An Empty Chair, 300 Voters, and a Congressman Who Didn’t Show Up
Republican Congressman skips NAACP candidate forum as Democratic challenger John Vincent takes questions from more than 300 attendees. By Bob Gatty Being a chicken and arrogant at the same time is hardly an admirable combination, especially for someone entrusted with representing hundreds of thousands of Americans in Congress. Yet that is the impression Rep. Russell […]
How Angry Are You? PROVE IT!
The November Midterms Are Upon Us by Mark M. Bello So, I’m watching television the other day—what looks like a political ad shows up during the commercial break. Plenty of red, white, and blue. Fireworks. Spotlights sway back and forth. Mount Rushmore. And Donald Trump basks in the glow. Finally, these words flash across the […]
Lean to the Left Podcast Signing Off After Nearly 850 Episodes
By Bob Gatty After nearly 850 episodes, I’ve decided to bring the Lean to the Left podcast to a close, at least for the foreseeable future. This is not a decision I reached lightly. As many of you know, my wife, Jackie, passed away on August 15 after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Since […]
Are Trump Energy Policies Driving Electricity Costs Higher?
By Bob Gatty Americans are paying more to keep the lights on, and conservative leader David Jenkins believes part of the blame lies withDonald Trump’s energy policies that favor expensive fossil fuels over cheaper renewable alternatives. Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, says much of the political rhetoric surrounding wind and solar is badly […]
9/11– 25 Years Later
Despite Challenges, America is still that “Shining City on a Hill” By Mark M. Bello At this moment, twenty-five years ago, I was watching the Today Show. I watched the world change—live. Like millions of Americans, I was startled and confused. A plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York […]
Can Capitalism Be Fixed? Chuck Marvin Says America Needs a Better System
A Radical Tax Overhaul by Bob Gatty America’s political and economic divide often gets framed as a choice between capitalism or socialism, but Chuck Marvin believes that’s a false choice. Marvin, a longtime construction-industry consultant and author of America 5.0: The Principled Revolution Ending Division, says the real problem is not capitalism itself, but a […]
Child Abuse Has Lifelong Costs. Why Aren’t We Doing More?
By Bob Gatty Survivor and advocate Sheryl Hauk says America is paying a tremendous human and financial price for failing to prevent childhood abuse, intervene quickly, and hold abusers accountable. Childhood abuse does not end when childhood does. It can follow survivors into adulthood through damaged relationships, mental and physical health problems, difficulty learning, homelessness, […]
Farewell to Jackie: My Wife, My Best Friend, My Everything
On Saturday, August 15, Jacqueline (Jackie) Cristiano, my beautiful, loving wife, finally succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease after a 10-year struggle. I wanted to share this farewell with you. It was about 5:30 p.m., four days after she had been given “comfort” drugs, a combination of morphine and Lorazepam (Ativan), which put her into a deep […]
VA Claims Vanishing? Veteran Sounds the Alarm
Veterans file claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs expecting the system to determine whether they qualify for benefits they earned through military service. But what happens when the claims apparently never make it into the system at all? Veteran advocate Steve Miller says that is exactly what is happening to some veterans — including […]
Trial by Television
Tony Romo, Due Process, and the NFL’s Hypocrisy on Drinking by Mark M. Bello Every year, thousands of innocent people are injured or killed by impaired drivers. In most cases, those drivers are charged with a crime and often face stiff penalties if convicted by a judge or jury. Recently, former NFL broadcaster and current […]