Author: Cal Thomas

According to the Wall Street Journal, the last serious attempt to count the number of federal criminal laws appears to have been made in 1982 by a retired Justice Department official named Ronald Gainer. He failed, but the estimate then was “…50 titles and 23,000 pages of federal law.” Many more laws have been added […]

In the matter of the “culture wars,” evangelical Christians are asking, “what do we do now?” The question is being raised in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision striking down state laws reserving marriage for heterosexual couples.   The “culture wars,” while well-intentioned, were a mistake from the beginning. Evangelical Christians, whose Leader said, […]

Am I allowed to repeat myself when it comes to the negotiations over the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal? Why not, since that is what Iran’s leaders are doing. They are repeating themselves by refusing inspections of some of their facilities where only a fool would believe nuclear weapons are not under construction. They are repeating themselves […]

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” What Winston Churchill said in 1942 following a British military victory in North Africa might also be said about Friday’s narrow 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court legalizing marriage between people […]

The media and the secular left have a love-hate relationship with the Roman Catholic Church and its popes. When the pope takes positions with which they agree, they applaud him, but when he takes positions with which they disagree, they either ignore or criticize him. Such is the case with Pope Francis’ encyclical on “climate […]

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King Jr. It is such a rare act that most do not know how to respond, except in stunned silence. Relatives of the nine people murdered while attending a Bible study and […]

In her reintroduction speech on Roosevelt Island in New York last Saturday, Hillary Clinton hit all the boilerplate liberal Democrat notes: The New Deal, big government, soak the rich, evil Wall Street … you know the song because the music is from a familiar score. Speaking of songs, Hillary Clinton made reference to The Beatles’ […]

Upon hearing of the massive data breach of employee information from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) — allegedly by hackers working for the Chinese government — Kay Coles James, the former director of OPM under George W. Bush, told me she was “aghast,” adding, “I can’t think about the national security implications of a […]

My high school colors were green and white. At graduation the boys wore green robes and the girls wore white. No one considered the girls inferior because of the color of their robes. Today, we live in different times. My alma mater, Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County, Md., is one of several schools […]

An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration has recommended approval of a drug created to raise a woman’s libido. It’s called flibanserin, but it is popularly known as “female Viagra.”   The 18-6 committee vote does not guarantee the FDA will give final approval to the drug (it has been rejected twice before), […]

I was not surprised to see historian David McCullough’s latest book rocket to the top position on The New York Times Best Sellers list. Not only is “The Wright Brothers” beautifully written in McCullough’s familiar narrative style, it reminds Americans of what we once honored and promoted: vision, initiative, talent, genius, entrepreneurship, faith, even clean […]

Martin O’Malley, former Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor, announced his presidential candidacy on Saturday, and said some things that could be taken as criticism of President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “Today, the American dream seems for so many of us to be hanging by a thread,” said O’Malley, adding “We must […]

“Black lives matter!” was the chant heard at recent demonstrations in cities and towns from Ferguson, Missouri, to Baltimore, Maryland. Yes, they do matter, but apparently not so much to some other blacks. Only when a white police officer shoots or engages in other behavior that results in the death of a black man do […]

I didn’t attend my commencement ceremony at American University in Washington, D.C. I chose instead to receive my degree in the mail. I didn’t want to listen to a boring speaker, likely unaffiliated with the school or anyone in it, drone on in Washington’s notorious summer heat. Too bad graduates of the U.S. Coast Guard […]

If you visit Mount Olympus, you will see scores of crumbling statues to false gods once worshipped by ancient Greeks. The same is true in Rome, where statues of political gods, notably those named Caesar, lay in ruins. We are more sophisticated today. Moderns don’t bow to Zeus. Many of us, though, put our faith […]

My first job in journalism was as a copyboy at the NBC News Bureau in Washington, D.C. In my early 20s, I asked Bill Corrigan, the newsroom manager, “What must I do to get on the air?” He replied, “Get a college degree and a minimum of five years writing experience with a newspaper or […]

Attorney General Loretta Lynch has announced a Justice Department investigation to determine whether the Baltimore Police Department’s practices are unconstitutional and violate civil rights; in short, whether or not the police force there is racist. It will come as no surprise if the investigation concludes that it is, because accusing the department of racism diverts […]

The Obama administration says it is still trying to determine whether ISIS was behind the attack in Garland, Texas, in which two terrorists were shot dead after trying to kill people attending a “draw the Prophet Muhammad” contest. ISIS is not only claiming responsibility, but promising new attacks. On anonymous message board JustPasteIt, a group […]

LONDON — They called it “Question Time,” borrowing the term from the prime minister’s weekly appearance in the House of Commons, but this was surprisingly and refreshingly different. On Thursday, the three main candidates for prime minister — David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg — one by one appeared before an audience of voters […]

In 2-1/2 hours of oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday, Justice Anthony Kennedy asked the right question: whether it is appropriate for the Court to discard a definition of marriage that “has been with us for millennia,” adding, “it’s very difficult for the court to say, ‘Oh, well, we know better.’ ” Kennedy, […]

When future historians analyze the decline of America they need look no further than the trivialities increasingly occupying our time and concerns instead of substantive matters seriously threatening our existence. The latest in a long list of examples is the two-hour ABC special last Friday devoted to former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner and his coming […]

“…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…” — Abraham Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address While the U.S. military in recent years has had a difficult time winning wars, it has had an easier time surrendering to political correctness and social experimentation. Arguments against gays in the military were rejected, […]

“Don’t know much about history” — Sam Cooke It’s an old joke, but one that is a commentary on our times. A pollster asks: “What do you think about the level of ignorance and apathy in the country?” The person replies: “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Each week, Jesse Watters of Fox News […]

There are classic films, like the ones on TCM and AMC, and there are modern films. There are few modern classics. “Little Boy,” in theaters April 24, could be a modern classic. The film is set in a Southern California town during World War II. A couple’s oldest son, London Busbee (David Henrie), is drafted, […]

In the video announcing her presidential candidacy, Hillary Clinton says the economic deck “is still stacked in favor of those at the top.” She should know because she has gobbled up a lot of cash for speaking fees and the Clinton Foundation. The video also includes the word “reinventing,” a kind of self-reset button (it […]

When people speak of “the first woman president” they usually mean Hillary Clinton, who is expected to announce her candidacy soon. But there’s another woman, a Republican, who will shortly vie for the top job. She is Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard. The polls don’t register much support for Fiorina, but if people listen […]

Too bad the “framework” of a nuclear weapons deal with Iran didn’t come four days earlier on April Fools’ Day. It would have been more appropriate. The United States is being asked to foolishly believe promises by a regime that is religiously motivated to eliminate Israel and ultimately the United States, is the premier sponsor […]

If I visit a kosher restaurant and order a pork chop, am I being discriminated against when the waiter says they don’t serve pork? If an establishment requires that men wear jackets and women dress in what that establishment defines as an “appropriate way,” does that constitute discrimination? When I visit the Vatican, the Swiss […]

NEW YORK — This being the 50th anniversary of the film “The Sound of Music,” please permit me a poor adaption of a few of its song lyrics, which fit in nicely with our current political climate. How do you solve a problem like the Clintons? Their incessant vacuuming of cash and skirting (no pun […]