My Lifelong Struggle With Asperger’s Syndrome

Published: PolicyMic (December 17, 2012)

ow am I supposed to begin an article describing what it’s like to be autistic?

I use the term “autistic” because, although I was officially diagnosed as a child with “high-functioning Asperger’s Syndrome,” the American Psychiatric Association recently voted to remove Asperger’s Syndrome as a separate classification and instead place it under the broader diagnostic umbrella known as the “autism spectrum disorder.”... Read Original Article

Ted Cruz 2016: The Critical Reason the Texas Senator Will Not Be President

Published: PolicyMic (December 1, 2012)

The only thing worse than laziness is contagious laziness.

I refer you to the following headlines from Fox News and Politico:

“Ted Cruz Speech Fuels 2016 Presidential Run Speculation”

“Ted Cruz Speech Stokes 2016 Speculation”

Ted Cruz, for those of you fortunate enough to not be up-to-date on your Tea Party demagogues, is the Senator-elect from Texas.... Read Original Article

Fiscal Cliff 2013: Mitt Romney Has A Chance To Be The Hero

Published: PolicyMic (November 30, 2012)

I have no idea whether Mitt Romney will ever see this editorial. While I do know at least one of my articles was noticed by the erstwhile Republican candidate’s inner circle (a piece from six months ago that drew complaints from his former foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell), that hardly assures that anything else I write will make its way to him.

... Read Original Article

Fiscal Cliff Deadline: 5 Reasons We Should Celebrate Republicans Opting for Higher Taxes

Published: PolicyMic (November 29, 2012)

The impending so-called “fiscal cliff” has not been kind to Grover Norquist.

As political junkies are well aware, the conservative lobbyist who founded Americans for Tax Reform is best known for pressuring Republican politicians to sign his Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which puts signatories on the record as vowing to never support marginal income tax increases, as well as refrain from reducing or eliminating deductions or credits without matching tax rate reductions.

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Petraeus Affair: Democrats and Republicans Both Find Bipartisanship in Infidelity”

Published: PolicyMic (November 27, 2012)

This may seem odd coming from the pen of a liberal Democrat (er, keyboard), but here it goes: Gerald Ford is my favorite president of the past forty years.

There are plenty of good reasons for liberals to admire Ford. Foremost among them is the fact that he was the last genuinely moderate Republican to inhabit the White House, with his battle against Ronald Reagan in the 1976 presidential primaries marking the final time a centrist obtained the top slot on the GOP national ticket without making egregious concessions to the party’s fringe elements (ironically, Reagan himself would be considered insufficiently conservative by many Republicans today).

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Happy Birthday Joe Biden: Tribute to the Man Who Helped Obama Get Reelected

Published: The Morning Call (November 20, 2012), PolicyMic (November 20, 2012)

In honor of Joe Biden’s 70th birthday, I think it’s time he received credit for the indispensable role he played in Barack Obama’s re-election.

Flash back to the week after the first presidential debate. Romney was widely believed to have triumphed over Obama in that forensic exhibition, due in large part to the president’s disinterested showing.

... Read Original Article