SOMEWHERE ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL – We’d been climbing steadily uphill for 25 minutes, a deceptively arduous mille. The sweat was pooling in the small… Continue reading
The president’s twin dismissals last week — just days apart — of two highly respected government watchdogs (and an attack on a third) is a… Continue reading
If there’s one sad truth about every tragedy, it’s that people will look around for someone to blame. In 2001, American Muslims found themselves singled… Continue reading
Shortly after President Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, then-White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel got into a bit of hot water when he… Continue reading
You’ve probably never heard of Erica Newland. And if she had her druthers, it’s a safe bet that she would have preferred it stayed that… Continue reading
After a commanding performance in Nevada last weekend, the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination sure does seem to be swinging Bernie Sanders‘ way. With… Continue reading
Susan Collins was absolutely right about this much: President Donald Trump has learned his lesson. And he’s learned it by heart. Thanks to the Senate’s… Continue reading
When future historians look for the last, documented instance of Republican political courage in the Trump imperium, they’ll look to one man: Sen. Mitt Romney.… Continue reading
The next time someone tells you the U.S. Senate is the world’s greatest deliberative body, your answer should be no longer than two words: Marco… Continue reading
More than once, readers have written in, or people have stopped me, to complain about their fellow Americans’ ignorance of the basic functions of government.… Continue reading
When one of the Pennsylvania Legislature’s most conservative members announced her desire to pass “Second Amendment Sanctuary” ordinances that defy state and federal gun laws,… Continue reading
We were on the way to ballet rehearsal. It’s my favorite 30 minutes of the day. It’s a chance to break away from work, and… Continue reading
If you’re celebrating a recent federal appellate court ruling that overturned language in the Affordable Care Act requiring you to have health insurance or pay… Continue reading
In 1994, state Rep. Frank Dermody was a backbench Democrat serving his second term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. That year, the majority-Democrat chamber… Continue reading
It’s not often that you get to watch what conservative author Tom Nichols has called “the death of expertise” unfold in real time. But that’s… Continue reading
You could be forgiven for missing it in the build-up to Thanksgiving and the blizzard of impeachment news, but America’s fact-challenged chief executive was up… Continue reading
The Trump administration’s foreign policy, such as it is, has been described a lot of different ways. But one word that’s never been applied to… Continue reading
