Thomas J. Basile's Blog
If I have the numbers correct, this week marked the 30th time in recent history that a New York politician was indicted for corruption. Actually, this week one state senator, two members of the State Assembly, one city councilman and two GOP party officials hit the rocks as part of a wide-ranging Federal investigation. It's a tragedy - not just for their families - not just for their parties - but more importantly for all New Yorkers. Both the Republican and Democrat parties…
April 06
7:23 AM
Views: 107
Check out my recent interview about how to reduce gun violence on NRA Radio. While I haven't been a big fan of the way the NRA has handled the aftermath of Newtown, this was a good discussion about trying to solve the problem by linking the issues of the economy and dependency to gun violence - Listen and watch HERE.
March 03
8:50 AM
Views: 173
We live in interesting times. Through the power of technology we see, hear and even participate in the making of history. Some of these moments, like 9/11 rock us to the core of our souls. Others are inspiring or uplifting. Within the next few hours, we will witness something that hasn't happened since before Columbus discovered America - the abdication of a Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. This matters to members of the faith, but it also matters to those of…
February 27
7:44 PM
Views: 198
I'll be writing more on this in the coming days, but it is striking to me how one-sided American politics has become. Democracy is about tension. It's not a bad tension. People in a free society have differing views and they express them. They have certain likes and dislikes. They have differing world views. They all come together to run a government that they hope will take into account their views. That's the tension. But we've come to a point…
January 14
8:15 AM
Views: 252
Between the failure of the GOP House Majority to act on Plan B before leaving for the Christmas break and the NRA's disaster of a press conference in response to Newtown, this week makes one wonder if the GOP is totally off the rails. First, the so-called fiscal cliff. I say so-called because if it were a real cliff, it would be the last one we'd face. But with the meager spending cuts proposed, the lack of courage on entitlement reform and the new spending in all of the…
December 21, 2012
6:55 PM
Views: 288
As we all pray for those impacted by the unspeakable tragedy unfolding in Connecticut, let's also hope that Americans on both sides of the political spectrum and the media will demonstrate a degree of decorum during this time. What's not helpful is a lot of political talk charging the policy of one side or the other for what happened in Newtown. All too often when something like this happens, people rush to place blame or suggest that if one thing or another were done, this horrific…
December 14, 2012
12:06 PM
Views: 263
It's been a week since the 2012 mercifully came to a conclusion. While the so-called conservative movement, the tea party, the remnants of the so-called Republican Party and stunned voters everywhere point fingers at each other over a thumping defeat, I think it important to touch on perhaps the single most important reason for the demise of the Romney effort. For all the well-deserved criticism of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on mediocre television commnercials and not…
November 12, 2012
6:56 PM
Views: 300
On Wednesday evening, Bill Clinton will deliver a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention. The former president loves the limelight and ordinarily would relish every minute of what will surely be a hero’s return to the party he almost single-handedly saved from collapse 20 years ago. What will make the speech awkward is his task: to prop up a failing president who represents the opposite of what Clinton represents, in both style and substance.
After taking office…
September 04, 2012
8:11 AM
Views: 402
With his convention over Mitt Romney now launches into the general election campaign with a boost. This was a solid convention, that with the exception of Clint Eastwood’s routine, was well scripted, well delivered and well received. Romney will get his bounce from the convention, particularly in some of the swing state polls. The trick in modern presidential campaigns is holding on to them. Here are four things Romney needs to do to ensure he can leverage the…
August 31, 2012
10:53 AM
Views: 386
After the Obama campaign has spent millions trying to convince the American people that the GOP is nothing more than an extreme group of bon bon-eating elitists who live in ivory towers, hate the poor, want women back in the kitchen and look like the guy from the Monopoly board, the Republican National Convention has done a remarkable job of beating back the left's typical playbook this week. It all started on Tuesday with Ann Romney talking about being a coal miner's daughter and painting…
August 30, 2012
2:58 PM
Views: 383