State of the Union

I liken the speech to a boxing match. President Obama is like a boxer who has been taking punches – and not landing many of his own – during the first few rounds of the fight. During his first year in office, he struggled with major issues such as health care, as well as embarrassing incidents like the couple who crashed a White House dinner. With the State of the Union speech, he started fighting back. He called out both political parties, the news media and even the Supreme Court. The President didn’t deliver a knockout blow, but he made it clear that the fight is far from over and that, as the nation’s chief executive, he is in charge.

NJ Goes to Washington Again — But Why?

For years, the question “Why can’t government run like a business?” was a popular refrain from those frustrated by bureaucracy and inefficiencies in the public sector.

But that was before the days of corporate bailouts.

These days, a Wall Street pedigree no longer carries the weight it once did.

The Michele Brown Appointment

About an hour ago, news organizations began reporting that Michele Brown — a friend of Chris Christie who received a controversial $46,000 loan from the Governor-elect while he was U.S. Attorney, will serve as  appointments counsel in the new administration. This story, breaking at 4:45 pm on a Friday afternoon before a three-day weekend, reminds me of a piece I wrote a few years ago on the pros and cons of releasing bad news on Fridays: Is There A Good Day for Bad News?

Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself…

After taking the oath of office, the first official act for presidents, governors and other elected officials is to give a speech.

Inauguration speeches, which mark the beginning of a term in office, tend to be positive, upbeat and optimistic.

Unlike the discourse that takes place during election campaigns,

Has There Been Too Much Change in NJ?

When there are major public policy problems, such as those that have confronted our state and nation over the past 10 years, solutions are few and far between.

Blame, however, always seems to be in abundance.