What can you say about the guy? That Ron DeSantis was obnoxious? That he came off as weird? His failure to replace Donald Trump as the likely Republican nominee for president seemed preordained. His mistake was copying Trump’s penchant for cruelty without absorbing any of the ex-president’s talents as a performer. When they were handing […]

No one – or almost no one – can deny that there is an immigration crisis in America. New legislation is needed, including more funding for a fair and effective system for controlling the border and handling the asylum process. In the Senate, key Republicans and Democrats are at least talking together about how to […]

This is a potentially perilous time for our economy and the security of the West. Trade policy with China sits at the center. China is no longer just a trading partner with whom we have differences. It’s become a global adversary using trade to dominate militarily as well as economically. China’s strategy is to flood […]

WASHINGTON – So have you seen the new movie musical, Mean Girls? Here in Washington, we see that show for free in the Capitol. House Republicans seem to attract adult versions of Mean Girls. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is an excellent example, but she’s not alone. Spitting fire, Greene comes from central casting if […]

In the serious business of politics, a little humor can be your best friend. I saw its impact 30 years ago in Austin when a group of young, irreverent democracy activists decided to try limiting corporations that were drowning our local elections in their special-interest campaign cash. The upstart group named their grassroots effort a […]