You are browsing the archives of 2009 June.

by Barry Casselman (June 24, 2009)
If you speak of a luxury Amtrak train to most Americans, even those who
frequently or infrequently ride on our national rail passenger system, you will
most likely provoke guffaws, snorts and other forms of deprecatory laughter.
Since 1970, when most passenger trains were nationalized into the Amtrak
system [...]

It turns out that Winston Churchill’s mother may have been a more interesting
person than he was, and that in itself is remarkable because Mr. Churchill was one
of the towering figures of the 20th century, and was very talented in many areas
(a fine amateur painter, a superb writer about history, [...]

by Barry Casselman (June 17, 2009)
In the current economic downturn, it is no surprise that individuals, families and businesses are cutting back in how often they go out to eat and how much they spend when they do.
The paradox is that, just as so many are reducing their spending in restaurants and travel, there [...]

[for THE PRAIRIE EDITOR BLOG]
by Barry Casselman
When Republican Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced he would not run for a third term a few days ago, it unleashed a torrent of announcements from political wannabes in both major parties, and a few in the significant third party in the state, the Independence Party (IP).
Pawlenty had been [...]

REALITY IN THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT VACANCY
by Barry Casselman (posted at 11:00 a.m.)
Nominations for U.S. supreme Court vacancies have become so ritualized that it is easy to forget the political reality in which they are made.
Democratic President Barack Obama won the 2008 election in both the electoral college and the popular vote. His [...]