Bacon Is Not a Vegetable

Bacon Is Not a Vegetable

As a vegetarian, I have to walk a fine line. Really, I’m not judging you. But I often find it necessary to establish myself as “not a threat” to meat eaters. I also occasionally bump up against militant vegans. Consider this collision I had the other...
Ryan’s Joke Is on Us

Ryan’s Joke Is on Us

My guess is that Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican Party’s highly touted budget guru, doesn’t have a very tight grip on the concept of irony. Otherwise, why would he choose April Fools’ Day to release the latest version of what the GOP intends to do to...
Death by Stalling

Death by Stalling

Compassion for the dying is gaining traction. It’s about time. In 1948, 37 percent of Americans supported the idea behind the “death with dignity” movement. Last year, 70 percent of us did. While that number leveled off two decades back, how big a majority does...
Close the Paris Hilton Loophole

Close the Paris Hilton Loophole

If our leaders want to balance the budget, here’s a suggestion: Congress can scrap a new “Paris Hilton” giveaway that’s draining billions of federal tax dollars. This giveaway takes the form of a complex tax loophole designed to circumvent the...
Behind the GOP’s Unhealthy Attack

Behind the GOP’s Unhealthy Attack

To borrow a cute term William Safire penned for Spiro Agnew, the “nattering nabobs of negativism” carrying on about the evils of the Affordable Care Act aren’t going to roll back the health insurance overhaul they like to deride as...