Monthly Archives: August 2019

Bernie Sanders was right: David Koch’s death is not cause for celebration

I’ve got to give Bernie Sanders credit. Last week, one of the favorite boogeymen of the American left passed away. David Koch was a phenomenally successful business leader and generous philanthropist who also happened to be politically active. He espoused a strongly libertarian philosophy, even running for vice president under the Libertarian Party banner in 1980 […]

Satire lets us laugh at our politics

Satire. It is one of the most powerful tools in politics. After all, governing is serious business; laws are implicitly and explicitly backed by the threat of force. When humor is brought to the intellectual battlefield, it diminishes the stature of the satirist’s opponent. For millennia, it has been part of western social discourse. Literary scholars […]

How about some caution in court of public opinion

Between the horrific shootings in Ohio and Texas and Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide, much of the news cycle and public debate has been caught up in the reaction. It is understandable.  When innocent people lose their lives because of maniacal gun violence, policy proposals flow forth. When an individual accused of horrific sex crimes — […]

You know what Maine needs? More pork.

Maine offered a new spin on an old saw this week. Everyone knows about “pork barrel” politics, where elected officials effectively bribe taxpayers with their own money. It describes a scenario where a legislator works to get a pet project funded for political gain and glory. This week saw the introduction of “pork freezer” politics. […]

Compromise isn’t always a good thing

Compromise. It’s one of those magical words in politics. It is used as a paean to unity and a sword with which to cut through partisanship. Everything would get better if we just … compromised. It is never quite that easy. We kicked off Maine’s bicentennial celebration this past week. July 26 was the anniversary of […]