Cross-posted at Letters Blogatory. The New York Times published a piece yesterday by an anonymous "senior official in the Trump administration." The official declared himself or herself to be part of the "resistance," a group of senior … [Read more...]
Impeach Trump
Cross-posted at Letters Blogatory. In late 2016, after the election, there was a movement seeking to persuade the electoral college to elect someone other than Mr. Trump president. I had already been arguing here for a long time that … [Read more...]
Prediction: Scott Lively Will Win the MA GOP Gubernatorial Primary
Don’t you dare assume it can’t happen. I could not believe that Frank Phillips of the Boston Globe dismissed the viciously antigay Scott Lively’s chances of an upset victory in the September 4 Massachusetts GOP gubernatorial primary by … [Read more...]
A Demand for Progress on Climate
Like gun violence, chronic poverty and unequal health care coverage, the problem of unchecked greenhouse gas pollution won’t solve itself. As important as local and state efforts to reduce the emissions imperiling our planet are, a … [Read more...]
We Don’t Do That Here
Cross-posted at Letters Blogatory. Americans love parades. My kids and I look forward to the Roslindale Day Parade every year. The local schools send marching bands and dancers. All the local businesses have floats. The politicians are … [Read more...]
On Tuesday, Charlie Baker Won’t Be Able to “Target Trump Without Saying His Name”
The wind beneath Charlie Baker's wings blew again in his State of the Commonwealth address on Tuesday evening, which the assembled members of the Legislature received with standing ovations too numerous to mention. The Governor's poll … [Read more...]
Naivete on the Left
We're familiar, after years and years of it, with the idea of right-wing ideologues coming to Washington and having no idea how to govern. This is what has led to government shutdowns, narrowly-averted defaults on the public debt, and in … [Read more...]
DACA and Congressional Cowardice
This is cross-posted from Letters Blogatory There are hundreds of thousands—maybe more than a million—people living in the United States who entered the United States illegally with their parents when they were children. In the important … [Read more...]
Let’s Look At Poll Data About Trump’s “Populism”
Political reporters and pundits constantly refer to Donald Trump's politics as "populism." The trouble is that Trump and his policies are actually extremely unpopular: Trump: 39% approve, 56% disapprove (Gallup daily tracking … [Read more...]
With Trump at the Helm: “Standby to Roll”
Many years ago I was an enlisted man in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, often underway in the nearby North Atlantic, conducting fisheries patrols. When a change of course was required in rough seas the bridge would pipe the following … [Read more...]