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Those long-hoping, long-enduring members of the liberal intelligentsia are starting to break away from the least-worst mindset that muted their criticisms of Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign.They still believe that the President is far better than his Republican counterpart would have been. Some still believe that sometime, somewhere, Obama will show his liberal…
This is the golden age of muckraking books and documentaries but some of them may have escaped your attention because reviews and promotions cannot keep up with the sheer volume of material. Here are my recommendations for your Holiday and later reading time: 1. Achieving the Impossible by Lois Marie Gibbs; Published by the Center…
The ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus (535-475 BC) said that “character is destiny.” He might have added that “personality is decisive.” Where is Barack Obama in this framework? The venerable historian, James MacGregor Burns, in his book “Transforming Leadership,” drew an important distinction between “transforming and transactional leadership,” and calling Franklin Delano Roosevelt a reflection of…
Before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, December 16, 2009 Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, thank you very much for inviting us to testify today. Today’s topic is welcome and vital. Perhaps the most astounding feature of the trillions of dollars in public supports conferred on the…
Sol Price, founder of the Price Clubs, was often seen as a moderately gruff man but with a heart of gold. He gave large sums of money to job training and other needs of inner city youth and child advocacy groups. He sought to alleviate poverty no matter who were the victims, including afflicted Palestinians.…
President Obama, the Afghan war escalator, received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, and proceeded to deliver his acceptance speech outlining the three criteria for a “just war” which he himself is violating. The criteria are in his words: “If it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the force used…
The House bill too weakly regulates the huge derivatives market, the too-big-to-fail hazard, the executive compensation heist and fails to either provide greater power for shareholders or financial consumers. Reigning in the private credit rating agencies is so weak as to permit substantial continuations of these Wall Street rubber stamps of securities. Moreover the legislation…
Misusing professional cadets at West Point as a political prop, President Barack Obama delivered his speech on the Afghanistan war forcefully but with fearful undertones. He chose to escalate this undeclared war with at least 30,000 more soldiers plus an even larger number of corporate contractors. He chose the path the military-industrial complex wanted. The…
There was something both sad and strange about President Obama’s weak presence in China last week. Sad because he arrived with no seeming goals and left empty handed just after visiting the ancient Great Wall, which he said gave him a perspective on time. Strange because he allowed the Chinese rulers to quarantine his stops…
November 24, 2009 The Honorable Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, Every year, over 40,000 people die on the highways in our country. About 58,000 workers perish due to workplace-related diseases and trauma. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Occupational Safety and Health…