tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59502722008-10-09T08:34:32.648-05:00Commentary on politics, ethics and public life by Brad Rourke.Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-68982687074766864132008-10-09T06:30:00.001-05:002008-10-09T08:34:32.663-05:00

Friends, I was on yesterday's "The Whip" segment of PJTV, which is a segment where they invite their guests to talk about what the "mainstream media" is not covering, is missing, or is just not paying enough attention to. While PJTV is a subscription-based service, this link ought to take you to my segment for free (I am the second guest). I am slated to be on PJTV on Monday and Friday next week

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-81479339198470148522008-10-03T09:27:00.007-05:002008-10-03T12:53:36.061-05:00

In case you are interested, I've got two TV-on-the-Internet segments coming up that you can check out. Not a big deal, just wanted you to know. First of all, I am scheduled to be a guest on Pajamas TV (the new Internet video venture of Pajamas Media, where I publish commentary occasionally and where my role appears to be to infuriate people). They've asked me to talk about stories the mainstream

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-46214034693613066602008-10-01T04:00:00.000-05:002008-10-01T06:31:10.982-05:00

This article by me first appeared in Pajamas Media. There is a parable I learned long ago from the continuous improvement management philosophy. It's called "rocks and water." Imagine you want to row your boat along a full, gently flowing river. No sweat. Imagine the water level drops significantly, exposing the jagged rocks along the riverbed. Now try rowing. Can't do it; too many rocks. In

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-69368536519135791202008-09-22T16:42:00.004-05:002008-09-22T17:02:19.109-05:00

I am not sure who is going to win this year's presidential election campaign, but I already know who the loser will be. It's the same sap who's come out on the short end for the last two decades and more: the person on Main Street. Wait, you say. Hasn't this election begun to turn on "populism?" Isn't Joe Biden the Working Man? Isn't Sarah Palin the Hockey Mom? Well, sure they are, but populism

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-88941127518177412552008-09-05T13:00:00.003-05:002008-09-05T13:15:04.606-05:00

I wanted to share a project that I have been working on with my friends at the Kettering Foundation and the National Issues Forums. I'm quite excited about it. It's a new issue book I've written called Coping With the Cost of Health Care: How Do We Pay for What We Need? The "issue brief" is available for free download here, and the larger "issue book" can be ordered here. (This is a slight

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-65586987786714236862008-06-16T06:00:00.000-05:002008-06-16T07:00:04.551-05:00

This article by me first appeared in Pajamas Media. Senator John McCain's campaign has "abruptly canceled" a fundraiser that had been set to take place at the home of a Texas oilman. The host, Clayton Williams, had run for governor against Ann Richards back in 1990 and, during the campaign, unfortunately at one point compared the weather to a rape -- "as long as it's inevitable, you might as well

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-6481341093313706942008-03-24T06:32:00.006-05:002008-03-24T06:43:45.905-05:00

This article by me first appeared in Pajamas Media. I wonder what I would say to Eliot Spitzer if he were my neighbor. Watching his wife, Silda Wall Spitzer, in that first hastily-called press conference, I thought to myself, That's a deep wound he's left. Eliot Spitzer apparently took extraordinary actions to get what he wanted, jumping through hoop after hoop after hoop put in his way by his

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-68911212762227626492008-03-05T09:15:00.005-05:002008-03-05T09:24:27.457-05:00

I wanted to share a project that I have been working on with my friends at the Kettering Foundation and the National Issues Forums. I'm quite excited about it. It's a new issue book called Paying For Health Care in America: How Can We Make It More Affordable? I've finished the "issue brief" and am now working on a larger "issue book." The 12-page brief is available for free download here. The

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-19949255363746639692008-02-20T16:17:00.008-05:002008-02-20T20:24:47.250-05:00

There is another race that Senator Barack Obama has won hands-down. He's the only one with a decent logo. The Obama campaign has developed a contained, clear graphic that conveys just about everything most folks feel they need to know. People know Obama's got good design on his side, too. Next time there's news of an Obama speech, take a look at the photo: often, it'll be a stark image of the

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-12227006120432486122008-02-11T08:11:00.000-05:002008-02-11T08:13:01.938-05:00

One recent week, I had occasion to say publicly I'd been wrong -- not once but twice. I like to think, each time, that it'll be the last time I have to do that. But, if past performance is the best predictor of future behavior, then the likelihood is that I will need to publicly admit to being wrong again in the not-too-distant future. I used to think such admissions were momentous occasions

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-278150322956751082008-02-10T07:10:00.000-05:002008-02-10T13:45:37.088-05:00

The article by me first appeared in Pajamas Media. There is a priceless moment in Oliver Stone's unfairly maligned The Doors, when our heroes are prepping to go on the Ed Sullivan Show. They are met by a stage assistant, a real twerp, who informs them that, "The network guys have a problem with one of your lyrics. 'Girl, we couldn't get much higher.'" He goes on: " You can't say 'higher' on the

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-30498470591795132442008-02-04T06:15:00.000-05:002008-02-04T21:09:30.643-05:00

This article by me first appeared in Pajamas Media. The Cub Scout pack that I lead decided, for the first time, to hold a parents' race at our recent Pinewood Derby. We did it as a fundraiser. My car, while creative (I made it look like a rock), did not do very well in the race. I did not come in last, but I was not in the top half of finishers. I took it all right; about as well as other boys

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-71764859135386762042008-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:002008-01-23T06:09:51.390-05:00

