The Retorts column by Jim Tortolano is taking a week off. This is a classic “Retorts.” Pat Ryan, in his sci-fi novel “Alas Babylon,” wrote that “civilization is like snow in […]
Retorts: Not ready for roughing it yet
Chief executive officers for abortion
Clarity of thought and expression about moral issues is not a core competency of CEOs. If anyone had any doubt, look no further than the “historic” pro-abortion statement by nearly 200 CEOs […]
Franken: The Donald vs. the Queen
Let’s play “Jeopardy,” where the answers are questions. If Alex Trebek were to ask contestants to specify “A glaring contrast between Queen Elizabeth II and President Donald Trump,” the correct response would […]
Retorts: New Red scare in Little Saigon
In the Cold War Fifties, one popular political slogan was “Better Dead Than Red!” Most of us look back on that era ruefully, as a time when there were “Communists under every […]
Outing a political advocate crosses a line
Breaking news: Some guy posted a doctored video of Nancy Pelosi. But fear not. The website The Daily Beast sprang into action. It tracked down the random, Trump-supporting man who allegedly posted […]
Trump’s big guns: tariffs and sanctions
As he exercises his Putin-given right as president to lay waste to the United States, it turns out that Donald Trump can really draw from only a very few weapons in his […]
Retorts: The long road to acceptance
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – Martin Luther King For a lot of us who have been around a bit, the current gear-grinding over the issue […]
No apology needed for 1994 crime bill
Donald Trump and Bill de Blasio agree: Joe Biden should be ashamed of his support for the 1994 crime bill. The bipartisan legislation that was long a point of pride for Bill […]
It’s The D.C. Insult Merry-Go-Round
I avoid making fun of someone’s physical appearance. I really do. But I’m totally struggling here, folks. All I can say is that the White House image mavens who allowed Donald Trump […]
Retorts: Maybe you can buy happiness
“Not having is no excuse for not getting.” – Anonymous. The devil, or just another devilishly intriguing sort of critter, whispered in my ear the other day. It used the magic words […]
