Bits & Pieces
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The Problem With Guns
People who know my history might be surprised that I am not antigun. However, I do have some concerns on the subject. The right wing says guns don’t kill people; people do. That’s bullshit. People with guns kill people. On the left the basic argument is that only the Army and law enforcement should have...
Let’s Fix Campaign Financing
Everyone agrees our political system is totally corrupt. The rich and powerful are buying politicians like cotton candy at a carnival. What’s happening in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, New Jersey and at least 11 other states is proof of that. The solution is obvious: campaign finance reform. Get the money out of politics. Make it...
Obama: No, You Can’t!
Mr. President: I’m sure you realize that for the 2012 Presidential campaign you cannot use the same threadbare rhetoric which helped get you elected in 2008. “Yes, We Can” and “The Audacity of Hope” have lost the power they once held. Young voters, black voters, progressive voters and swing voters are no longer seduced by...
Republican Bullshit
The Republicans criticized President Barack Obama for being indecisive, for delegating and for being weak on foreign policy. Obama proved them wrong by personally taking charge of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. He picked one of four plans to neutralize the al-Qaeda leader (arguably the most difficult one), then followed through from command central,...
It’s Still the Economy, Stupid!
I’m worried the U.S. economy is about to slow down drastically. President Obama should be worried too. The signs are not good: The housing market is at its lowest since 2002, the national unemployment rate remains above 9%, and job creation is static. On top of that, the President seems ready to make massive budget...
A Warning From Thomas Jefferson
When it came to setting up our government, Thomas Jefferson had three concerns: tyranny of kings, tyranny of theocrats and tyranny of the wealthy. For the time being we seem to be safe from kings and theocrats. We are not, however, safe from the superrich. Here’s what Jefferson said: “I believe the banking institutions are...
Privacy Revisited
For the average American citizen, the notion of privacy is extinct. Any information you put into cyberspace could come back to bite you in the ass. Retail stores sell your purchase history to third parties without your consent. Social media sites and search engines act as data mines, storing information that could later be accessed...
A Message to the New Generation
Your job has just begun. Every citizen’s number-one duty is to vote. But after you do that, it’s not over. Democracy is a daily struggle. No matter who’s in the top job, you have to keep the heat on. Make your voices heard. Protest injustice, take back the political process and see to it that...
Prostitution is a profession
As the 2012 election went to the wire, the White House candidates had one serious competitor for headlines: the Zumba Madam. Alexis Wright—a fitness instructor in Kennebunk, Maine—had serviced a lengthy list of wellheeled johns for a year and a half before getting busted. To their dismay, Ms. Wright kept accurate records. In Maine, hiring...
Obama’s STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
I am Barack Obama. I am the President. I am relevant. I know who elected me. It wasn’t the rich 1%. It was hardworking Americans, union members and minority groups who haven’t gotten the fair shake they deserve. I will keep the promises I made. My word is good. To the wealth class of this...
It’s Not Just Guns
As traumatic as they are, rampage shootings are now a regular occurrence in our country. Many factors have led to that reality: availability of guns, lack of mental-health treatment, abusive environments, violence in popular culture, the list goes on. There’s no specific reason and no specific solution. As President Obama eloquently stated, “No single law,...
Entitlements Are a Right
Every time the federal government can’t get its fiscal house in order, we start hearing about entitlement reform. Republicans in particular like to use that word entitlement because it sounds like somebody’s getting benefits they don’t deserve. Nothing makes the hardworking Joe angrier than people who think they’re “entitled” to something. Don’t believe the bull....
Why Start Trouble
Some people think I stir up trouble just for the hell of it. But the truth is, I never looked for controversy for controversy’s sake. There’s always been a principle at stake. Twenty-five years ago I was in major-league trouble. I had picked a fight with preacher Jerry Falwell by making fun of him in...
The Pathway is Clear
It’s hard to believe, but even after having their asses handed to them in the last election, Republicans still haven’t gotten the memo on the issue closest to the hearts of America’s fastest-growing group of voters: immigration. With Tea Party extremists still throttling conservative common sense, it’s time for President Obama and the Democrats to...
The First Casualty
There’s been a lot of talk about the death of true journalism. I couldn’t agree more that the trend away from firsthand, on-the-ground reporting is regrettable. But even more alarming is that journalism is now, literally, more deadly than ever. According to multiple sources, including Reporters Without Borders, 2012 was the deadliest year on record...
Hands Off Social Security
For those of us who took President Obama’s pledges of “hope” and “change” seriously, his administration has been a disappointment. But few of his concessions have been as painful as his recent budget proposal to cut Social Security benefits by lowering cost-of-living adjustments. The new measure—dubbed the Chained Consumer Price Index—would hit the most vulnerable...
Don’t Be Ashamed
The recent trend of firing teachers for previously working in the adult industry or posing nude is outrageous. One of them, Olivia Sprauer, was even canned for just being a swimsuit model. This kind of policy belongs to the era of sexual repression, not the 21st century. It’s time to keep backward morality out of...
Justice, Not Vengeance
At press time, Joseph Paul Franklin—the serial murderer who confessed to shooting me in 1978—was scheduled to be executed in Missouri on November 20. People ask me if I’m glad to see him die. I confess, I do feel a certain amount of satisfaction at the idea. But that only confirms my view that capital...
The Real Surveillance Problem
It’s a damn shame we have to rely on dubious characters like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange to ignite a real debate about our Fourth Amendment right to privacy. The ones who should be raising the alarm are our elected representatives in Congress, not some ham-handed whistleblowers. The problem is not that we have a...
Why You Should Vote the Democratic Ticket
Your job has just begun. Every citizen’s number-one duty is to vote. But after you do that, it’s not over. Democracy is a daily struggle. No matter who’s in the top job, you have to keep the heat on. Make your voices heard. Protest injustice, take back the political process and see to it that...
Take Out the Trash
I have a history of exposing politicians, particularly when it comes to their private lives. A juicy sex scandal used to result in a politician being disgraced out of office. His or her political career would be dead. It was a good way to clear out the trash every once in a while. But times...
Order in the Court
I know from personal experience that the most important thing a U.S. President can do is use his power to appoint judges to our country’s most powerful courts. Long after the chief executive has left office, the justices will still be there, making decisions that will affect every aspect of our lives. That’s why obstructionist...
Year of Reckoning
Election year 2014 is upon us, and the time has come to call our representatives to account. In 2013 Republicans in Congress delivered a shameful, unprecedented spectacle of disregard for the American people that cannot be excused or forgotten. This is no longer a matter of a few Tea Party wacko birds. The government shutdown...
