by John L Micek

Trump found his replacement for Roy Cohn

When Trump ran into trouble during his first term, he reportedly cried out, “Where’s my Roy Cohn?!” Alas, his favorite thug-fixer-lawyer had been dead since 1986 (having perished just six weeks after he was disbarred for fraud). Nobody in Trum..

October 14, 2025

I’m a fan of the new pope, but he got this one wrong

The two great debates of my lifetime have been the following: “Is it gravy or sauce” and “Can a pro-lifer support the death penalty.” The first conundrum is more controversial in my family. The second doesn’t have the philosophical gravita..

October 13, 2025

Fake authentic stuff

It’s called “messy authenticity,” and it’s the latest trend to clearly demonstrate America has lost its collective mind. Looking for a Maison Margiela sweater with unfinished threads and gaping holes? It’ll cost you nearly $1,500. How abou..

A different way to rank colleges

Do Boricua College, Bluefield State University, Elizabeth City State University, and Mississippi University for Women sound familiar to you? They are all part of Washington Monthly’s list of the best 25 colleges and universities in 2025. Over the ..

October 10, 2025

Shutdown drags on: Top ten cartoons of the week

The government shutdown grinds forward, with no end in sight and no deal on the horizon to bring together Republicans and Democrats. In other words, it's a mess, which isn't exactly new for Washington. Gary McCoy's shutdown cartoon, featuring a stude..

October 9, 2025

The Peacemaker in chief

Making Sense By Michael Reagan It was fun watching Kaitlin Collins of CNN the other day as she marveled at Donald Trump’s boundless energy and accessibility. Collins recently said Trump – unlike his sleepy and media-shy predecessor -- hardly eve..

Save our cryptids

Legend has it a fearsome beast roams the Pine Barrens, a beast with a horned head and goat hooves. Its screams are enough to make one’s blood run cold. It’s said to attack unsuspecting campers. It is the Jersey Devil, and like other cryptids, it..

October 8, 2025

Do you believe in coincidences?

Tyrades! by Danny Tyree “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” - Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca.” I am perturbed by the recent rash of interviewees who enlighten mere peons with the blanket declarat..

Hope for civility?

Civility is making headlines again — that lack of it, that is. Recent surveys by workplace-research firms, such as Sogolytics and the Society for Human Resource Management, suggest that nearly half of Americans have witnessed or experienced incivi..

October 6, 2025

Dolce vita! Celebrating Columbus Day all month

I grew up calling myself “Italian.” I never used “Italian-American,” partly because it’s fairly obvious that I am American and also because I didn’t want any grief from the tedious people who say things like “Why do you hyphenate yours..

MAGA has perfected the unrepentant lie

Politicians have been lying since the dawn of our formerly vibrant democracy. Random examples abound. John Adams and his pamphleteering surrogates said that Thomas Jefferson if elected would shut down all the churches. JFK tried to pump up his anti-..

October 5, 2025

Shutdown circus: Top ten cartoons of the week

What's left to say about the government shutdown and our broken politics in the nation's capital? Because Republicans and Democrats can't get together to accomplish the most basic task of keeping the federal lights on, tens of thousands of government..

October 2, 2025

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