What happened to that peace dividend?

With the Cold War being waged for more than half my life, I was among the many millions fascinated with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Twenty years ago today, the East German government — intentionally or not — opened up its borders. For most, it is also perhaps the most substantive symbol of the [...]

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Why we must fix our immigration system

Ranging a bit far afield from the usual topics of this blog but dealing with a subject of professional interest, a couple recent items reinforced this country’s problem with immigration. It isn’t illegal immigrants — it’s the fact our immigration system is broken.

Our immigration law labyrinth is not only a factor in illegal [...]

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How’s it feel to live in the “freest” state?

Do you feel it? We South Dakotans have the most personal freedom in the country, at least according to a new study by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Technically, we are third but the two political science professors who authored the study say South Dakota is in “a virtual tie” with New Hampshire [...]

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Don’t the tea baggers like water?

I try to stay away from politics. But sometimes I can’t, such as when its sanctimony is on display in adjoining headlines on two local front page stories in this morning’s local daily.

Headline 1: “Thousands protest federal spending”

Headline 2: “Water project reaps windfall”

That’s right. We held a tea party to haughtily throw [...]

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Blog Action Day: FDR’s “second Bill of Rights”

Although I strive to stay away from the political, the events of recent weeks, the presidential election and the focus of this year’s Blog Action Day force me to a brief diversion. Recently, I am almost daily reminded of what many call Franklin Roosevelt’s proposal for a “second Bill of Rights.” I think it [...]

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He’d get my vote any day

I missed it when it was published last Friday but the NYT gave Jon Stewart some well-deserved love in a lengthy article asking, Is Jon Stewart the Most Trusted Man in America?. He is in my book and the article makes clear I’m not alone.

It notes that in a 2007 poll by the Pew [...]

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Impeachment politics and the Bar

Politics are undoubtedly a primary topic of debate in bars around the country. It is extremely rare, though, when a political issue becomes a formal topic of debate and discussion for the South Dakota Bar Association. Yet that will be the case when a resolution dealing with the impeachment of Bush and Cheney will be [...]

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Political notes

Just a couple items that came up during and since my NYC trip.

First, the day I left South Dakota Moderate took note of the fact that the Virginia blogger at the Democratic Party-funded Badlands Blue blog was among those protesting the narrow selection of designated state bloggers for the party’s national convention. I do [...]

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DNC: Who needs a true South Dakota blogger?

So the Democratic National Committee has announced the bloggers from each state who will get floor credentials to cover this summer’s Democratic National Convention. And the pick from South Dakota: Badlands Blue.

Guess that shows what the DNC thinks of South Dakota bloggers or South Dakota. As noted a while ago, Badlands Blue was actually [...]

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No lawyers need apply

I received a call at home Tuesday night from an outfit in Michigan whose name I do not recall saying they were looking for a certain number of registered voters to participate in a political focus group. I was initially inclined to tell them to go away but thought maybe it would be interesting to [...]

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