I watched what was advertised as the first Democratic debate of the political season. MSNBC carried a 90-minute question and answer session wherein all eight announced Democratic candidates for President answered questions from NBC anchor Brian Williams.  Williams was fair but he did not lob tough questions at the candidates. For example, Williams might have asked why each of the candidates … [Read More]

Boris Nikolayevitch Yeltsin, Russia’s first democratically elected head of state, has died.  At least twice in his years of power he begged the Russian people for forgiveness for his failures.  The first time was shortly after the attempted coup in August 1991; Yeltsin said to the parents of three men who died in that almost bloodless event, “Forgive me, your President, … [Read More]