Issues
Signs
Twenty-four years ago newly elected President Bill Clinton had a ‘Disapproval’ rating of 51%, and Democrats lost the next election in a landslide. In 1994 Republican gained 54 seats in Congress. President Trump has a ‘Disapproval’ rating of 58% – 7 points higher than Clinton’s – but, like most people, Republican politicians shrug, That won’t…
Read MoreNo One in Congress…
Republicans won four straight elections campaigning against Obamacare – it was that unpopular. But, now, they’ve laid out their own healthcare plan and guess what: Voters favor Obamacare over the Republican Plan by 2 to 1. Who’d have thought it was possible? Can no one in Congress…fix anything?
Read MoreRedistricting
Only a rare politician can resist it and no politician can cure it;—I first laid eyes on it twenty-six years ago when Jack Hawke asked me to drive over to Republican Headquarters for a meeting with a dozen legislators; an hour later standing around a conference room table covered with maps a legislator – enthusiastically…
Read MoreRevelation
They’re mad. They’re livid. They’re out for blood. One angry Republican said, “We got them the House, we got them the Senate and even the White House and they still can’t get it done. If we leave Ryan and McConnell in charge, nothing’s going to change.” That was the gist of the newspaper story but…
Read MoreMore Harm Than Good
I haven’t seen this much howling and gnashing of teeth since I can’t remember when: Mention the word Russia and The New York Times and the Washington Post start hopping up and down and Anderson Coopers turns steely-eyed while, over on the other side of the aisle, Tucker Carlson turns downright snarky. The liberals are…
Read MoreClick Bait
Most times the roots of blindness – whether it’s blindness due to pride or meanness or fear – run down into the clay-footed soil of human nature but the other day Peggy Noonan spotted an odd phenomenon. Noonan wrote: “News bias now is in part a financial decision.” Back in the old days the New…
Read MoreThe Gift Horse
Sometimes when you expect it least your worst enemy hands you a gift. That just happened to Donald Trump. Trump’s adroit. In the blink of an eye his days of tweeting ‘no meddling’ and ‘no collusion’ vanished. Suddenly, Trump was singing a new song on Twitter: Obama knew about the Russian meddling – but did…
Read MoreCommon Sense in Government
For years Johnston County’s school superintendent accepted fringe benefits as a compliment to his salary then, just before he retired, he turned $94,000 in ‘fringe benefits’ into salary to increase his pension to $143,000. The State Treasurer then told Johnston County, We’re not going to pay that. That’s pension spiking. Johnston County didn’t say, Whoops.…
Read MoreThe Queens Boy Syndrome
Chuck Schumer couldn’t believe his luck – when Trump said he was willing to testify, as fast as Schumer could he said, Come on over to the Senate and we’ll swear you in. A born showman, Donald Trump craves attention. But that need lands him in messes. Once he boasted he drew bigger crowds than…
Read MoreTeacher pay politics
“If teachers were motivated by money, they wouldn’t be teachers.” – A motivated teacher Republican legislators brag about their pay raises for teachers. Governor Cooper says teachers deserve more. But what do teachers want? It’s more than more pay. If you talk with concerned, motivated teachers, they care more about: too much testing arbitrary standards…
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