What does it mean to say you are a patriotic American? For me, patriotism is explained pretty well in Mark Twain’s famous quote: “Patriotism is being loyal to your country all the time and loyal to your government when it deserves it.”
Bob Hertzog's blog
Campaign Choice: McCain or Obama, It is the Lessor of Evils?
*** I got back from the Grand Canyon. The grandkids had a ball, so did Bonnie and I. The view from the Skywalk was spectacular, but expensive. ***
Democrats Disappoint: Earmarks Making a Comeback
Earmarks are making a comeback. Actually, they never went away. Earmarks are known under several names. Some people call them “pork barrel
spending.” Others call them “pet
projects,” but mostly these days they are known as earmarks. Whatever you call them, they are spending designations
which are inserted into an appropriations bill, by an individual Congressperson
or Senator. The earmark requires the
Tim Russert: TV Journalism's Intense Giant
This
is not the post I intended to write today, but I could not fail to
write a word or two about Tim Russert, who died yesterday from a
massive heart attack. To a news junkie like myself, Russert took on the aura of a superhero. He asked the news makers the questions we all wanted to ask and he had the courage to insist on an answer. There’s
no one in the news business -- not Blitzer, not Brokaw, not Rather, not
An Interesting Development in Iraq: Iraqis Want Us to Leave.
Well, here’s an interesting development. Some Iraqi government officials are ready to ask the U.S. to remove its forces from Iraq or to severely limit its operations. They are upset at what they call a demand from the Bush administration the allow about sixty bases in Iraq for an extended period of time.
Dirty Politics: Will This Campaign be Any Different?
We now have a presidential nominee
for both major parties. They both say
they are going to give us a different kind of political campaign. John McCain and Barack Obama have both
promised to present a respectful and civil presidential campaign. Will it really happen? Is it possible that in the months leading up
to November 4th., we will see a campaign in which the candidates
discuss and debate major issue and avoid the low-road politics, to which we
In Our Political Rhetoric, Does Logic Matter?
I wonder if it really matters to people whether or not our
political leaders communicate in logically valid ways. Candidates across the political spectrum regularly
present us with logically fallacious and specious arguments. We will debate the issue but seldom do we
comment on the validity of the arguments. I have spent a good part of my life trying to
teach university students to argue logically and to recognize specious and
fallacious arguments when they occur. As
Will the Real Appeaser Please Stand Up?
The argument of the day, between Barack Obama and John
McCain is over who is best prepared to handle America’s international
interactions with enemies. Obama says he
will “talk with” some foreign government officials who’s international
objectives might be in serious opposition to those of the U.S. McCain says that Obama’s willingness to talk
is appeasement, not much different from the appeasement of Adolf Hitler by Europe just prior to the outbreak of WWII. There are two points I would make about this
argument.
A Lesson in Logic for President Bush
Well there he goes again. President Bush using logic that would get him a D- in any college public speaking class. This morning (May 15th.) President Bush told the Israeli Knesset (without actually mentioning Obama’s name) that Barack Obama is willing to appease terrorist in the same manner that European leaders appeased Hitler prior to WWII.
A Truth Check for John McCain
A new advertisement for Senator John McCain’s bid for the U.S. Presidency says:
“As President, John McCain will:
