The media is flush with Democrats reminding everyone that they won big last November while ignoring they did not prevail in the House of Representatives.
The civil war in Syria still rages on with approximately 60,000 dead, according to the United Nations. Almost half the dead are civilians, the other half armed rebels and Syrian soldiers.
Members of the Santa Clarita chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, or PFLAG, were saddened to learn of the death of Dick Bongard, loyal member since 1992, past treasurer and catalyst behind completing the very complicated paperwork that moved the group from its position as a satellite of PFLAG LA into becoming its own nationally affiliated entity.
"Hi, I'm Stacy, and I'll be your server. Can I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?" she yelled over the high-decibel music. Over Stacy's shoulder I could see seven large-screen TVs, each showing a different sports event - football, basketball, soccer, skiing, snowboarding, hockey and pingpong. Many more were scattered around the restaurant out of my line of sight.
A funny thing happened during the tumult of the past few years. Economic heat and pressure have morphed us into "Post Recession Americans."
Each year my wife and I host a little holiday party to raise awareness and funds for the SCV Winter Homeless Shelter.
"It's no wonder many Americans are uneasy about the way President Obama is growing our government and eroding our liberties. Aren't most Americans conservative?"
Ed Rendell, former Pennsylvania governor and influential Democrat, drew no gasps of surprise or shocked response from his fellow liberal travelers when he recently articulated the left's position that "the good thing about Newtown is, it was so horrific that I think it galvanized Americans to a point where the intensity on our side is going to match the intensity on their side."
This is a tale of two speeches. They occur three weeks apart. One is outdoors, one indoors. In one the president faces West, where he was born, reared, came of age, and where his outlook - great possibilities, new beginnings - is rooted.
Note from the author: In the first of a two-part series on gun control, Steve looked at the possibility of opening the discussion on controlling assault-type weapons. In part two, he was going to look at what can be done to prevent young men from turning into shooters. Of course, President Obama heard about the series and had to interject his own two cents. Now Steve has to make it a three-parter.
If you have been keeping track of our national conversation over the past few years you are probably keenly aware of the current drought in reasonable thinking in our country. At the center of this decay is the erroneous belief that differences of opinion amount to bigotry.
In grade school in the rural county seat of Bloomfield, Iowa, I delivered the daily Des Moines Register, the newspaper of record in the entire state of Iowa, and in the 5th grade I began reading the newspaper before school.
In recent months, Santa Clarita has welcomed thousands of new residents into the city through the annexation of several areas, including: North Copper Hill, Copperstone, Fair Oaks Ranch, Jakes Way, South Sand Canyon, and the future Vista Canyon.
In September of 2012, I submitted an article entitled "California's education tax battle" that discussed the merits of Proposition 30 and 38.
What do Al Hunt of Bloomberg News, David Gregory of "Meet the Press" and President Obama have in common - besides their liberal politics?
Watching from the cheap seats, Obama's "Sequester Two-Step" is quite entertaining. While not nearly as graceful as Charles Durning's classic political footplay in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," only fellow Democrat Bob Menendez puts in a better performance of the beleaguered innocent these days.
I am often stunned when I hear people, some of them friends, confess that they do not follow politics.
More than 50,000 people traveled to Washington, D.C., from as far away as California on Feb. 17 to demand that President Obama block the Keystone XL pipeline and move forward on climate action.
We should not accept the statist premise that most government spending helps people.
The report said people are getting dumber - at least I think that's what it said, but the big words kept throwing me off."
Freshman Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is just the latest in a long series of public figures to be reviled for "McCarthyism" following his recent questioning of Chuck Hagel, President Obama's nominee for secretary of defense.
After President Obama left for a three-day Florida golf vacation that included a round with Tiger Woods, the White House announced his latest immigration plan.
Editor's note: On last Tuesday's Kevin Buck column "Straw men live in glass houses," one poster on SignalSCV.com asked the question, "In your opinion, what are the five biggest problems America faces right now?" Here are some responses from his fellow posters.
I recently met a man who was the epitome of post-modern thought in that he did not believe in absolute truth.
I love history. I plan to purchase the Blu-Ray of the recent film "Lincoln" and rewatch certain key scenes 100 times in a row, unapologetically.
In Santa Clarita, the arts influence our community's quality of life. Without even realizing it, the arts act as an economic driver - creating and supporting jobs, generating revenue and serving as a cornerstone of the tourism industry.
"Obama's proposed voting commission under partisan fire from both sides."
Just a few short days ago the lanterns fell, bringing an end to Chinese New Year season for 2013.
It's the ultimate stomach turner: how Carnival's 893-foot-long cruise ship Triumph, along with its 4,200 passengers, was stranded due to a fuel engine leak for five days with no food, little water and few working bathrooms.
The start of the 21st century has brought with it an avalanche of international problems such as war, economic recession, nuclear proliferation, and rising global competitors. Although all these issues merit individual attention and consideration, I think the unrelenting rise of China presents the largest and most significant global challenge to the United States.