This article first appeared in Pajamas Media. Recently, there was a little-noticed gathering of graybeards in Oklahoma, designed to place the political world on notice that things have gotten too partisan. I say little-noticed because, while the collected firepower in the room was sufficient to garner some approving mentions in the press, especially from the handwringing contingent, the

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-89999897387834637722007-12-15T06:25:00.000-05:002007-12-15T06:36:14.133-05:00

This article first appeared in Pajamas Media. My middle school daughter has announced that her new favorite president is Calvin Coolidge. I do not believe it is due to his business-first approach to the Roaring Twenties. My daughter, herself a girl of few words, admires "Silent Cal" for his terseness. Would that this quality were shared by more people, in more arenas. Instead, ubiquity and

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-64534476735617550942007-12-06T07:05:00.000-05:002007-12-06T11:36:52.814-05:00

The article first appeared (in slightly different form) in Pajamas Media. Much is being written at the moment about a list of no-no words circulated by an office of the Army. Compiled by someone with expertise in equal opportunity matters, the list purports to be 76 examples of words that simply should not be used in the workplace, as they are hurtful. The email, in fact, has an accompanying

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-86888047075784534622007-10-26T06:32:00.001-05:002007-10-26T06:47:05.879-05:00

This article first appeared in Pajamas Media Just a couple of days ago, I sought in vain for a "recall" function on my email application. Of course there was none. My message had already been delivered, to the wrong recipient and containing thoughts I wished it hadn't. That person had sent me a note earlier, critiquing a community activity I am involved with. I thought I was forwarding the note

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-37505451676796148302007-10-17T05:55:00.000-05:002007-10-17T10:04:51.626-05:00

This article first appeared in Pajamas Media.I used to work in politics. It was unglamorous, but one thing it seemed to do in the eyes of my friends was give me the sheen of knowledge. People would call me as Election Day approached and ask me, "Who should I vote for?" My days of holding the cell phones of office-holders are over, but the questions have persisted. People ask me things about

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-31215132237117756572007-10-11T06:05:00.000-05:002007-10-11T05:07:04.749-05:00

This column first appeared (with a different title) in Pajamas Media. There's not much I do that's actually difficult anymore. It didn't used to be that way. When I applied to colleges, it was suggested to me that I create a number of tiers of schools: the long-shots, the probables, and the back-ups. I collected catalogs and applications from a number of schools in different parts of the

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-73303518528476839992007-10-05T06:15:00.000-05:002007-10-05T05:15:36.994-05:00

This article first appeared in Pajamas Media.On an airplane last week, I found myself seated behind the president of a large municipal school board along with a staffer. I know this because I am only human and could not help but peruse the board member's briefing book over the owner's shoulder. They were on their way to give testimony in a Congressional hearing and, it appeared, go on a series

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-8449162632497359632007-09-28T05:30:00.000-05:002007-09-28T05:38:39.388-05:00

This article first appeared in Pajamas Media. They say Americans are under more pressure than ever these days. Students must pass high-stakes tests in order to graduate. Competition to get into top-tier universities is crushing. The middle class is squeezed economically. Schedules are hectic. Commutes brutal. It's just harder and harder to get by. This basic idea -- that things are tougher than

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-83335789857108699172007-09-21T05:37:00.000-05:002007-09-21T04:39:24.825-05:00

This essay originally appeared in Pajamas Media. As I recall, it was a Thursday and I needed to eat. While gainfully employed in a student job, my check wasn't due for another week or two. I had nothing in my bank account. The slate clouds threatened that cool, morning drizzle northern California is known for. After a night of debauchery, I was unsteady. In my book bag was a high-end personal

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-13034972290310551942007-09-10T02:42:00.000-05:002007-09-10T02:51:24.774-05:00

This essay originally apppeared in Pajamas Media. When first we lay eyes on the evil Xerxes, in the visual revolution known as 300, he is riding a monstrous platform carried by a throng of people whom (we presume) are slaves. It's a floating throne and court all in one, massive and imposing. He wants to get down, so he begins walking down the steps from his throne, to the platform. He keeps

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-38607227833296531912007-09-04T05:55:00.000-05:002007-09-04T10:05:13.781-05:00

This column originally appeared in Pajamas Media. When forced to come clean in public life, we often pretty up our deceits in flowery language and clever rhetoric, admitting that we may not have been "accurate" or might not have been "forthcoming." We admit to a "misjudgment" or regret that we may have created the "appearance of impropriety." Language like this is the bread-and-butter of

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-88546308126961500952007-08-28T06:30:00.000-05:002007-08-28T06:28:07.496-05:00

This column originally appeared in Pajamas Media. As luck would have it, we have a late-summer camp-gap as we get ready for school to start. In our household, both my wife and I work at home. So, day-in, day-out, parents and children are spending a lot of time together. I was reading what looked like an interesting blog post on some of the differences between the Western and Islamic worlds when

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950272.post-16714295196771504622007-08-25T08:18:00.000-05:002007-08-27T11:25:07.594-05:00

Dear Sen. Obama: Just a few days ago, on one of many Debate Days, I saw that photograph of you and your daughter, Sasha, in the bumper cars at the Iowa State Fair. You are both so happy, sharing the simple joys of the lurch and heave and jolt. Looking at the photo, I imagine you to be running in a large circle around a knot of cars, preparing to swoop down onto an unsuspecting driver. You know

Brad Rourkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03637041243201131401noreply@blogger.com