Tim Constantine
Columns by Tim Constantine
Electric travel fantasyland
Have you ever observed a circumstance that seemed doomed to certain failure? Perhaps it was the nuptials of a friend when he or she was romantically enamored with someone who no one else believed had your friend's best interest at heart. Maybe it was your teenager's first used car purchase, which seemed like a great road to independence to your child but seemed clear and obvious to you would run very little and cost a lot. Published October 10, 2022
Sen. Cruz solves the bipartisan puzzle in Senate’s effort to regulate big tech
Bipartisan. It is an odd word, seemingly seldom exercised. Some would say it is an endangered species, but one current US Senator is leading the effort for an ongoing bipartisan exercise by the full Congress. Before we dig into that, a little history may be in order. Published September 30, 2022
British rock royalty mourn the Queen, play with Queen and plan their future
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame features some of the biggest names in the history of the musical genre. Artists like the Rolling Stones, Queen, Elton John and David Bowie all trace their origins to Great Britain. Published September 16, 2022
Biden’s fascism folly fosters fear but ignores reality
President Joe Biden, facing historically low Presidential approval ratings and in serious danger of dragging his party down during the 2022 Congressional elections, has recently taken to describing Republicans as fascists and semi-fascists. Published September 2, 2022
Biden’s foreign policy trades U.S. security for political points
Joe Biden and the Democrats have had an abysmal year. Published August 25, 2022
Welcome to the Banana Republic of America
In 2010 the West African country of Ivory Coast held an election. Their then-incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo was unhappy with the outcome, a loss to his challenger, current President Alassane Ouattara. Published August 12, 2022
Is 2023 GOP Congressional leadership setting itself up to fail?
The United States Congress has a longstanding practice of only being able to focus on one main issue at a time. Published July 29, 2022
The GOP’s impending Trump disaster
President Joe Biden's polling numbers from a wide variety of sources tell us beyond any shadow of a doubt that he and any hopes to push his agenda are both in deep trouble. Published July 15, 2022
The Supreme Court and baseball: You can’t just make up the rules
I have been an avid Kansas City Royals fan since boyhood. It has not always been easy, as the Royals have made the playoffs only twice since 1985. This year is sadly typical by Royals standards. They currently have the third-worst record in all of Major League Baseball (MLB). My love for the organization continues nonetheless. Published July 6, 2022
The Supreme Court: Worst case scenario
Nine Justices sit on the United States Supreme Court. Whenever a sitting justice either voluntarily retires or passes away, a vacancy on the court is recognized. The President of the United States nominates someone to fill the vacant seat, with the advice and consent of the US Senate. A nomination to the Court is considered to be official when the Senate receives a signed nomination letter from the President. Once the Senate has held hearings and investigated the qualifications of the nominee, they vote and if a majority is in favor, the person is approved and takes his or her place on the highest court in the land. Published June 23, 2022
Vacation in the Middle East? Absolutely yes.
When many Americans hear a generic reference to "The Middle East" their immediate impression may be one of war and/or challenging circumstances. The last two U.S. generations have heard endless tragic stories of American hostages, "death to America" chants from Iran, the war in Iraq and a never-ending dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians. The impression of trouble in the region runs deep. Published June 6, 2022
When Biden and Pelosi served in Congress during the Roosevelt administration
When I was a child my parents knew a woman who would come and stay with my brothers and sisters and me on the extremely rare occasion that both my Mom and Dad were away at the same time. Mom was a full-time Mom so this nearly never occurred, but once in a blue moon, my parents would allow themselves a romantic getaway from their five children. The woman who watched us went on to her eternal reward long ago but out of respect, I will not call her by her real name. For this column, she will be Margaret. Published May 19, 2022
America has a stalker: The Democrats
Merriam Webster defines the word Stalker as "a person who pursues someone obsessively and aggressively to the point of harassment." Stalkers have often experienced unrequited love, that is, having feelings of affection, real or imagined, for another that are not returned. Often the stalker begins with gentle, loving gestures such as flowers and sweet words, but when the object of their affection isn't open to his or her advances, the stalker is stunned and hurt. Published May 7, 2022
The tragic suicide of Mickey Mouse
Corporate logos are, in many ways, the face of a business. Much like when you unexpectedly recognize a friend from your old neighborhood it puts you at ease, a familiar corporate image can provide a sense of comfort, safety and security. Published April 26, 2022
What happened to America? Joe Biden happened
President Joe Biden's standing among Americans is embarrassingly bad. Published April 20, 2022
The Russians and the world could learn from the diplomacy of Morocco
Vladimir Putin's unabashed aggression toward neighboring Ukraine has been universally panned by the international community, with the possible exception of Belarus and China. Published April 7, 2022
Biden’s oil fix is like teenage binge drinking
Roughly forty years ago, while enjoying the various relatively innocent components of my high school years including Student Council, JV Basketball and Speech Club, I had a surprisingly deep conversation with a close friend who had managed to develop a habit of drinking alcohol to excess nearly every weekend. I couldn't understand the appeal of such reckless behavior and shared my concern. My friend explained that the buzz provided by the booze helped him escape his perceived problems, at least for a few hours. I remember staring him straight in the eye and earnestly asking, "...but aren't the problems still there when you've sobered up?" Published April 1, 2022
WNBA player arrested In Russia: What if she is guilty?
Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and stand-out player for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury basketball team was recently arrested in Russia on drug charges. Published March 17, 2022
Old dog, new tricks: Lessons for Joe Biden amid sky high gas prices
Donald Trump's final year as President was 2020. The average closing price of oil that year was $39.68 a barrel. The year before that it had been 56.99 a barrel. At one point this past week oil was trading as high as $138 a barrel. That's a ridiculously steep increase, a huge hit on every Mom that drives her children to school, to every truck driver delivering food to your local grocery store and to every delivery of all those items Amazon drops on your front doorstep. Published March 11, 2022
The State of Confusion address
Tuesday night President Joe Biden delivered his first official State of the Union address to Congress and to the American people. Published March 2, 2022
