Politicians

When Willie Stark, mayor of a small town in Louisiana, decides to run for governor, he is, at first, the ideal leader for his people. His passionate speeches about improvement and new beginnings are exactly what the residents of rural Louisiana want to hear. Thus, Willie Stark is elected governor of Louisiana. He starts off with great success, although the city folks aren't at all happy with him. And as he gains more and more political power, Willie starts to make numerous promises that he can't keep.

We've been through this before, but once again there is a move afoot to fit a stone that's carved with the Ten Commandments outside the county courthouse. Once again, for obvious reasons, I vehemently oppose locating the biblical monument on government property. For as any student of our legal system knows, to place the Ten Commandments so close to a seat of government would seriously and irrevocably degrade Moses. Why sully such a great work by putting it in the company of, at the risk of sounding redundant, lawyers, politicians and crooks?

We understand the right of free expression. We, too, understand the right of political speech and the very high bar that exists when it comes to suppressing any aspect of that speech. Robocalls, in our view, clear that bar with some to spare. We do not argue with a politician's right to engage in a robocall campaign. But we believe that a resident should have the right to opt out, just as it's possible to register on a Do Not Call list to block telemarketers. It doesn't help that, as any registered voter with a land line knows by now, robocalls have become synonymous with slime.

Compassion, the forgotten word To the editor: At politically appropriate photo-ops, Republican politicians reach into their bag of political slogans to beguile the public. With semantic sleight of hand they occasionally pull out "compassionate conservatism. " What this really means is that they wish to show compassion to conservatives who think as they do. It is a Republican myth that they represent "compassionate conservatism. " In July, while George W. was on the campaign trail, he spoke to a group of small businessmen.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of traveling to my youngest son's graduation.  It was a time to celebrate the sacrifices and hard work he and the other graduates had to put in to complete their college degrees. We were joined by families who traveled from all over the country to support loved ones as they received the symbol of achievement in their chosen fields of study. However, the event had a bit of a mournful quality to it. At the opening, there were words and a moment of silence for the victims in Newtown, Conn.

A newly-published book containing studies by behavioral psychologists has provided some insight into the human capacity to compartmentalize incongruous beliefs and attitudes that pose conflicts. They explain the disconnect between various sets of ideas as "cognitive dissonance. " This occurs when one holds on simultaneously to sets of ideas even though they are incompatible. Thus Republican politicians try to maintain their poise when they claim to believe in limited government but vote consistently to expand its outreach.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Bill Press, the now ex-host of CNN's lively "Crossfire" who makes his living trying to sort out the truth in the babble of politicians, found himself at the center of the spin cycle Wednesday. Within the last 24 hours, the liberal talk show host learned he had lost his job on the spirited and sometimes rough-and-tumble news show, in which he and conservative commentator Robert Novak debate issues. Press has watched plenty of politicians and other official types lose their jobs and try to put the best face on it. How would he handle it?

Fireworks and politicians seem to go together Why do politicians and fireworks go together? Not sure? Neither am I, but both were blazing away in Hancock last Saturday at the 2006 Barge Bash. The politicians roved the banks of the C&O Canal, almost outnumbering tourists (yes - a slight exaggeration!) enjoying the sights and fun of a unique small-town festival. From the governor's office to the local school board, candidates of all parties and persuasions seemed to be having a good time.