Stars and Stripes Forever
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TSA PreCheck used to offer something priceless: the opportunity to walk past other people while feeling slightly better than them. Keeping your shoes on was merely a bonus. But when the PreCheck line stretches beyond regular security, what exactly have…
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Democratic primaries increasingly resemble an audition in which candidates must inspire the base while reassuring everyone that nothing particularly inspiring will happen. Promise affordable housing? Careful. Universal healthcare? Sounds risky. Suggest spending more on Americans and less on another war?…
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Everyone is watching for a blue wave in November. If one arrives, I suspect it will reflect frustration with Trump and his policies more than newfound affection for Democrats. But another blue wave threatens Florida and the South, one that…
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“Liberty for all” is a stirring slogan. For many conservatives, however, it comes with an asterisk: unless you exercise it in ways they dislike. Want to marry someone of the same sex? Express your sexuality? Live openly as a transgender…
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In a classic Seinfeld episode, George Costanza concludes that every decision he has ever made has been wrong. Jerry offers a solution: “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.” President Trump might…
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Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad against Dr. Amy Acton revealed something disturbing about his character: He considered a survivor’s childhood trauma fair game for political exploitation. The commercial featured Acton’s estranged biological mother calling her daughter a liar. Missing was the…
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The one consistency of Donald Trump’s administration is inconsistency. Principles expire whenever his mood changes or political advantage beckons. Consider Russia. Trump has relaxed sanctions to allow Russian diesel imports, offering Vladimir Putin a financial lifeline while his forces continue…
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Donald Trump seems to believe public service means making the public look at his name. Walk around Washington and you’ll see his face looming over federal buildings, turning institutions that belong to Americans into advertisements for one man. His administration…
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When Dolly Parton died, conservatives joined the mourning. Donald Trump even assured us that she “really liked” him. Naturally, he found a way to make her passing about himself. But loving Dolly’s music and embracing her values are different things.…
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To celebrate 250 years of American independence, Donald Trump brought cage fighting to the White House lawn. Two and a half centuries of democratic aspiration, commemorated with an octagon. Remember when conservatives were aghast that Barack Obama supposedly disgraced the…
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