Aug 11, 2012 | Class Issues, Conservativism, Economic Policy, Elections - Presidential (2012), mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (August 11, 2012) Early this morning, The Huffington Post broke the story that Mitt Romney had selected Paul Ryan to be his vice presidential running mate. In his article, Jon Ward commented that "Ryan is a bold pick who will energize the Republican Party, but putting him on the ticket is fraught with risk and instantly puts Ryan's budget plan front and center in the 2012...
Aug 3, 2012 | Class Issues, Conservativism, Economic Policy, Elections - Presidential (2012), mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (August 3, 2012) According to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, Mitt Romney's proposed tax cuts for the affluent will require him to increase taxes on middle-class families by $2,000 a year. Just in case you missed that the first time: If you are a wage-earner for a middle-class family, Romney would raise your taxes by $2,000. In fact, if you are among the 95% of Americans...
Jul 21, 2012 | Arts and Entertainment, Conservativism, Gun Control, Media Issues, Mental Illness, mic, Political Ideologies
Published: PolicyMic (July 21, 2012) Someone at ABC News needs to be fired. In my article on Mitt Romney's Bain scandal last week, I chided the media for being "pathetic" in its determination to take sides rather than objectively report the facts and demand answers from those in power. One week later, the irresponsibility of our mainstream news outlets has again reared its ugly head, this time...
Jul 14, 2012 | Conservativism, Libertarianism, mic, Political Ideologies, Religion and Religious Issues
Published: PolicyMic (July 14, 2012) When I read that a California pastor had declared "God wants Ron Paul to be President," I wasn't particularly surprised. For all of the thoughtful and intellectually engaging Paul supporters out there, batches can always be found who believe that the Texas Congressman's presidential ambitions have been sanctified by an infallible higher doctrine. While the...
Jul 13, 2012 | Elections, Elections - Other, Media Issues, Mental Illness, mic, Scandals
Published: The Morning Call (July 13, 2012), PolicyMic (July 13, 2012) To what extent does the public have the right to know about the mental health of its politicians? This is what we should be asking ourselves after the revelation that Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is receiving "intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for a mood disorder." Although his doctor...
Jul 11, 2012 | Conservativism, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans, Scandals
Published: PolicyMic (July 11, 2012) In 1973, Vice President Spiro Agnew was forced to resign due to revelations that he had accepted bribes as Governor of Maryland. Why is this important nearly forty years later? Simple: If Mitt Romney chooses Tim Pawlenty as his running mate, we may have another Agnew on our hands. Before he became Governor of Minnesota, Pawlenty spent two years on the board...
Jul 3, 2012 | Arts and Entertainment, General Advice, mic
Published: PolicyMic (July 3, 2012) The Stephanie Meyers of the world may come and go, but as fans of classic television will happily remind you, only one franchise will ever be truly deserving of the word "Twilight." I refer, of course, to "The Twilight Zone," that timeless anthology of the supernatural that premiered in 1959 and remained on the air for five seasons (156 episodes) before CBS...
Jun 28, 2012 | Democrats, Economic Policy, Health Care Reform, History, Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, President Obama, Supreme Court and Other Judicial Issues
Published: PolicyMic (June 28, 2012) Two months ago, in my editorial detailing the positive legacy President Obama will leave behind at the end of his first term, I deliberately avoided mentioning his health care reform bill, given that it was at that time "on the Supreme Court chopping block." Now that it has been officially deemed constitutional, I think it is important to note the two-fold...
Jun 28, 2012 | Arts and Entertainment, History, Jewish Experiences, mic
Published: PolicyMic (June 28, 2012) As the closing credits started rolling on the new German documentary Auschwitz, I found myself thinking - of all things - of a line from the 2007 Pixar feature Ratatouille, one of my favorite movies: "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We...
Jun 17, 2012 | Gender and Sexism, Health & Wellness (Physical), Love and Dating, mic
Published: PolicyMic (June 17, 2012) I like to eat, and I don't like to move. That is why, roughly one year ago, I was sixty pounds heavier than I am today. For this, I have no one and nothing to blame but myself. In a nation plagued by a worsening obesity epidemic, excuses have become as common as credit card debt, which is why I make a conscious effort to avoid joining the chorus of people...