The Prisoner of General Petraeus
President Obama is being hailed for toughness in his firing of Gen. McChrystal and brilliance in his replacing him as Afghan field commander with Gen. David Petraeus, who managed the George W. Bush “surge” in Iraq that saved this nation from an ignominious defeat. Herewith, a dissent. By firing a fighting general, beloved of his [...]
McChrystal and the Military Should be Able to Speak Up
On June 23, President Obama fired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan for insubordination. The firing came after Rolling Stone magazine published a profile of McChrystal in which McChrystal dismissed ignoramus Vice President Joe Biden, McChrystal’s aides disparaged President Obama’s “uncomfortable and intimidated” attitude around military figures, and McChrystal’s [...]
Social Issues vs. Fiscal Issues
The media are forever trying to create a division in the Republican Party between those who care most about so-called social issues and those who want priority for fiscal issues. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is the most recent politician to fall into this trap by asserting that the next president “would have to call a [...]
Jimmy Smits’ New Series To Be Spiked with Real-Life Controversy
Expect Jimmy Smits’ forthcoming “Outlaw” drama to be fueled by hot-button issues, attention-grabbing news blasts and tough controversies. That’s the word from the star himself, who points out, “My years of working on ‘The West Wing’ did cement in my mind the fact that there is an audience out there for topical stories…
A Night Out with The Jacksonville Suns
I grew up going to minor league baseball games. Charlotte is the fortunate home of the Charlotte Knights and I have watched many games with a bag of peanuts or ice cream in a mini helmet. Never have I been to a minor league game quite like this one. As part of my Summer in Jacksonville, I decided to check out the Jacksonville Suns…
Obama vs. the U.S. Army
In confiding to Rolling Stone their unflattering opinions of the military acumen of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones, Dick Holbrooke and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, Gen. Stanley McChrystal and his staff were guilty of colossal stupidity. And President Obama had cause to cashier them. Yet his decision to fire McChrystal may [...]
GOP Primary for Governor Could Signal End of Public Financing
Florida voters are being asked whether to continue the state’s public campaign finance system, but even longtime supporters now acknowledge the 23-year-old measure may be irretrievably broken. Want proof, they say? Look at this year’s Republican primary for governor…
Middle School Teacher Sentenced for Sex with Students
A middle school teacher who pleaded guilty to sex with two of her male students was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison – the maximum allowed in her plea agreement – followed by five years sex-offender probation for one charge and 15 years sex-offender probation for another. To avoid a trial, Stephanie Ragusa, 31, had pleaded guilty in April to three counts of lewd and lascivious battery…
Supreme Court Strikes a Blow to Local Gun Bans
WASHINGTON – A divided Supreme Court declared Monday that gun owners may challenge state and city regulations as a violation of their Second Amendment right to bear arms. The decision in the Chicago case opens the door to new lawsuits against gun restrictions nationwide. By a 5-4 vote, the justices reversed a lower court ruling [...]
Today in the World of Sports…
I was somewhat crushed Saturday when the United States lost in extra time to Ghana. With the 2-1 loss, the Americans’ last two World Cup defeats have been to Ghana. My hope was for the U.S. to make it to the knockout stage. But, once we advanced out of the group stage Wednesday, my American attitude emerged. I began to think the quarterfinals or semifinals were practically a given…
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