Deep Something

The Hard Part Comes After the Election

November 13, 2026November 13, 2026 B. John 28 Views 0 Comments government oversight, 2026 Midterm Elections, Congressional Accountability, Presidential Power, Rule of Law, Jim Jordan, Bipartisan Cooperation, Constitutional Safeguards

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

The voters have spoken. Democrats will run both houses of Congress, Americans want relief from rising costs, and most people expect Congress to set real limits on presidential power. That sounds simple enough. But Washington often finds a way to make even the obvious hard.

Now House Republicans have picked Jim Jordan as their minority leader. Jordan’s long record of confrontation and his promise to fight Democratic investigations suggest that working together may not start smoothly. It seems finding common ground wasn’t a top priority for this role.

But there’s a bigger issue here. American history shows what can happen when we choose reconciliation over accountability. From Reconstruction to Watergate, moving on without facing past failures has sometimes cost the country for generations. Will Congress finally look at what went wrong, figure out who is responsible, and set up safeguards that last beyond the next election?

In Part Two of my look at the 2026 election, I cover Congress’s powers, the challenges ahead, and why cooperation without accountability could leave us stuck. Read the full article and think about whether this Congress is ready for the challenge.

Economy Featured Politics Congress Constitution Society Crime Corruption

Affordability, Accountability, and What Voters Really Asked For

November 11, 2026 B. John 70 Views 1 Comment Democracy, 2026 Midterm Elections, Rule of Law, Congressional Accountability, Affordability, Government Corruption, Presidential Power, checks and balances

This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

Americans went to the polls demanding change. But what exactly did they want? Lower grocery bills? A Congress willing to stand up to Donald Trump? Someone to finally hold government officials accountable? I went digging through national polling before and after the election, expecting a fairly straightforward answer. I didn’t get one.

The numbers reveal something fascinating. Nearly seven in ten supporters of Republican candidates said the future of democracy was very important to their vote. And about seven in ten voters overall thought Congress wasn’t doing enough to check presidential power. That’s a pretty clear message, isn’t it? Well, apparently everyone wants accountability until someone starts naming names. The differences between Democrats and Republicans become remarkable when voters are asked who should be investigated and what Congress should actually do. Meanwhile, both sides are sending an unmistakable message about affordability: do something about the cost of living.

So what did Americans really tell the incoming Congress? And did Democrats win a mandate that goes far beyond what Hakeem Jeffries seems willing to acknowledge? The polling tells a more complicated story than the election-night speeches, and some of the numbers may surprise you. Check out the article to see how the polls stack up.

Featured Politics Congress Constitution Presidency War Society Crime

Is Torture Ever Right?

May 25, 2009 B. John 924 Views 1 Comment Soufan, george bush, FBI, torture, Dick Cheney, Geneva conventions, Thomas Paine, Newt Gingrich, Rule of Law, Teddy Roosevelt, John Adams

I continue to be baffled by the arguments in favor of torture, and the justifications that are made for America’s use of torture. I have heard one justification after another, and each falls with daily revelations of what really happened. Most disturbing though is a recent Pew Survey finding that the more people attend church, the more accepting they are of these torture justifications. That, my friends, causes me crisis of faith. I fear for what is to become of us as a people and a Republic.