Tag Archives: Kathy Byrnes

The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon

Posted on by

Bill and I discuss his new book, The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon. It’s an intriguing title, and the book’s sub-title is perhaps even more intriguing:

“A graying American looks back at his suburban boyhood and wonders what the hell happened.”

We’re in a world of hurt, and Bill’s take on “what the hell happened” is thoughtful, provocative, and hopefully inspiring.

Recently, Bill launched a new initiative focused on mobilizing older Americans to work for change. It’s called Third Act. I love the introductory video. Check it out and let me know what you think. Continue Reading →

“Dear President Biden”

Posted on by

For me, the film brings back so many memories of Bold Iowa’s 2019/2020 “Climate Bird Dog” effort leading up to the Iowa Caucuses. Dang, we did  good work! Over 200 activists statewide, hammering home the urgency of the climate crisis day after day to candidates in every nook and cranny of the state.

How did the President respond to Bold’s bird dogs? CLICK HERE TO VIEW THOSE INTERACTIONS. What do you think? Is Mr. Biden following through on his commitment to treat climate like a crisis? Continue Reading →

A Philosophy Super Bowl?

Posted on by

What’s not to like about trains, right? Well, apparently quite a bit if you live in a community where a big railroad company proposes a major expansion of train traffic. Joining me to discuss that concern is the mayor of Bettendorf, Iowa, Bob Gallagher. My first reaction was, “More trains equals less pollution and highway-safety concerns. Good thing, right?” After talking with Bob, well, let’s just say there are a bunch of other concerns to consider before jumping to a conclusion. …

Also, Kathy Byrnes joins me to discuss peas. Ok, that sounds even more boring than a Philosophy Super Bowl. But really, what do you know about peas? Are you afraid to know more, huh? Maybe Kathy’s a little off-base to call peas “the perfect produce,” but … well, you’ll just to have to listen and see if you agree or disagree. Continue Reading →

We discuss abortion … and rabbits

Posted on by

Joining me are Dr. Charles Goldman, attorney Joseph Glazebrook, and professor Carol Spaulding-Kruse. It’s a rock-star line up, and I hope you’ll listen to the program and share your feedback.

There are so many questions surrounding this sea change in a woman’s right to make her own decision when it comes to abortion. What will individual states do? Will anti-choice activists push for even more draconian erosions of personal liberty? Could the US Congress potentially preempt pro-choice states? Is it possible in today’s hyper-charged partisan environment to find common ground on preventing unintended pregnancies?

My guests and I tackle these questions and more. Again, feedback welcome. Continue Reading →

Reimagining St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on by

Instead of glorifying drunkenness, let’s celebrate Ireland’s vast wealth of writers, poets, musicians, and warriors.

Let’s celebrate a people who won independence after 800 years of oppression under the heel of British imperialism.

Let’s celebrate a people who survived despite England’s attempt at genocide (known in sanitized history books as “The Great Famine,” because everything Great Britain did back then had to somehow be associated with greatness). Continue Reading →

Stopping Putin through climate action

Posted on by

In a March 7 RNS column, McKibben writes, “If you want to stand with the brave people of Ukraine, you need to find a way to stand against oil and gas.

As I and others have been saying for years, a quick shift from oil and gas to renewables (and most importantly, conservation!) can and must happen quickly. The US response to Hitler proves that, when we want to, we can rapidly and radically shift our economy.

As McKibben points out, “In 1941, in Ypsilanti, the world’s largest industrial plant went up in six month’s time, and soon it was churning out a B-24 bomber every hour. A bomber is a complicated machine with more than a million parts; a wind turbine is, by contrast, relatively simple. … Do we think that it’s beyond us to quickly produce the solar panels and the batteries required to end our dependence on fossil fuel?” Continue Reading →

If Iowa Democrats lose in November, blame this

Posted on by

Why do I think Democrats are headed for another train wreck? Let me take you back to 2006, when I ran for governor. Rural Iowans of all political stripes were fed up with Republicans’ unwillingness to fix the Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) problem. That issue was a key factor in Democrats winning the governor’s office that year and taking control of the Iowa House and Senate.

With a new party in charge, Iowans expected results. Voters gave Democrats four years to fix the CAFO problem. Democrats failed — miserably, in fact, arguably making the problem worse.

Today, the political landscape in Iowa is much the same. Republicans refuse to help rural Iowans threatened by 2,000 miles (yes, 2,000!) of CO2 pipelines. Once again, they’ve handed Democrats a winning issue.

And what does the leadership of the Iowa Democratic Party do? So far, it has refused to take a stand against this property-rights-trampling, public-health-menacing, faux-climate-solution greenwashing scheme. Continue Reading →

The War on Christmas, and other Fox News myths

Posted on by

Last week, a mentally disturbed homeless guy lit the Fox News Christmas tree on fire (fake tree, I might add). The arson wasn’t politically motivated, but that didn’t stop Fox News’ Tucker Carlson from saying, “Torching Christmas trees is an attack on Christianity, obviously. It’s an assault of religious observance. By current standard, destroying someone’s religious symbol would be called a hate crime.”

Oh, please. The War on Christmas is as phony as Fox’s tree. It’s merely a self-serving tool to advance one’s political and economic agenda.

No one has mastered that tool better than Donald Trump. Continue Reading →