Washington Watch Articles From 2017
Defining What It Means to Be Religious
Ever since we learned that eighty percent of self-described "born-again" Christians supported Donald Trump's candidacy for president, there has been a discussion about how these Christians define their faith.
A Christmas Message to Vice-President Mike Pence
As you celebrate Christmas with your family and listen to the gospel story of the birth of Jesus, I hope you will read and reflect on the following piece I wrote a few years back.
Trump's Jerusalem Decision: A Fatal and Fateful Blow
President Donald Trump's decision to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was irresponsible and dangerous for more reasons than I can count. Let me outline just a few of the principle concerns:
Arab, Turkish, and Iranian Opinions on Regional Conflicts
Most Arabs have little confidence in the Trump Administration's ability to solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and many have lost hope that a resolution is even possible.
President Trump Wasn't on the Ballot. Nevertheless, He Lost.
With all due respect to the gubernatorial candidates who won their elections on November 7th, there can be no doubt that their road to victory was paved, in part, by voter's rejection of Donald Trump and Trumpism.
This Fight Isn’t Over
Having come through a difficult 2016 primary campaign and a hotly contested 2017 race for party Chair, what Democrats desperately need is to unify their ranks to confront the challenges they will face in the 2018 mid-term elections and beyond.
The Challenge to Restore Sanity
Despite the fact that the stock market is at record highs and the unemployment rate, which began its substantial decline during the Obama Administration, is now at record lows, we spend our days haunted by the gnawing sense that life has spun out of control.
The Importance of Civil Discourse
Last week I became the Chair of The Sanders Institute (TSI), an initiative that grew out of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign of 2016.
The House That Bibi Built
For half of the past two decades Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel. Whatever his ultimate fate (given the ongoing criminal investigations he is currently facing), it is clear that he has had a profound impact on Israel, the Palestinians, and the entire region.
The DREAMers Deserve Better Than This
In the midst of the many immediate challenges confronting the White House and Congress, President Donald Trump just added one more. This past week, Trump told the Department of Justice to rescind the Obama-era DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Program.
Two Weakened Leaders
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have a lot in common. Both are in trouble, confronting problems that are more legal than political. And as commentators, here and in Israel have noted, both have responded to their situation in quite similar ways.
Trump's Immigration Policy vs. the Soul of America
Immigration is a personal matter for me, as it is for many Americans. Unless you are a Native American descendant of the indigenous peoples who were displaced by the settlers who first came to this country.
Trump's Antics: Chaos by Design
We are only a little more than six months into the Trump presidency and I'm already becoming emotionally exhausted by the antics of the president and his underlings.
Poll: Negative Campaign Against Arabs and Muslims Has Consequences
While, as president, Donald Trump has worked to cultivate a relationship with Arab leaders, the antipathy towards Arabs and Muslims that he and his party have cultivated in recent years continues to have a worrisome impact on American public opinion and policy.
Sanders Is Right. Russell Vought's Nomination Should Be Rejected.
While most of Washington was eagerly awaiting former FBI Director James Comey's Thursday appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee, they may have missed an important confirmation hearing that occurred a day earlier.
Trump Returns
If I were a movie critic writing reviews of audience reactions to US President Donald Trump's performances abroad, they would look something like this: ".
Cloud Over Trump’s Trip
As I write, President Donald Trump is on his way to the Middle East where he has set a high stakes program addressing some of the United States' and the Arab World's most critical concerns: Gulf security, defeating extremism, reining in Iran, and resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
I am Neither Confident, nor Optimistic
During a confusing and unsettling time, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas came to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump.
The Trump Divide
Over the years, there have been many divides that have defined the American social, cultural, or political landscape. Some have been philosophical, regional, issue-based, racial, economic, gender or age-related.
Trump's Executive Order Is an Existential Threat to America
This week President Donald Trump issued a revised Executive Order (EO or Order) restricting immigration from six majority Muslim countries and more than halving the US refugee program.