by jpitney | Sep 9, 2020 | California Politics, Civility, Internet
George Skelton at the Los Angeles Times: Legislators are reflective of the people who elect them — not just in ideology but in behavior. That’s the way it was set up and it works — for better or worse. When people communicate through technology rather than in person,...
by jpitney | Sep 8, 2020 | Congress, Oversight, Presidency, Separation of Powers
Molly E. Reynolds at Lawfare: Often, proposals to increase Congress’s capacity to oversee the executive branch fall victim to partisanship, with members of the president’s party being reluctant to support reforms that limit his power. Importantly, however, several of...
by jpitney | Sep 7, 2020 | Civility, Uncategorized
An editorial in The Casper Star-Tribune: Wyomingites take pride in the fact our state is different than everywhere else. We treasure our slower pace of life, our wide open spaces and the familiarity that comes with small-town life. “Wyoming is what the rest of the...
by jpitney | Sep 6, 2020 | civic virtue, Crime
David French: We know the obligation of the government, but what about the obligation of the citizen? Here’s where we turn to Thomas Jefferson’s rival, John Adams. And Adams gives us the second quote that frames our constitutional republic. Writing to the...
by jpitney | Sep 5, 2020 | Civility, Congress, House of Representatives
Edie Ritter at The Morning Call: In 1978, when my then-husband Don Ritter was first elected to the House of Representatives from the Pennsylvania 15 Congressional seat, the Washington political scene was different than it is now. At that time, members of both parties...
