CNN political analyst Bill Schneider makes an interesting assertion in National Journal.

Because Barack Obama is more popular than his policy proposals — especially, it seems, his health care reform plan — Schneider sees his campaign as more about him than it is about his policy. The strat…

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From all the accounts I have read, Monday, Aug. 1, 1966 started out as a pretty ordinary, sweltering midsummer day in Austin, Texas.

I've never lived in Austin, but I've lived through enough Texas summers to know that, on a typical July or August day in Texas, the highs can/…

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I've been writing a blog for nearly two years now.

In late June, one of the editors at Salon.com contacted me by e–mail, asking me if I would agree to have my blog entries posted at Open Salon as well. I wouldn't have to do anything special, I was assured. Once… Read full post »

I was sad to learn a few hours ago that former Filipino President Corazon Aquino has died of colon cancer at the age of 76.

A couple of years after Geraldine Ferraro made history in the United States by becoming the first woman on a major party's national ticket, Aquino made the…

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I've been reading something today that I find intriguing yet puzzling. It's an article by Dan Balz in the Washington Post.

A little background is in order here. Yesterday, I wrote about a focus group in Maryland. Even the participants who didn't vote for Barack Obama in last year's election spoke high… Read full post »

It gets hot here in Texas in the summer.

I grew up in Arkansas, but my parents were born and raised in Texas so we always came here for holidays and summer vacations when I was growing up. And, for as long as I can remember, I've liked Phil Sheridan's observation —… Read full post »

But, she continues, "the more they talked, the more it made sense. After all, they are seeing a lot of him." There is, as pollster Peter…

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Normally, I like to use this blog to write about current events or anniversaries of historic events.

I love history. I've loved history since I was a child. Maybe that's because history is really a bunch of stories about people and places. I guess that, more than anything, is why I studied… Read full post »

 

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Barbara Jordan addresses the House Judiciary Committee.

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Today is the 35th anniversary of an important event in American history.

On this day in 1974, the House Judiciary Committee approved, by a 27–11 vote, the first article of impeachment against Richard Nixon. The article de… Read full post »

I've never really been sure how I felt about Sarah Palin.

Granted, I had my doubts about putting a former mayor and a first–term governor a heartbeat away from the presidency (although it wouldn't exactly have been a first for America — that sounds a lot like Calvin Coolidge's political r&… Read full post »

On Wednesday, July 18, 1984, the attention of Americans was drawn to a lot of things.

Some Americans were focused on the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, where Geraldine Ferraro was being nominated for vice president. Until Sarah Palin was chosen to be John McCain's running mate l…

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There's an old saying that goes like this: If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

I don't know if that went through the minds of the voters in Oakland, Calif., this week. But the folks in Oakland voted, by a landslide, to tax proceeds on medical marijuana.

That's… Read full post »

When I was a boy, George Carlin was building a reputation as — in my opinion — the best comedian alive.

Much of his reputation was established by his routines about words, language, clichés. That wasn't how his career began. If you go back and listen to his earliest albums, you'll h… Read full post »

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The historic journey of Apollo 11 came to its conclusion 40 years ago today.

It's been a long time since America sent a crew into space in anything other than a space shuttle. I guess you'd have to be over a certain age to remember a time when America's returning/…

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"Grant that I may not criticize my neighbor until I have walked a mile in his moccasins."

Indian prayer

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I learned many things in journalism school — the most important, probably, were the nuts and bolts of news writing and news editing.

I carried those lessons with me into most of the jo…

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These days, discussions about the economy and unemployment and all those issues seem to be handled in the abstract.

That may be the toughest part of it for the people who are affected by the bad economy. And, unfortunately, I am one of those…

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"... conferrin' with the flowers, consultin' with the rain ..."

Well, that makes about as much sense to me as some of the things I'm witnessing.

Here's a good example. Today, Fed chief Ben Bernanke told Congress that the pace of the economic decline appears to have slowed,…

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Nearly 1½ years ago, I wrote on this blog about the need for truth from the next occupant of the Oval Office.

At the time, of course, no one knew who that would be. It was all but certain that John McCain would be the next Republican presidential nominee, and Barack Obama…

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I don't know how long my life will last, but I think I will always remember the night of July 20, 1969.

And I think anyone who is old enough to remember that day will say the same thing. My brother, for example, was 6 years old, and I'm sure/…

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When I was a teenager, there was a song by a popular band of the time that was titled, "Riding the Storm Out."

It might be a pretty good anthem for those who have been hammered by the current recession.

I know the millions of unemployed Americans are yearning for a time when,… Read full post »

I've been writing all my life.

When I say that, I'm not joking. I started learning the written alphabet and writing, under my mother's supervision, before I entered kindergarten. No one appreciates a well–turned phrase more than I do, and it's always pleasing when it appears…

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So far this year, we've lost two of the greats from broadcast journalism when I was growing up — Irving R. Levine in March and now Walter Cronkite.

When Levine died, I noted that "He was finicky about his sign–off." That was a reference to his insistence upon including his m…

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It is hardly surprising that, these days, a lot of people want to know what's coming. So many people feel like they were broad—sided by the bad economy, whether they were business owners who saw a sharp decline in business or rank–and–file employees who lost their jobs through…

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It's almost impossible for me to describe my feelings upon hearing today that Walter Cronkite has died of cerebrovascular disease.

He was known as the "most trusted man in America." To many Americans, he was "Uncle Walter," as trustworthy and dependable as the sunrise.

He lived a long life. H/…

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It was reported today that Michigan became the first state in a quarter of a century to exceed 15% unemployment.

In fact, as CNN observes, Michigan has had the nation's highest unemployment rate for 12 consecutive months. That isn't the sort of list that any state wants to be leading.

Let's let that… Read full post »