I want to take the opportunity to thank the people of Senate District 14 for entrusting me to represent them in the Tennessee General Assembly for the past 13 years. Words could never be enough to express how much I appreciate the valuable relationships that I have developed with so many of my constituents while serving in the State Senate... more

As Republicans in Congress move forward on their tax plan, it’s worth remembering one thing: whatever the legislative particulars, keep your eye on the plan’s impact on the federal debt. Our debt load is already worrisome. It’s almost certainly going to get worse... more

The press is having a field day with something called the Paradise Papers. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s a pile of documents released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). They detail the business dealings of celebrities like Bono and the Queen of England, and companies like Apple and Nike. Even U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. They show nothing illegal, really, just how the rich and famous move their money around to avoid paying too much in taxes... more

As far as Thanksgiving songs are concerned, “Over the River and Through the Woods” may soon be replaced by rock group Chicago’s “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” According to a Wall Street Journal article titled “The Whenever Thanksgiving,” a survey by polling firm CivicScience shows that 16% of respondents plan to celebrate Thanksgiving earlier than the traditional Thanksgiving Day this year, and another 13% are willing to experiment in the future. ... more

What hasn’t happened this week? It started on Monday with special counsel Robert Mueller’s opening round of indictments, chief of which were charges of fraud and money laundering against Donald Trump’s former campaign manager and shifty big-time lobbyist, Paul Manafort... more

“Reports out of Texas are devastating. The people of Sutherland Springs need our prayers right now,” U.S. House Speaker Paul J. Ryan, R-Wisc., tweeted to widely - and entirely justified - derision on Sunday. Save it, Mr. Speaker. Your thoughts and prayers are years too late... more

Cultural appropriation. That’s the big buzz phrase of the politically correct these days. You especially hear that around Halloween. This past Halloween many college campuses across the nation issued warnings against offensive costumes that appropriate culture... more

When I was in my late teens, a Nashville TV station ran a late-night double-feature of Humphrey Bogart movies. Immersed in the nostalgia craze, I grudgingly sacrificed “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” and dozed off so I could stay awake for the fabled “Casablanca.” In those pre-DVD, pre-streaming days, my nap was my “letter of transit” to a wonderful experience... more

“I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” said a political-insider friend of mine as we sipped coffee. “What is it?” I said. “Several members of the Republican-controlled House and Senate are suffering from a rare form of memory loss. Until recently, I fear, they completely forgot why they were elected.”... more

It’s the first rule of crisis communications: When you’re in the hole, the first thing you do is to stop digging. But if you’re President Donald Trump, you equip yourself with a hardhat with a miner’s light, reflective gear, heavy-duty gloves, and fire up Mary Anne, the reliable steam shovel from “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel,” and commence digging even deeper... more

Three years ago this month, returning to my hotel room in Flagstaff, Arizona, I wrote: At least once in a lifetime every American should lay eyes on the Grand Canyon, whose brilliant colors and dazzling erosional landscape inspire a kind of planetary patriotism. Stretching 277 miles long and a mile deep, it is perhaps our nation’s greatest natural treasure... more

Excuse me, but didn’t I write this column already? Didn’t I point out a while ago that when it comes to asking the Russians to mess with our presidential elections the real pros of collusion have always been the Democrats? Now I remember. In a column for Newsmax late last year I pointed out several well-documented instances in 1979, 1980 and 1984 where prominent Democrats connived with Moscow to advance their own presidential chances or damage my father’s... more

The NFL anthem protests continue without an end in sight. It’s time somebody says what needs to be said so this country can heal and move on. If you’re ready for it, this is it.... In order to understand the protests we must understand what’s being protested. ... more

Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a single day. TEACH a man to fish and eventually someone will invent a fishing ROBOT and put your student’s butt on the unemployment line. That thought occurred to me when I encountered dueling career-related news items: “8 jobs that won’t exist in 2030” from USA TODAY (via its “content partner” The Job Network) and “10 Top High-Paying Jobs in 2030” by financial-services company The Motley Fool... more

“Now that everything has become politicized, it only makes sense that Halloween costumes should be politicized, too.” “Ah, yes, you speak of the spate of articles popping up that lecture us on costumes that may be inappropriate or hurtful. Business Insider says, ‘Some common Halloween costumes simply take it too far and can become racist, misogynistic, or downright insensitive.’”... more

She came home with a high temperature, feeling very ill. The next morning, her legs gave out when she tried to get out of bed. By that evening, she was so weak she could barely move. It was 1951 when polio struck her. She was 12 years old, just starting the 8th grade. The nation was in a panic then. The ambulance driver wouldn’t take her to the hospital for fear other patients might become infected... more

We know Hollywood moguls are infamous for taking advantage of aspiring young actresses. The movie producer’s casting couch has been a “tradition” since Tinsel Town began. But Harvey Weinstein must be setting some kind of record. His sexual rap sheet gets longer every day... more

While the mainstream media is chasing their tail about supposed Trump-Russia collusion, the scandal involving Uranium One unfolds to expose a Clinton-Russia connection as well as a stunning coverup by the Obama administration. Rather than reporting real news, they continue to churn out phony news that Russia swayed the 2016 election with Facebook ads and a hodgepodge of other thus-far debunked Trump-Russia collusion conspiracy theories... more

I was in Europe last week for a river cruise. I highly recommend it, by the way. My wife and I would wind down from the day’s excursions with BBC news. I don’t know what everyone was talking about back here in the States but it was wall to wall Harvey Weinstein. ... more

My family will be participating in two or three “trunk or treat” activities this month, but I’ve learned that the trend of going from car to car in a designated parking lot to collect candy is still very controversial. Fans (especially the parents of special needs children) laud it for the convenience and enhanced safety. ... more