Category: Commentary

We, the American public, hold it as an article of faith that those responsible for devising and implementing public policy have our best interests at heart. Our best minds are hard at work, striving to make the world a better place. Our elected officials are dedicated to protecting our freedoms, increasing our prosperity, and securing justice for […]

As a senior member of the Joint Economic Committee, I have been giving close attention to the work of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform – and, especially, to recent suggestions made by the Commission’s co-chairs, former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, former chief of staff to President Clinton. Needless to […]

At this time of year, many people overindulge, whether it’s overeating or drinking too much at holiday parties or spending too much on gifts and decorations. You’ll regret the former the next morning; but with overspending you may not feel the hangover effect until the bills come due in January. Here are a few tips […]

(NNPA) — President Obama should set the tone for his next two years by insisting that the Bush tax cuts remain in place temporarily for 98 percent of Americans, but not the top 2 percent who already enjoy a disproportionate share of the benefits.  All signs are pointing to the president caving in to obstinate […]

Gimme a break, Bristol over Brandy? Not only did the Tea Party dramatize its red voting power in the recent mid term elections, but it now has shown its clout in the voting for who reigns on the hit TV show “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) dance floor. How else could Bristol Palin Cha-Cha-Cha her […]

It took years to make the United Nations’ newest agency, UN Women, a reality, and then just one day to effectively kill it. Death was effected by allowing onto  its board a kingdom where women are not just infamously prohibited from  driving but are also virtual minors who need a male guardian’s  permission to travel […]

With a lame duck session of Congress convening next week, everyone is talking about whether the Bush tax cuts should be extended or allowed to expire at the end of this year. Republicans argue that if the cuts are allowed to expire, that amounts to a tax increase.  Democrats want to continue the cuts for […]

Over the last decade, we’ve seen repeated efforts to suppress voter turnout. Unfortunately, this year was no different. On Election Day, Nov. 2, tens of thousands of Marylanders received phone calls telling them that “Governor O’Malley and President Obama have been successful” and to “relax, everything is fine.” The call went on to say that […]

The time: Late 2003 The place: A newsroom in Washington, D.C. The event: A veteran Republican senator dispatches a news release, announcing the authorization of a new, jobs-making project in the state he represents. The upside: News like that will be to the politician’s benefit because the voters like their man in Washington to deliver […]

(NNPA) — For Republicans, the Nov. 2 midterm elections were about 2012, not 2010.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made that clear in a speech to the Heritage Foundation.  He said, “…The fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace the health spending bill, to end the bailouts, cut spending and […]

The Senate’s Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, was quoted by the National Journal recently as declaring: “The single most important thing want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” This, to me, is a misguided priority. As the elected public servants of the American people, our challenge and our duty to our […]

For decades the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People fought the good fight against racial discrimination. The organization was instrumental in defeating Jim Crow and discrimination in the workplace; it led the charge in establishing voting rights for all and equal access to quality education. Even now the NAACP does some good work in local […]