National Republicans
Biden Muted
One bleak visual at the inauguration summed up Joe Biden’s presidency: Biden sat silently – seething inwardly, no doubt – through Trump’s graceless, divisive and mean-spirited speech. For four years, Biden sat almost mute in the White House while Trump trashed everything Biden did to build back America after Trump’s first term. Biden thought the…
Read MoreWhat You Missed
Some of my friends didn’t watch Trump’s inauguration. One went to church. One went to every Martin Luther King Day celebration she could find. One went to an inaugural-free lunch with friends out of town. One dedicated the day to intensive study of the NFL and college football playoffs. I watched for them – and…
Read MoreLost Truth
Back in the old days three TV networks – ABC, NBC, CBS – ruled the news; since all three tilted left, a lot of people often wondered, Is that the truth? Tom Ellis saw a cure. A conservative network. So, forty years ago, he, Jesse Helms, and I sent 900,000 people letters asking them to…
Read MoreBiden’s Warning
In his farewell address, President Biden warned that “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.” The oligarchy isn’t just “taking shape.” It’s taking power Monday. President Trump’s inauguration will…
Read MoreDisaster Duty
Climate change has changed governors’ jobs. They now must be masters of disasters: floods, fires, hurricanes and winter storms. As soon as he was sworn in, Governor Josh Stein signed executive orders for Hurricane Helene relief. He went to hard-hit communities to see the situation and talk to victims. Just like with Roy Cooper eight…
Read MoreThe Past, Never Past, Just Keeps Repeating Itself
The Past, Never Past, Just Keeps Repeating Itself Off and running, campaign racing down the road, Thom Tillis ran head on into two threats: Can he beat Roy Cooper in a General Election? Can he win a primary if Trump opposes him? Three years ago, flailing in the primary, running for Senate, Congressman Ted Budd…
Read MoreBurying Dignity
America inters a decent, honest President and inaugurates a dishonest, indecent President. Jimmy Carter called on the best in us. Donald Trump calls up the worst in us. Carter had humility, empathy and compassion. Trump calls that “weak” and “woke.” Carter called it living his Christian faith. When he was running for President in 1976,…
Read MoreA Price?
Before the election, looking from Trump to Harris, a lot of my friends without hesitation thought, Trump, amen. Trump fit their political world – he’d avoid foreign wars, cure the economy But hardly a soul asked, ‘What’s more important in a president: Politics or Character?’ Sitting in the White House, how does a president’s character…
Read MoreFinding a Genius
Happy, naming cabinet members, on his way back to the White House, Trump says he sees phenomenal days ahead. Oddly, there’s one word you hardly ever hear these days: Covid. People like to forget hard times. But Covid was Trump’s toughest challenge. How’d he do? When the plague first reared its head he told us…
Read MoreStrange Times
He married, divorced, married again, divorced again, married his second wife again (his third marriage), divorced her again, had children with 2 women he didn’t marry, had 12 children in all. When a Twitter post rapped him, angry he tweeted back, Take a step back and F*%# YOURSELF in the face. Answering that angry tweet,…
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