Category: National

Hands across the aisle

My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in today's The Virginian-Pilot. As shown in the video in the post below, last night's State of the Union embraced a bit of this by having members of opposite parties sit together. But that was just for show. Despite all of the red meat that gets thrown to supporters, … Continue reading Hands across the aisle →

Thank God for cable

By Steve Vaughan I don't find myself in agreement with George Will often, unless the bow-tied curmudgeon is writing about baseball. Will has an ongoing, and I'd guess premature since  he's had it for 20 years or more, case of grumpy oldmanism. Most Will columns can be summed up succinctly as "Hey, you kids get off my … Continue reading Thank God for cable →

Allen in, Webb?

Multiple sources, including this one, are reporting that former Senator George Allen will announce today that he is running  to reclaim his seat.  As of this writing, Allen's website carries just a message: "Stay tuned." That Allen is running should be of no surprise to anyone who has watched him over the last four years … Continue reading Allen in, Webb? →

Okay, now can we get down to business?

By Steve Vaughan The House of Representatives just got through wasting time debating the repeal of last year's health care reform bill. To no great surprise, the repeal bill passed the GOP-controlled House, 245-189, with every Republican and three Democrats voting to repeal it. The debate and vote were largely symbolic. Democrats control the Senate. … Continue reading Okay, now can we get down to business? →

Don’t surrender to violence

My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in Wednesday's Virginian-Pilot. How many of these kinds of events have we political junkies attended? There but for the grace of God go I. That was one of the many thoughts I had in my head as I watched the coverage of the massacre in Tuscon. And I'll bet … Continue reading Don’t surrender to violence →

Webb at Norfolk Forum

Senator Jim Webb was the second speaker in this season's series of The Norfolk Forum. The Senator discussed three broad themes in his remarks: Reorienting U.S. national security Restoring economic fairness and social justice Reinstituting accountability in government In the context of these themes, the Senator discussed how legislation that he has supported have moved … Continue reading Webb at Norfolk Forum →

No words

I have been glued to the TV and computer for the last few hours since getting a phone call from a friend urging me to turn on the TV. The shooting in Arizona of Rep. Gabby Giffords and others is almost beyond belief. The Congresswoman is expected to survive but five six others, including a … Continue reading No words →

Friday fun: Preamble to the Constitution

In honor of yesterday's reading of the Constitution, here's a little quiz on the Preamble.  I finished it in 1:26. Guess memorizing that thing back in junior high school paid off 😉

JFCOM gone?

Announced today: Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Thursday he will cut $78 billion from the Pentagon's budget in the next five years — money that will come from shrinking the military's ground force, increasing health care premiums for troops and other politically unpopular cost-saving measures. Not specifically mentioned was Joint Forces Command, which is located … Continue reading JFCOM gone? →