Within a span of eight days, July 4 through July 12, we lost two men we could not afford to lose.  One, the first, was Abner Mikva; the other was John Brademas.  I served in Congress with both men and came to know and admire them even though both were well-left-of-center Democrats (Brademas was the … Continue reading Two Good Men

Politics isn’t everything.  In times of insanity we can fall back on things that are . . . even more insane.  Like sports.  Years ago, when I had my own regular weekly commentary on NPR’s “All Things Considered”, I had the unique freedom to talk about anything I wanted to talk about.  So after weeks… Continue reading Believeland

Years ago, as a magazine editor with a monthly editorial to write, I considered the either-or nature of the political debates of the time and decided to frame my next column around what I called “The Case of the Missing Option”.   In fact, the “missing option” is a pretty good description of the way most… Continue reading The Missing Option

For years, in an attempt to spur more political participation, I’ve told audiences and readers that democracy is not a spectator sport.  I felt that I was giving good advice: if you really care who wins the political battles, don’t just complain, put on a uniform and get in the game.  I see now how… Continue reading Politics is not a sport