The failure of the Congressional super committee to come up with a compromise on a financial plan is probably no surprise to any political observer who is realistic about the current state of affairs in Washington. The super committee was doomed to fail from day one.

When the 12 member...

Traveling between New York City and Washington over the past weekend has given me a chance to see two of the many protests that are currently taking place around the world. The Manhattan event is impressive as to its size and the D.C. one is surprisingly small.

What most of...

If we ever needed the "Gipper" we need him now. You know who I mean, the late great former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. If the Gipper was around today the Tea Party Republicans would be forced to face all the ramifications of the failure of the U.S....

This is about Sarah Palin. Remember her? She was the Republican candidate for vice president in 2008. Since the defeat of the Republican ticket Ms. Palin has been occupied with book signings and occasional political speeches to Tea Party supporters and similar thinkers.

It wasn't that long ago that the...

This is a tale of four state capitols, not two. It involves politicians in Wisconsin, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. What they achieve or fail to achieve in the next two years may be the test of what America really wants and where this country is going in the...

They say misery loves company, and if that's the case, New York state has lots of company. It's no secret that New York is faced with a budget deficit of at least $10 billion. But compared with some of the other big states, New York's budget dilemma may be small...

New York State is currently in a serious financial condition. Each time it looks like there is an idea that might plug some of the deficit, the state shoots itself in the foot. And with the passage of time, the deficit grows bigger and bigger.

In 2010, New York State...

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is being credited with inventing a new word, "refudiate," that will be included in the next New Oxford American dictionary. It is a great irony that the first person to successfully put that word into action is U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski(R-AK) -- and the victim...

In these days of tight money everybody is looking for a bargain. Consumers want deep discounts on anything they buy. Political leaders want candidates who can pay for their own campaigns. This year's elections should serve as a warning to the party leaders that self-funded candidates are no bargain.

What do the years 2006, 2008 and 2010 have in common? More than just dates. They stand for three elections where the voting public demanded change and took the steps to bring it about.

While Tuesday's winners are busy congratulating themselves, they should take time out to figure out what...

If anyone was ever looking for words to describe today's typical Republican Party politician, the ones that first come to mind are rigid and lockstep. Republicans never depart from a fixed agenda nor do they allow any elected official to go off the reservation on any issue.

But, there is...

These days the Democrats haven't gotten much cheery news around the country. But, New York State is a different story thanks to the Republican candidate for Governor, Carl Paladino. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and, now, that silver lining is Paladino.

It has been four short...

Have you ever met an "apple knocker"? It's a real person, at least it used to be in the minds of many downstate elected officials. In the mid-1960's it was the typical way to describe an upstate member of the state legislature. Apple knockers are rural people, a "hick" or...

Tip O'Neill, the late Speaker of the House, used to say that all politics is local. This will certainly be the case for the races this November, which will be decided by local issues. This fact only adds fuel to the fire for Republican strategists who are injecting the mosque...