Steve Lunetta: Obama's folly

The irony is astounding. The sequestration plan that appears to be a machination by President Obama's White House is now coming back to haunt him big time.

Donna Brazile: Right to vote isn't a racial entitlement

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Shelby County v. Holder - a challenge to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, specifically Section 5, which requires states and localities with a history of voting discrimination against racial and language minorities to get "pre-approved" by the federal government before changing how elections are conducted or voters are registered.

David Hegg: Choosing Chastity

I may be asked to turn in my man card for this, but here goes. On a getaway for my wife's birthday, I joined her to watch an episode of The Bachelor.

Tim Myers: Does election date change help incumbents?

Pretty much every rational person agrees about how the Republicans lost the presidency of the United States and could not take the Senate in 2012. President Barack Obama captured virtually all the votes cast by African-Americans, over 70 percent of the votes cast by Latinos, and two-thirds of the votes cast by Asian-Americans, the three largest minority groups in the United States. Add to that a strong majority of ...

Kathryn Pisaro: Protect music programs in Newhall School District

On Tuesday, the school board for the Newhall School District is going to be asked to cut a music teacher from our already-reduced music program.

Frank Ferry: Live from City Hall

"Government, at its core, is about doing together what we can't do alone. It's why we believe that citizen engagement is vital. ..."

Danny Tyree: Is the free ride over?

es, I dutifully affix my copyright notice to my column each week, and I've been known to notify the syndicate of suspected unauthorized use; but I haven't gotten anywhere near as persnickety (or creepy) as the entertainment industry.

Rick Jensen: Obama sequester two-step

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.

Kevin Korenthal: The politics of pain

I am often stunned when I hear people, some of them friends, confess that they do not follow politics.

Cher Gilmore: Just say no to Keystone XL tar sands pipeline

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.

Phil Kerpen: Government spending hurts people

We should not accept the statist premise that most government spending helps people. Government spending is not just wasteful or inefficient, but all too often serves to crush the private economy and individual freedom. In the coming days the media will provide a constant stream of purported victims of spending cuts. But for every victim of cuts there are victims of government spending itself. There are people who lost their businesses because of overzealous federal ...

Tom Purcell: Are humans getting dumber?

The report said people are getting dumber - at least I think that's what it said, but the big words kept throwing me off."

Diana West: Setting the record straight on Joe McCarthy

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.

Joe Guzzardi: Obama pushes amnesty

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.

SCV Voices: From SignalSCV.com

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.

Joe Gandelman: Will America regret Snowden’s intelligence leaks?

A popular graphic making the rounds on the Internet shows Boston Marathon bombing terrorist brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev with the caption: "Apparently Not Verizon Customers."

Kevin Bayona: Things heat up in Turkey

When the Arab Spring erupted back in December of 2010, I never thought the revolutions and protests we witnessed on our television screens would reach Turkey, considered by many to be a democratic anchor of stability in an otherwise un-democratic and unstable part of the world.

Ever feel like you’re being watched?

Killing me with kisses

In some countries, greeting friends with a kiss is the common custom. France, Italy, Greece and Hollywood come to mind.

Repeal, don’t expand, ethanol mandate

Sometimes big government becomes so big that even good conservatives find themselves unwittingly advocating expansions of government in response to its failures.

Jonathan Kraut: Outraged by fake outrage

The U.S. Supreme Court will be announcing in a few weeks, or perhaps in just a few days, its ruling regarding the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8.

Donna Brazile: Governor Chris Christie outbluffs himself

In Washington, D.C., every sentence has a subtext, every question hides another question, and you have to know how to read between the lines. Thus, in Washington-speak, "Sen. Frank Lautenberg passed away at the age of 89" also means, "Who's replacing Lautenberg?"

Steve Lunetta: Dept. of Dumb Ideas

It happened when my son and I went to L.A. City Hall to take care of a parking ticket. My oldest boy has a hard time remembering that cars parked illegally in the city of Los Angeles get a small piece of paper that represents a fine.

Kathryn Lopez: People connect while not connecting

Maybe it's different for you, especially if you're reading this in an actual newspaper. But if you're online with me right now (trust me, I am at the computer as you're reading - that's what I do), you're probably in need of some silence.

Doug Patton: Congressman with guts takes on Obama

New members of the United States Congress are willing to risk their careers to state the truth to the American people. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota is one, but unfortunately she has announced she is calling it quits after four terms in the House.

David Hegg:Information is the not same as knowledge

With another graduation season upon us, educational institutions across our great land are once again forcing students to endure a final, boring "rite of passage" known as the commencement address. Tradition has it that the very best address ever delivered was by Winston Churchill, who is remembered as declaring "Never, never, never give up", and then sitting down to thunderous applause. Whether the cheers were for his sentiment or brevity I leave you to decide.

Don’t call me Peter, call me Mr. Funt

Here's a little game I invented the other day after phoning the water company to complain about my bill and hearing an overly chipper woman say, "Hi, Peter. How may I help you?"

Marsha McLean: Live from City Hall

If you are looking to create a few new memories with your family and friends this summer, plan a trip using public transportation. Santa Clarita Transit is everywhere you want to be, from Santa Monica Beach and Hollywood to Main Street in Old Town Newhall.

Timothy Myers: It’s better to be appointed than elected in the SCV

By the time this column runs, the knowledgeable of the Santa Clarita Valley will know who the four elected members of the William S. Hart Union High School District board selected to fill out the (short) remainder of Paul Strickland's term, made vacant when he moved to Florida.

Byron York: Looking to 2016, Iowa GOP excited about Walker

When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker visited Iowa recently to speak at a well-attended Republican dinner, only one national political reporter (NBC's Alex Moe) showed up.