John Brummett > Archive
Email Brummett at jbrummett@arkansasnews.comBrummet's Blog
And now to celebrate
In honor of our nation’s independence, I now leave the blogosphere indefinitely to start the celebration a day early: Top-down driving to play some tennis momentarily, as the ribeyes and plump shrimp marinate, awaiting varied treatments over hot coals later, and there are a couple of compelling Wimbledon matches on the TV. A stirring men’s [...]
In honor of our nation’s independence, I now leave the blogosphere indefinitely to start the celebration a day early: Top-down driving to play some tennis momentarily, as the ribeyes and plump shrimp marinate, awaiting varied treatments over hot coals later, and there are a couple of compelling Wimbledon matches on the TV. A stirring men’s [...]
On tap
In columns: Saturday — Its Independence Day for a nation that, let me say again, isn’t Christian. It’s independent. It’s free. Sunday — Arrows, a holiday weekend staple, with more downs than ups. National, published Monday around here — Obama’s choice on health care: Ram it down their throats with budget reconciliation or try to bring along the [...]
In columns: Saturday — Its Independence Day for a nation that, let me say again, isn’t Christian. It’s independent. It’s free. Sunday — Arrows, a holiday weekend staple, with more downs than ups. National, published Monday around here — Obama’s choice on health care: Ram it down their throats with budget reconciliation or try to bring along the [...]
Post?s prostitution, the morning after
Here’s The Washington Post’s article this morning on its own disastrous disgrace, a flier sent out by its marketing department, obtained and exposed yesterday by Politico.com. This flier invited people to pay from $25,000 to $250,000 for one “salon” or a series of them at the publisher’s home — the first on health care July 21 [...]
Here’s The Washington Post’s article this morning on its own disastrous disgrace, a flier sent out by its marketing department, obtained and exposed yesterday by Politico.com. This flier invited people to pay from $25,000 to $250,000 for one “salon” or a series of them at the publisher’s home — the first on health care July 21 [...]
Tomcatting
Local rural Arkansawyer Gene Lyons lands a little essay on Salon about why, while politicians of both stripes mess around and use their families as props, it’s worse for Republicans to get caught tomcatting. He provides an interesting breakdown on how the seven deadly sins break out by party emphasis. By making lust one of their special [...]
Local rural Arkansawyer Gene Lyons lands a little essay on Salon about why, while politicians of both stripes mess around and use their families as props, it’s worse for Republicans to get caught tomcatting. He provides an interesting breakdown on how the seven deadly sins break out by party emphasis. By making lust one of their special [...]
Old man tweets meeting
So yesterday afternoon I was sitting in Room 171 of the state Capitol for that meeting of the legislative committee on prison woes. I glanced at this handy Blackberry to check e-mails. And then it occurred to me, quite suddenly and spontaneously, that, for kicks, I could thumb around on that Blackberry and tweet the [...]
So yesterday afternoon I was sitting in Room 171 of the state Capitol for that meeting of the legislative committee on prison woes. I glanced at this handy Blackberry to check e-mails. And then it occurred to me, quite suddenly and spontaneously, that, for kicks, I could thumb around on that Blackberry and tweet the [...]
April Fool?s, better late than never
Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla., has today announced the selection of Lu Hardin, thoroughly disgraced former president of the University of Central Arkansas, as its new president. This is said to be a “Christian university” and it is said in the news release that Lu was chosen for his character. In a [...]
Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla., has today announced the selection of Lu Hardin, thoroughly disgraced former president of the University of Central Arkansas, as its new president. This is said to be a “Christian university” and it is said in the news release that Lu was chosen for his character. In a [...]
Blanche and seniors
U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, in town for the holiday break, spoke just now on health care to a decent smattering of retirees at the Woodland Heights retirement center out the Mills Freeway. The big news was that, at the very end, a woman in the crowd admonished Lincoln that she at least ought to have [...]
U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, in town for the holiday break, spoke just now on health care to a decent smattering of retirees at the Woodland Heights retirement center out the Mills Freeway. The big news was that, at the very end, a woman in the crowd admonished Lincoln that she at least ought to have [...]
Dustin shows liberal leg
There are a couple of interesting things about this national blog post. First it analyzes the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Ricci case from New Haven, Conn., yesterday. Most of the political talk is that, by 5-to-4, the court reversed nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Right-wingers say this means she is unfit to serve, which would [...]
