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Is Palin qualified to step in as president?

dshelton — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:00:54 -0400

When Sarah Palin's father heard his daughter had been named John McCain's vice presidential running mate, he exclaimed in disbelief, "Holy cow!"

My sentiments precisely. Even after her electrifying speech Wednesday night at the Republican convention, I would still say: What was McCain thinking?

Roberts: Disappointment, sympathy for Elizabeth Edwards

dshelton — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:00:59 -0400

Two prominent women dominated the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week while a third, who had originally planned to be there, remained in seclusion in Chapel Hill.

At center stage in Denver were Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. In seclusion at the family estate in Chapel Hill was Elizabeth Edwards, a much-admired figure whose cheating husband has tarnished her, too.

These Olympics will be long remembered

dshelton — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:00:02 -0400

I was shopping this week at a local grocery store when I rounded a corner and bumped into a friend. I immediately yawned in her face.

"You look tired," she said with concern. "It's because of my addiction," I replied, stifling another yawn.

My addiction happens to be the Olympic Games under way in China. Night after night I watch the Olympics until they disappear from the TV screen, which is usually at midnight or later.

During the day I walk around with dark circles under my eyes and yawn in people's faces. That's the price one pays for addiction.

The Russian bear is on the prowl

dshelton — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:06:24 -0400

After I returned from Russia a few weeks ago, a friend asked about my itinerary. Our tour, I replied, took us from Moscow to St. Petersburg "but not down south to the Black Sea and Georgia."

When I mentioned "Georgia," a puzzled look crossed the person's face. "Not Atlanta," I half-jokingly explained, "but the other Georgia."

Until war broke out last week between Georgia and Russia, most Americans couldn't find "the other Georgia" on the map. Geography has never been Americans' strong suit.

Head’s up: Russia is alive and quite well

Bob Williams — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

If you want a quick illustration of how Russia has thawed since the end of the Cold War, look at the accompanying photo, the one of the rotund Russian soldier glaring at me.

I snapped his picture recently in Moscow when I was touring the Kremlin, that vast walled fortress which encloses the Presidential Palace, museums and churches where the Romanovs were crowned.

During the Cold War, the Kremlin was mostly off-limits to foreigners. And cameras? If I’d snapped the picture of soldiers, my camera might have been seized.

Traveler finds Russia remains an enigma

dshelton — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:00:27 -0400

As I stood in Moscow's Red Square a few days ago, it brought back dark memories of the Cold War when Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev and their ilk stood atop Lenin's Tomb ominously reviewing tanks, soldiers and missiles that paraded across Red Square.

Today, Red Square, the second largest in the world after Beijing's Tiananmen Square, is a benign place. On a recent Moscow morning, tourists ambled about in the warm sunshine snapping pictures and buying postcards from souvenir hawkers.

Oh-so-important issues fade into history

dshelton — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0400

Have you ever misplaced an item and emptied drawers, closets and filing cabinets, trying to track it down?

One recent afternoon I was searching for file labeled "Russia." I'd kept it for years in a gray filing cabinet, the one I use for work. I wound up cleaning out the entire filing cabinet that afternoon searching for "Russia."

Tony Snow: Smart, talented and kind

dshelton — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:03:00 -0400

I heard the news last Saturday morning on National Public Radio. Tony Snow, the former White House press secretary, had died of colon cancer. He was 53.

White House press secretaries come and go; some are forgettable, others memorable. Tony was decidedly the latter. His tenure was cut short by illness and lasted only 17 months, but he was special.

Rosemary Roberts: Reflecting on encounters with Jesse Helms

dshelton — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0400

During the years that Jesse Helms served in the U.S. Senate, I was among the legion of columnists who vehemently criticized his right-wing rhetoric and policies.

In various columns I described him as a bigot, a homophobe, a mossback and an international obstructionist. I also called him "an embarrassment to the state of North Carolina."

But in the spirit of that ancient proverb "Never speak ill of the dead," I shall simply reminisce today about some encounters I had with the late senator.

Rosemary Roberts: Amtrak revival still has a ways to go

dshelton — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0400

I was talking to a 10-year-old the other day about trains and planes and discovered one more big difference between her generation and mine.

"Have you ever ridden on a train?" I asked. "No," she replied, "but I've flown on airplanes."

When I was her age, I had ridden on several trains because they were a common mode of travel. But I never set foot on an airplane until I was in my 20s.

Rosemary Roberts: Shriveling economy brings tough times to Siler City

mgrossman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:06:22 -0400

SILER CITY -- This is a story about hard times in small-town North Carolina. It's also the story of Hispanics, who moved there to take low-paying jobs but who are now out of work. This is the story of a town that's hurting.

The story begins when Siler City, located 30 miles southeast of Greensboro, got jolting news last March. The town's largest employer, Pilgrim's Pride, a poultry processing plant, was closing. More than 820 people -- mostly Hispanics -- would be jobless.

Laura Bush has served with skill, grace

mgrossman — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:03:50 -0400

In a few months, moving vans will arrive at the White House to haul George and Laura Bush's belongings back to Texas. After eight turbulent years, the Bushes will be going home.

I strongly suspect the president, whose approval rating is in the pits, longs for his Crawford ranch. He has never seemed entirely at home amid the formality of the White House, an observation confirmed by the numerous days he's spent at his Texas ranch or Camp David.

Health care needs to be a right for all

import — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:00:00 -0400

President Bush was recently asked about the 45 million Americans who have no health insurance. The president, who is not famous for erudition or eloquence, briskly outlined the George W. Bush Health Care Plan as follows:

"I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room."