January 30th, 2009 03:06pm

GOP wants to close tech gap

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The Wall Street Journal today posts one of the most predictable stories from the 2008 presidential campaign. The National Republican Party, the Journal says, is now determined to become no less tech savvy than the Democrats. Throughout 2008, it was clear that the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama was light years ahead of its rivals in the application of Web sites, e-mail and social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. The … Read More »

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January 22nd, 2009 09:04pm

Government’s penchant for secrecy only adds to the public distrust

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On his first day in office, President Obama said the federal government keeps secrets whenever it finds a defensible reason to do so. In his administration, he promised, that will change. In the coming months, we’ll see if the president keeps his word. When the pressure is on, politicians often forget their commitment to open government. Still, his words represent a refreshing change from the reflexive secrecy of the last administration. With … Read More »

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January 22nd, 2009 02:39pm

The high cost of being a bad credit risk

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The Obama administration is considering a financial bailout for troubled state governments. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hopes that translates into $26 billion for public works projects in California. Meanwhile, state government has mismanaged itself to the brink of bankruptcy. So, here’s the question: Would you trust the state government to manage this federal bailout money? At the very least, Washington must insist that the money will not be used to cover-up … Read More »

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January 19th, 2009 06:29pm

In his quiet moments, what does Obama think about all this?

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Watching the performers pay tribute to him during Sunday’s televised concert at the Lincoln Memorial, I wondered how Barack Obama deals with the adulation and the expectations. How does he keep his head on straight while Tom Hanks, Bono, Tiger Woods, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen and millions of other people are telling him how wonderful he is? How does he manage the anxiety that comes with knowing that billions … Read More »

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January 18th, 2009 11:14am

Slouching toward ‘Armageddon’

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Once upon a time, California built universities, schools, freeways and water projects that were the envy of the world. An ambitious public agenda, advanced by mainstream politicians from both parties, became the engine that drove the state’s prosperity – and made all things possible. During that time, state government paid its bills and managed its business affairs in a responsible fashion. You know, the way grown-ups do. But politics and politicians changed. … Read More »

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January 8th, 2009 11:11am

This time, there is a wolf

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In the last decade, Californians have endured more than their share of melodramas in state government. Perhaps that’s why there is so little uproar about the current mess. Having heard the politicians cry wolf so many times, our reaction is: Ho-hum, another budget crisis. Here’s the problem: There really is a wolf this time. A financial disaster looms. The deficit over the next 17 and a half months is $42 billion. The … Read More »

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January 4th, 2009 11:47am

The year that began in Iowa

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On a frigid New Year’s Eve, more than a thousand people were jammed into the Memorial Union at Iowa State University. The candidate for president was more than an hour late, but no one seemed to mind. When Barack Obama finally took the stage at 9:40 p.m., the faithful applauded and cheered. “In Iowa,” I wrote on my blog later that night, “he’s the closest thing to a rock star.” Obama … Read More »

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