There are a couple of interesting things about this national blog post. First it analyzes the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Ricci case from New Haven, Conn., yesterday. Most of the political talk is that, by 5-to-4, the court reversed nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Right-wingers say this means she is unfit to serve, which would [...]
Vanity on Palin
The next Vanity Fair issue, for August, will contain this article on Sarah Palin by Todd Purdum, a former reporter for The New York Times and the husband of former Bill Clinton spokesman Dee Dee Myers. It’s long and somewhat repetitious, but at times interesting and altogether most unflattering. I understate on the latter. I would get [...]
The next Vanity Fair issue, for August, will contain this article on Sarah Palin by Todd Purdum, a former reporter for The New York Times and the husband of former Bill Clinton spokesman Dee Dee Myers. It’s long and somewhat repetitious, but at times interesting and altogether most unflattering. I understate on the latter. I would get [...]
Investigate? By whom?
The simmering news in state government today is about tomorrow’s regularly scheduled meeting of a legislative panel reviewing prisons that so happens to coincide with wide publicity about worrisome episodes occurring in the prisons. What is likely to happen is that legislators will ask the best questions they can of Larry Norris, the prison director, about [...]
The simmering news in state government today is about tomorrow’s regularly scheduled meeting of a legislative panel reviewing prisons that so happens to coincide with wide publicity about worrisome episodes occurring in the prisons. What is likely to happen is that legislators will ask the best questions they can of Larry Norris, the prison director, about [...]
Brummet's Column
What? Board members who ask questions?
This would be a new state government, indeed, if board members started declining to take the staff’s word for everything and actually discussed public matters in public.
This would be a new state government, indeed, if board members started declining to take the staff’s word for everything and actually discussed public matters in public.
Political climate
Obama is not strung out on cap-and-trade. It’s not the ball game. Health care is.
Obama is not strung out on cap-and-trade. It’s not the ball game. Health care is.
Principle, pragmatism, patience ? stir gently
Here’s the thing: Obama is smarter than bellicose conservatives about how to deal with the Islamic world.
Here’s the thing: Obama is smarter than bellicose conservatives about how to deal with the Islamic world.
Whatever the lottery, make it big
With all due respect, and the respect our governor is due is considerable, I must say this: I don’t much give a hoot what the governor says or thinks about the lottery.
With all due respect, and the respect our governor is due is considerable, I must say this: I don’t much give a hoot what the governor says or thinks about the lottery.
Dustin, Halter and your money
Dustin McDaniel and Bill Halter want to be governor after Mike Beebe. This is costing you thousands of dollars.
Dustin McDaniel and Bill Halter want to be governor after Mike Beebe. This is costing you thousands of dollars.
Three strikes in the prisons
If there’s fourth strike, somebody will need to be out.
If there’s fourth strike, somebody will need to be out.
It’s 1993 all over again
It appears now that Democrats are going to abandon the public component and advocate some kind of “private cooperative” alternative, which, alas, is starting to look like the overly complex Hillary plan that failed to connect with every-day Americans looking for a break in their own health care expenses.
It appears now that Democrats are going to abandon the public component and advocate some kind of “private cooperative” alternative, which, alas, is starting to look like the overly complex Hillary plan that failed to connect with every-day Americans looking for a break in their own health care expenses.
Ensign’s three wrongs
Ensign presented himself as righteously committed when he was neither righteous nor committed.
Ensign presented himself as righteously committed when he was neither righteous nor committed.
The lottery conversation
One man’s cronyism is another man’s building a team he trusts. Bobby Petrino brought in his own brother as a top assistant coach.
One man’s cronyism is another man’s building a team he trusts. Bobby Petrino brought in his own brother as a top assistant coach.
Music as Bill Clinton’s metaphor
He tells Costello that he prefers to speak from a broad outline so that he can be free to ad-lib, to improvise, to react to and connect with what he picks up from the audience — a smile, a nod, a brightened eye, an arched eyebrow. That’s jazz.
He tells Costello that he prefers to speak from a broad outline so that he can be free to ad-lib, to improvise, to react to and connect with what he picks up from the audience — a smile, a nod, a brightened eye, an arched eyebrow. That’s jazz.
