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Mike Pence’s Loud Silence

Mike Pence’s Loud Silence

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“Talk less, smile more.” This is the advice Aaron Burr gives to Alexander Hamilton in the first act of Lin Manuel-Miranda’s remarkable musical. According to Burr, speaking up provides fodder for your enemies. Better to keep your opinions to yourself until you know which way the political winds are blowing. This seems to be the Vice President’s current political strategy. We know Mike Pence saw “Hamiton,” because Brandon Victor Dixon famously took to the stage to make an impassioned plea…

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Mississippi, You Have the Power

Mississippi, You Have the Power

You have the power to propel Mississippi into the future, to show the world that the state is more than a bunch of racists longing for the good ole days. Because, let’s face it, for many Mississippians, the good ole days have yet to arrive.

Please, Don’t Feed the Bully

Please, Don’t Feed the Bully

Bullies are insecure jerks. You know this if you managed to survive your junior high and high school years. Bullies attack because they fear being attacked. Bullies point out perceived flaws in others to deflect examination of their own shortcomings. The best way to deal with a bully is usually to ignore him. It’s easier said than done. Take the bully-in-chief, who delights in slinging adolescent insults. Horse face, dog, fat pig, slob—and these are just a few of the…

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That’s a Deal Breaker

That’s a Deal Breaker

When my husband does something for which he feels he must apologize, I often reassure him by saying, “Don’t worry, that’s not a deal breaker.” My husband, being a good and considerate person, often apologizes for things I wouldn’t even notice. Because of this, I sometimes shout “NOT A DEAL BREAKER!” before he has a chance to apologize. I’m charming like that. This week I read the news about Rep. Duncan Hunter’s indictment for misusing campaign finance funds. I have…

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Trump is Talking About Himself

Trump is Talking About Himself

Trump can’t shut up about ‘collusion’. First it was “no collusion” and now he insists “collusion is not a crime.” I’ll bet he uses the word ‘collusion’ several dozen times a day in both public forums and private conversations. That’s not normal. Trump and his ever more unhinged lawyer Rudy Giuliani are correct: collusion is not a crime. It is, however, the perfect means to commit a number of crimes. People with actual legal expertise have enumerated the many, many…

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The Grand Old (Russian) Party

The Grand Old (Russian) Party

Donald Trump would never have been elected president without the influence of Russia. The Russians may not have changed votes at the ballot box, but they definitely changed voters’ minds. They engaged in a campaign to dupe Americans (and, boy, are we dupable!) into believing that a man with no experience, numerous business failures, and an inability to string together a coherent sentence was a better choice for the Republican nomination than all the other more mainstream candidates. Then, of…

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All the World’s a Stage

All the World’s a Stage

Did you see the president’s press conference on Tuesday? The one where he tried to convince us that he isn’t treasonous, but only careless with language? It was an absurd piece of political theater and it was punctuated by a dramatic, mid-monologue plunge into darkness. I don’t know who’s directing this show, but he or she has a wicked sense of humor. Look at cast member Maria Butina, indicted this week on suspicion of being a Russian spy. Butina charmed…

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Civility is Not the Goal

Civility is Not the Goal

We’re currently seeing numerous calls for civility in dealing with people on the opposite side of the political divide. These calls come from both Democrats and Republicans, though rarely in response to the same things. What passes for civility among friends is considered a grave insult when delivered by your enemy. Civility is an admirable goal. An uncivil society, in which citizens turn against one another instead of working together, will likely fall into chaos. But let’s stop equating civility…

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Let Them Eat Crow

Let Them Eat Crow

I don’t know what all the fuss is about. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant because the owner and the staff of the restaurant didn’t want to serve her. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielson was heckled by fellow diners when she visited a Mexican restaurant. White House advisor Stephen Miller was heckled in a different D.C.-based Mexican restaurant, but you have to figure Miller gets heckled on a daily basis. It probably didn’t…

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