Dr. ESP Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. ~George Santayana It was August 1999. Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan hosted the National Governors Association annual meeting in St. Louis. I was there. I ran into PBS NewsHour political commentator Mark Shields on an elevator. He asked if I knew why the Republican … Read more
Yesterday, the world bore witness to the first public emasculation since August 5, 1305 when Scottish independence leader William Wallace was executed for treason. However, there was one major difference between Wallace and this most recent victim House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Wallace’s punishment was administered following a tribunal in Westminster Hall. McCarthy’s was self-imposed as … Read more
For decades we heard the cry, “NOT IN MY BACKYARD!” You did not need to finish the article or watch the rest of the news broadcast to know what it meant or what it referred to. Communities protesting Section 8 housing in middle class neighborhoods. City residents, although decrying a rise in crime, blocked construction … Read more
The year was 1976. With the exception of Jimmy Carter’s election that November, the year was relatively devoid of significant events. Asking anyone what else happened that year is followed by silence. Even the long-hyped bicentennial celebration is remembered more for its missteps, e.g. the misconceived renovation of Union Station in Washington, D.C., which consisted … Read more
The latest Wall Street Journal poll has Democrats on edge, the headline being Joe Biden and Donald Trump tied at 46-46 in a two-man race. These “Nervous Nellies” should keep THREE things in mind. There are 14 “independent” polling services of which only THREE have Trump tied or ahead. Poll sampling depends on accurately gauging … Read more