I was born in 1933.  In my early years growing up there was no television, computer or iPhone.  For me the defining moment, a mighty leap in my development, came when I was six and took out a library card!  I became enamored with words and the pictures they conjured up in my mind.  I would seek out a cozy corner  in our home and curl up for hours reading.  My mother saw this as … [Read more...]

Here’s a surprise: the skills that can be used to win in politics are increasingly the skills needed to produce good policy. I know. You look at the policy stalemates in Washington and wonder how this could be. The people who arrived there by winning elections haven’t shown much in the way of policy-making prowess. But let me explain. Politicians running for office have a … [Read more...]

As various House committees gear up for a season of investigations and hearings on President Trump and his administration, a lot of people are worried that progress on the nation’s challenges will grind to a halt. I would argue just the opposite: the wheels of government are turning in favor of accountability. Our system rests squarely on the notion that government officials — … [Read more...]

The letters CBD have been talked about in plenty of places including news stories and social media. Many companies are saying that this CBD is the “next big thing!” It could also be a generational thing as well, but I’m guessing, like I was, some of those reading this don’t know what it is or why it’s being talked about. As you guessed it, there are already scientific opinions … [Read more...]

10. Slime. It’s everywhere: coming out of every part of your darling children, being made by your darling children out of what was once a painstakingly homemade dinner, and suddenly appearing on your clothes and you just. Don’t know. How. Everything is slimy and it’s best not to think about it. 9. Repetition. You will watch the same episode of “Paw Patrol” 400 times. Do not … [Read more...]

In response to a resolution designed to thwart his most noteworthy campaign promise, President Trump cast his promised veto. When the President declared a national emergency over the southern border crisis, Democrats became triggered. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pontificated, “This is plainly a power grab by a disappointed President who has gone outside the bounds of the law.” … [Read more...]

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, farm income has decreased by 46% over the last five years. This is extremely troubling to the people of my district. However, increased markets for homegrown biofuels could help reverse that trend. In the fall of 2018, President Trump vowed to deregulate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow the year-round … [Read more...]

It deeply saddens me that our two senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, voted NO to the “Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (S.311).”  This is a commonsense bill protecting children who have been born alive. The bill needed 60 votes but failed 53-44.  All who voted NO were democrats.  How is it possible that infanticide is a partisan issue? Should not both political … [Read more...]

Ah, spring – time for new growth and hope.   Now, imagine being a plant that is struggling to stay alive and looking for hope when suddenly it rains and the fertilizer kicks in and the plant begins to grow and prosper.  This is very much like being a patient in need of a transplant. They are struggling to stay alive and then suddenly, an organ, tissue or bone marrow donation … [Read more...]

Have you ever experienced an argument where the other side “just didn’t get it”? Have you ever been on the side of the argument where you “just didn’t get it”? I believe many modern arguments can be more productive if opposing sides begin with, and maintain, an equal understanding of the definitions of key words in the discussion. Some words have multiple meanings that are … [Read more...]

Legal or not, there is no doubt cannabis use is on the rise in Minnesota. Democrat politicians are making a concerted effort to legalize recreational pot; one local politician made it a central campaign promise, a position I ridiculed in print at the time and mistakenly believed would cause her defeat. Instead, Rochester area voters elected her by a landslide, leading me to … [Read more...]

A woman who sought refuge in a church sanctuary stated simply “I deserve to be free.” She has lived illegally in this country for ten years and has two children who were born here. Her story has stayed with me. I love my freedom. I can say what I want, go where I want and do whatever I wish to do. I have given up nothing. I haven’t in any way “earned” my freedom. I was born in … [Read more...]