Learning from Palin: Her popularity endures because Americans know she's real

Sarah Palin is back in the news -- and back in the sights of her critics. She is a lightning rod this time because of the incredible popularity of her new book, "Going Rogue," and because her recent interview...

Published: Nov 20, 2009 10:58 AM Full Story

Where are the jobs? Stimulus has done little besides benefit bureaucrats

There are not too many people who really thought that the $787 million spent as part of the stimulus package was really going to save the American economy and hundreds of thousands of jobs. It just did not seem...

Published: Nov 19, 2009 10:48 AM Full Story

Tough talk: Forget the warm fuzzies; here is the stark reality

This discussion isn't going to be pretty -- especially since it involves the reality of the story of yet another little girl, born to a parent who never should have had her, who has likely ended up in a...

Published: Nov 17, 2009 10:39 AM Full Story

Halfway there: It really is a battle for power, but remember -- it's your money

With a raucous round of applause, the U.S. House of Representatives ushered in the first real victory for the health care reform plan -- passage by a vote of 220-215. And in one long evening and after months of...

Published: Nov 14, 2009 11:58 PM Full Story

Poor choice: Rosewood fundraiser was simply unacceptable

The intent might have been innocent enough -- raising money for more technology for students at a time when school funding all over North Carolina is tight. And perhaps the nobleness of the purpose blinded those who made the...

Published: Nov 13, 2009 11:02 AM Full Story

Celebrity culture: Americans are too obsessed with fame and finding it

Want incontrovertible proof that Americans are too obsessed with Hollywood, getting rich quick and all the other trappings that seem to go along with fame? You could look at the recent barrage of reality shows from B-list celebrities looking...

Published: Nov 12, 2009 10:55 AM Full Story

Never forgotten: Local veterans did not get parade, but they have our respect

It probably wasn't easy for veterans to sit back today and to watch the rain rather than getting ready for the annual march that honors those who have served their country. It is unfortunate that the remnants of Hurricane...

Published: Nov 11, 2009 11:17 AM Full Story

Heroes all: Stories of Fort Hood selflessness show reason for Army pride

Forget Maj. Nidal Hasan and who knew what when for the moment. There will be plenty of time to determine what went wrong at Fort Hood in the coming weeks. Instead, focus on what we learned about the U.S....

Published: Nov 10, 2009 11:22 AM Full Story

H1N1 concern: So it isn't going so well elsewhere; here, calm prevails

The fact that the H1N1 vaccine distribution process has been a little less than successful suggests that perhaps simply announcing that a prevention program is a priority is not enough. Local health departments all over the country have been...

Published: Nov 9, 2009 10:37 AM Full Story

Thoughts, prayers: Seymour Johnson AFB personnel and community are thinking of Fort Hood

It is a brotherhood of sorts -- communities that are the adopted hometowns of military personnel. So, here, unlike many other places around America, the news that 13 people were shot to death and many more were wounded because...

Published: Nov 6, 2009 10:57 AM Full Story