The presidential nomination convention season always reminds me of tripping over Governor Lawrence. David Leo Lawrence, the 71-year-old governor of Pennsylvania, headed the state’s delegation to the 1960 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. He, Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley and Governor Pat Brown of California, were the old school political bosses whose control of 231 uncommitted … Read more

Let us score last night’s debate the way our profession mainly does, not analyze whether what candidates say is true, but whether their “narratives” (or lies) are working. Obama’s problem last night was not that he looked down, or tired, or distracted, or even failed to push the hapless Jim Lehrer around as well as … Read more

Obama’s performance in the lst Debate was disappointing because he chose to trade numbers with Romney in some pitiful defensive stance rather than attack the fundamental principles of Romney’s candidacy. Most people barely understood the back and forth about numbers, but they certainly understood that Romney was clearly more confident and aggressive pushing his far … Read more

James Brown once wondered at anti-war protestors who headed for Canada in the 60s – they wanted out of the U.S.; J.B. wanted in. I’m reminded of the distance between him and them, when I try to take the measure of “hard” left disdain for Obama. Especially in the wake of last month’s momentous Healthcare … Read more

What follows are (slightly adapted) excerpts from Harrington’s play about “the unquiet presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson.” Cast of Characters Lyndon Baines Johnson, President of the United States Jack Valenti, Special Assistant to the President Richard Russell, Senator from Georgia Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense J. William Fulbright, Senator from Arkansas Rev. Dr. Martin Luther … Read more

There was a time in my lifetime when an opposition to the economic inequality which fuels the Occupy movement’s fire had a significant champion in this land. But that was long ago, a fog-flogged far away – and burned with more fundamental fervor. In March 1968, when Robert F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for president, … Read more

Rev Howard’s letter in the S. Liar entitled “Newark Schools Need Your Support Now,” is simply a craven and hypocritical fronting for the Charter School takeover, Gov Christie, his Commissioner-Cerf (the out front new inferior-intendent of schools) Cami Anderson, and the far from Honorable Corey Booker, the virtual Mayor of Newark. (Virtual, because he only … Read more