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Peace isn’t a deal

Columnists

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a quick study in the art of laying it on thick, announced that he was teaming up with Israel’s Knesset speaker to invite parliamentary leaders from around the world to jointly nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize — and for nothing less than inaugurating “a new golden age.” Though refraining from that level of MAGA-fication, Democrats have not stinted on the praise due to Trump for achieving the ceasefire and hostage agreement. Former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden ...

Let Babydog eat cake

Columnists

You’d be forgiven if you were to think that West Virginia only has one U.S. Senator instead of two. Because based on appearances, U.S. Sen. Jim Justice appears to be doing the bare minimum. Sure, Justice is casting votes. If he has missed any, I’m unaware. The same goes for committee meetings. Justice is attending meetings, casting votes, and sometimes making speeches, though many times those speeches have little to do with whatever the committee is discussing that day. But is doing the bare minimum enough? One of my favorite movies is “Office Space.” In one scene, a server ...

Democrats still haven’t learned any lessons

Columnists

On Thursday, Senate Democrats voted for the 10th time to prolong the federal government shutdown. They also voted against funding the military, thereby necessitating that the Pentagon initiate some innovative accounting in order to ensure service members are paid on time. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) defended his caucus’s latest vote, opining, “It’s always been unacceptable to Democrats to do the defense bill without other bills that have so many things that are important to the American people in terms of health care, in terms of housing, in terms of safety.” ...

Showing up: Presence makes a difference

Columnists

Leaders underestimate their impact in showing up. Why? I find most leaders do not see themselves as special. They see themselves as being the same as others.  A highlight of my career was working with the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Floyd (Fred) Loop, the CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) at the time, hired my company. (Dr. Loop is no longer with us physically; however, his impact lives on.) He referred to the work as “providing world-class care.” Dr. Loop was a private person. For the kickoff of the engagement session, a daylong event that included presentations from me ...

Back in time

Columnists

As I peruse the numerous news networks, it feels as if October 1973 has miraculously reappeared. The President of the United States is trying to end a Middle East conflict, but must deal with the repercussions of an “enemies’ list.” Despite having a reasonably stable economy, the President manages to provoke a domestic and foreign policy crisis. No, that president is not Donald Trump. It is Richard Nixon. But the parallel problems are similar, though not exactly the same. Karl Marx once quipped, comparing Napoleon the Third with his uncle’s enterprise to seize power in France, ...

Gridlock

Editorials

This week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced that the state will extend its “donor agreement” to keep open the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. At $7,000 a day, Morrisey is likely correct that such a decision is worth the money, given the consequences if New River was to be closed for Bridge Day, or visitors were disappointed when they tried to visit our parks during what should be peak leaf-viewing season. “The political gridlock in Washington, it’s hurting a lot of people, but we took swift action in one area where we felt ...