Michael McKenna
Columns by Michael McKenna
GOP must stop yelling about ‘weaponization’ of Biden’s DOJ
As the next indictment against former President Donald Trump creeps closer, it seems like a good time to review a few simple yet often forgotten and perhaps outdated concepts about American justice and governance. Published July 19, 2023
Cramer’s energy tax: It’s tough to get a straight answer in this town
Washington suffers from a lot of pathologies, but the most annoying has to be the chronic inability of federal government officials to give a straight answer to a simple question. Published July 14, 2023
How Trump can both win and lose: A third-party spoiler
David Axelrod tweeted: "One thing that separates Trump from DeSantis and much of the rest of the field is that Trump's core supporters don't see him as a politician. They see him as the blunt-talking leader of an anti-establishment insurgency." Published July 12, 2023
They’re coming for your kids, and have been for some time
In some respects, the children of this nation are now less educated than their parents. Published July 7, 2023
In the greatest nation ever, why are progressives so glum?
Earlier this week, most Americans took a day and celebrated their good fortune in being a part of the greatest nation on Earth. Unfortunately, not everyone felt like celebrating. Published July 5, 2023
DeSantis and Trump must support an immigration policy good for all Americans
In the event that you did not receive the memo, last week was immigration week in the Republican presidential primary. Published July 3, 2023
Good political operatives take campaign defeats personally
As I retrieved yard signs from polling places in the midst of a driving rain after the recently completed (and lost) primary election in Virginia, I wondered why this loss hurt a bit more than others. Published June 28, 2023
The case for DeSantis over Trump
As the Republican primary contest becomes more crowded, and in the wake of the indictment of former President Donald Trump, it might be worth taking a look at the results of recent opinion research. Published June 24, 2023
Yes, Sen. Cramer, you do support a tax on energy
A few days ago, four Republican senators joined four Democrats and Sen. Angus King, Maine independent, to introduce legislation that would set the federal government down the path of imposing a tax on carbon dioxide. Published June 22, 2023
Liberals have become increasingly dissatisfied over last several decades
For a number of years, academics have developed and examined data that clearly indicates that those Americans who identify politically as liberals are less happy than those who identify as conservative. Published June 17, 2023
Much obliged: Gratitude binds us to one another
A friend recently paid off her student loans after 10 long years. That thankless journey to some semblance of financial independence seemed to be an occasion worth marking with some sort of token, and so it was. Published June 14, 2023
Recycling is better for the environment than electric vehicles
It turns out that curbside recycling actually provides more environmental benefits than many of the most sacred cows of the environmental left -- including, most notably, electric vehicles. Published June 9, 2023
Running on his record: Donald Trump is no longer an insurgent candidate
A few days ago, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promised that he would replace Christopher Wray, the current director of the FBI, on his first day in the event he is elected president. Published June 7, 2023
Real test of Fiscal Responsibility Act will be sturdiness of spending targets
Without taking sides on the wisdom of the debt limit increase (unironically named the "Fiscal Responsibility Act"), a couple of features of the deal and the surrounding conversation are worth noting. Published June 2, 2023
Be wary of early poll results
Now that the field for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is starting to settle, it seems an auspicious moment to offer the usual warning about the results of opinion research. Published May 31, 2023
Forget the ‘obituary test’: Live instead to prepare for God’s judgment of your life
Last week, as part of a lovely graduation ceremony, the dean of a business school encouraged graduates to pursue things that give life relevance outside of the workplace. Published May 28, 2023
Durham’s history term paper fails to produce any justice
John Durham, the special counsel appointed back in October 2020 to examine the origins of the claims that Russia had somehow involved itself in the 2016 election, finally closed up shop a couple of weeks ago. Published May 24, 2023
Gorsuch: Coronavirus policies ‘the greatest intrusions on civil liberties’ in peacetime
In a Supreme Court decision last week, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch offered a scathing rebuke to how the U.S. handled COVID-19 both legally and policy-wise. Published May 23, 2023
The hazards of permitting reform in getting energy projects built on time
As Sen. Tom Carper gets ready to add to the melange of proposed permitting legislation, it might be worth thinking about whether the current batch of permitting reform may do more harm than good. Published May 20, 2023
In wake of a budget deal, Republicans should get ready for longer fight
As we head toward what seems to be a deal on the debt limit and associated spending reforms, it is worth thinking about what we can learn from this experience. Published May 17, 2023
