Congress
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Democrats Play Hardball Successfully Over FISA Bill
Needless to say, we can be proud of the work by Congressional Democrats and some Republicans, and of the outcome it is producing regarding the need for a new head of DNI. Effective professional men and women with established resumes of expertise must be the only acceptable heads of the vital departments of our national… Continue reading
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Donald Trump’s Slush Fund Runs Counter To Founding Fathers’ Constitution
Though the particulars and specifics were not known in 2024, a presidential election year, countless voices across the political landscape, including mine, stated that a primary motive for Donald Trump to gain the Oval Office was to grift and make a lot of money. The irony was clear for all to see. His conservative supporters… Continue reading
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This Is What Happens When An Autocrat Is Not Checked By Congress
Congress’s abdication of its constitutional responsibilities has rarely been as conspicuous as in the recent escalation toward armed conflict with Iran. The War Powers Clause was designed as a deliberate constraint, a structural safeguard meant to prevent unilateral martial adventurism by any president. Yet the latest round of strikes—undertaken without deliberation, authorization, or even meaningful… Continue reading
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Living The Imperial Presidency In 2026
Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s The Imperial Presidency was designed to be a warning flare fired across the bow of American democracy, but revisiting it as the new year started in light of Donald Trump’s actions gives it an even sharper edge. I first read this book when living in Sturgeon Bay, during President Reagan’s second term.… Continue reading
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Senator Baldwin Correct: ICE Should Not Operate From Behind Masks
In a democratic society, government power is supposed to be exercised openly. Accountability is not a luxury that can be tossed aside when it is uncomfortable. Yet Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increasingly adopted the practice of covering agents’ faces during operations that we witness daily on newscasts or in our newspapers. ICE agents appear… Continue reading
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Nation Cannot Survive At Shallow End Of Swimming Pool
Somewhere between rereading The Imperial Presidency by Arthur Schlesinger and the daily newspapers, I have been trying to place the lessons of the past into the constant absurdity and irrationality of the present. I am not sure I am making headway in my thinking, but I want to share where I am as of today.… Continue reading
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Local Citizen Writes Cogent Letter For Impeaching Donald Trump To Senator Ron Johnson And Congressman Scott Fitzgerald
Our friend and realtor, Robin Guernsey, wrote a powerfully cogent and timely letter to her federal officials this morning, following the murder on Saturday of an American on the streets of Minneapolis. Before I get to the heart of this column, first, I need to explain the character of the woman who wrote the letter.… Continue reading
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What Must Be Done To Face Our Current Crisis In America?
While reading the newspapers today, I thought about a book I had read decades ago by Arthur Schlesinger. I read it in my 20s while in Door County, a decade after it was published. The Imperial Presidency was written following the twin debacles of Vietnam and Watergate, with an emphasis on what should be the… Continue reading
Caffeinated Politics 