America’s Institutions Are Cracking and Politics Is Still Swinging the Hammer

Some weeks in American politics feel like someone’s juggling chainsaws while riding a unicycle on a frozen lake: impressive in a terrifying way. This past stretch gave us two reminders of how wobbly our institutions have become: the Pentagon reviewing Senator Mark Kelly’s “illegal orders” video, and Georgia finally dropping its long-simmering 2020 election-interference case…

Strength, Justice, and the Need for Honest Leadership

Yesterday was quite the day for headlines — from military shake-ups to foreign-policy gambles to federal agencies throwing elbows — and each story points to the same underlying truth: America desperately needs clarity, character, and courage from its leaders. Not perfection (only God has that résumé), but a steady moral compass in a moment when…

Washington’s Hobby of Breaking Its Own Rules

America’s political world lately feels like someone shook up a snow globe full of legal controversies, military disputes, and enough accusations of “sedition” to make even the Founding Fathers peek over their spectacles. First, we had Senator Mark Kelly telling U.S. troops to refuse “illegal orders,” then the Pentagon launching an investigation, and now the…

Beirut, Bombs, and the Endless Blame Game

There are two things you can always count on in the Middle East: somebody’s going to launch a rocket, and somebody’s going to swear it was “totally justified, absolutely necessary, and incredibly precise.” It’s like the region’s version of “eat, pray, love,” except it’s more “threaten, strike, retaliate.” Recently Israel carried out a pinpoint airstrike…

America Doesn’t Need More Drama; It Needs Adults in the Room

If there’s a unifying theme in Washington lately, it’s this: everyone wants accountability, just not for themselves. Whether it’s a shaky ethics probe, a cell-phone-records carve-out, a D.C. National Guard face-off, or the Justice Department playing investigator of the investigators, the common thread is that too many leaders seem allergic to the hard work of…

Integrity Isn’t Optional

If the past few weeks in American public life have taught us anything, it’s this: accountability is a universal need, not a partisan accessory. Whether you’re a tech titan, a big-city mayor, a former FBI director, or a Republican getting a little too comfortable in your seat, the same basic truth applies: character matters. And…

Talking to MBS Isn’t the Problem

Jason Rezaian wrote an opinion piece that sounded the alarm about Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, and I get where he’s coming from. But while Jason raises some legitimate concerns — especially about human rights, accountability, and the uneasy symbolism of the whole thing — I think there’s a more balanced way to look…

Truth, Justice, and the Fine Art of Not Looking the Other Way

Washington suddenly seems to be rediscovering the concepts of truth, justice, and responsibility. And honestly? It’s about time. For a town that couldn’t find its own moral compass with a GPS, a map, and three tour guides, we’ll take the progress where we can get it. President Trump’s administration has been busy trying to broker…