South Carolina on my Mind

South Carolina on my Mind

Yet another Republican ABM (Anybody But Mitt) candidate has experienced failure to launch. The Newt Gingrich rocket that seemed oh-so-formidable just a few weeks ago didn’t survive an avalanche of negative ads financed by stealth Romney money in Iowa. It crashed...

Reading Frog Entrails

The Iowa caucuses may be over by the time you read this. But it doesn’t matter. The caucuses are the second-most fraudulent event on the nation’s political calendar. The first, of course, is the Ames Straw Poll. It’s entirely meaningless, but...
You Can’t Milk a Butter Cow

You Can’t Milk a Butter Cow

Tim Pawlenty, erstwhile governor of Minnesota, gave up his bid for the presidency after finishing third in Iowa’s Ames Straw Poll, shocking the vast majority of Americans who didn’t know he was running. I don’t know whether it was a wise move or not,...
Casino Crops

Casino Crops

Thanks to decades of deregulated agriculture, markets for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and other farm commodities have become high-stakes casinos. If family farmers are to be stewards of the land and safe, nutritious local supplies of food are what we want, then we...