975 and we lost the Vietnam War. Voice mellow, soothing, humble, his speech wasn’t a history lesson it was a reminiscence, a man telling a story he’d watched, lived through, remembering storm troopers goose-stepping into Vienna, the…

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Abortion

Two Republican candidates Democrats were hammering on abortion asked me before the election last year: “Should I answer those attacks – the party’s telling me to ignore them, that they don’t matter?” I said abortion mattered to swing voters, answer the attacks. Neither did. Both lost. This election Republican political wizards moved from ignoring abortion…

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Time to Turn Back the Clock?

Years ago when President Richard Nixon was in the White House politicians could take unlimited contributions and take corporate contributions. Nixon raised millions. Scowling, ruling Congress, Democrats passed laws that limited campaign donations – no one could give more than $1,000 and corporations couldn’t give at all. Thirty years rolled past. The Supreme Court upended…

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A Pause

To destroy German factories during World War II we bombed Hamburg, Berlin, other cities – bombs killed civilians but bombing tank factories meant fewer American soldiers died. Israel didn’t want a war with Hamas but got one – and it now faces the same choice we did: It bombs Gaza, civilians die, but bombs destroying…

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