Column

At one point, polls showed the odds of recalling California Gov. Gavin Newsom looked 50-50. It was at that point that the scared, embattled governor sent out a mayday call to Hollywood and to Democratic outsiders, including former President Barack Obama. The Hollywood Reporter -- three weeks before the date of the recall vote -- published a piece with the headline: “Facing Recall,…

Washington -- One of the unsung prophets of Aukus last week was the great British historian Andrew Roberts, who soon will be recognized throughout the English-speaking world as the man who has attempted to retrieve the reputation of King George III from the sneers of ... well, of people like me. His biography of George III will come out in early November, and of course, I have not had a chance…

Twenty-two-year-old Gabby Petito is dead. Authorities found her body in Wyoming. Her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, returned home to Florida after Petito went missing on their cross-country excursion through national parks. Laundrie subsequently walked off into a wilderness preserve, presumably to flee from authorities who now wish to question him. The story broke a week ago. It sailed past me…

Washington -- Or should I dateline this column "Mid-Atlantic" or just "On the Ground at Heathrow?" Whatever, I feel this column is being written at 35,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, and I am anticipating great fun when I arrive in London. London is always great fun: nightclubs, restaurants, dozens of literate friends -- even a few useful lectures and concerts. Years ago, I could boast of…

LOS ANGELES — Forget what you hear most pundits saying about last week’s recall election that failed to unseat California Governor Gavin Newsom. Some Democrats think because Newsom ran on an anti-Trump platform that will bring the party success — or cause them less damage — in the next two elections. They are wrong. The real story is the slow but gaining-in-speed exodus from California to…

Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was so worried then-President Donald Trump might launch a surprise attack against China that he reached out to his Chinese counterpart and assured General Li Zuocheng that Milley would preemptively warn China. That, at least, is the salacious allegation in the new book, “Peril,” co-written by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. “General…

The lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II wrote many beautiful songs for Broadway musicals. One that was not beautiful, but powerful for what it said about race relations in 1949 when the show opened was “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.” The song was about being taught to hate. You also must be taught to love. In 2021 America, it looks increasingly like hate is winning.

Washington -- How did the weekend that commemorated the 20th anniversary of 9/11 -- America's Pearl Harbor for the 21st century -- go for you? There were huge American flags draping the skyscrapers of northern Virginia. The streets below, however, were relatively deserted. Across the river, there was a more traditional scene. Groups of tourists were parading around the remaining statues of…

Today's politicians want to spend more on EVERYTHING: Amtrak subsidies, sports stadium subsidies, green energy subsidies, even fossil fuel subsidies ... President Joe Biden says the handouts will "put more money in your pocket." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims they will "protect the planet for the children." They might. But a disproportionate amount of the money will end up in the hands of…

In 1629, frustrated by the unwillingness of Parliament to grant him taxation power, King Charles I of England dissolved the body and had nine members arrested. He did not recall Parliament for over a decade. The intervening period, known as Personal Rule, saw Charles I govern as a de facto dictator, with only a body of councilors to advise him. In 1640, forced by military necessity from…

Responding to Democrats in her party who are troubled by the massive $3.5 trillion spending bill that would forever transform America into a debtor nation, Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked a question: “Where would you cut?” Her question carries with it a conceit held by many contemporary politicians that every government program is sacred and must not be touched. Even suggesting that a decrease in…

Washington -- How could a comic figure from the world of politics such as President Joe Biden suddenly become such a tragic figure on the American scene? One minute he is bringing all civilized observers to laughter by telling Katie Couric that former President Franklin Roosevelt dealt with the 1929 stock market crash by getting "on television" and reassuring his fellow Americans as only FDR…

Are you a racist? All white people are, says "White Fragility" author Robin DiAngelo. Race explains everything, says bestselling "How to Be an Antiracist" author Ibram X. Kendi. "Every policy is either racist or anti-racist." Kendi's and DiAngelo's books are now recommended reading at schools, corporations and in the military. Both authors command high speaking fees. Isn't that good?…

The American media tends to consist of highly educated individuals, many of whom went to elite academic institutions. They tend to congregate in large urban environments surrounded by like-minded people who have similar interests and worldviews. The result is a media that is urban, coastal, secular and progressive. Good reporters tend to be mindful of their biases. Most reporters do not. In…