ArcaMax

SAN DIEGO -- And to think, up until last week, I would have said that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was painfully boring with a confirmation process to match.

What do I know? Scandals are never boring. Still, as a proud American who hates to see our institutions sullied, give me boring any day.

The Kavanaugh proceedings have taken a ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- My dear reader, let me tell you something you probably already know: Practice does not always make perfect. Many journalists write for a living, but that doesn't mean all journalists are good writers.

Some are good reporters. Some are good observers. Some have a good handle on people. Some are good thinkers.

San Diego-based ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- It used to be the media would factcheck a story. Now, many people feel they need to factcheck the media.

That's not a bad idea. In the Trump era, much of the media -- a vast landscape of newspapers, broadcast networks, talk radio, news sites, social media and more -- didn't just lose the public's trust. They threw it out the window...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Before we rush off to work, let's pause for a moment and think about how much some Americans earn per hour.

In a recent Labor Day column about the declining American work ethic, I wrote: "Today, in the agricultural hub of Central California, farmers tell me they're paying $30 per hour to pick tomatoes and $40 per hour to pick ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Now that John McCain has been laid to rest, it's worth paying tribute to his special relationship with Latinos -- especially Mexican-Americans in the Grand Canyon State.

The Arizona senator "got" Latinos, and Latinos "got" him. In ways the national media never understood during his presidential campaigns, McCain and la comunidad...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- In tribute to John McCain, this Labor Day weekend I'm serving up straight talk about the American work ethic.

McCain was, of course, an early champion of comprehensive immigration reform -- including a path to earned citizenship for some undocumented immigrants.

The Arizona senator had a powerful ally on his side: reality. ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Current events being what they are, the death of John McCain is especially poignant for those of us in this coastal city.

That's because, just days before the 81-year-old went to his rest, San Diegans witnessed a spectacle that was the antithesis of everything McCain stood for. And it drives home what Americans have lost.

The ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Someone needs a hug. Many white Americans are feeling pushed out, pushed aside, pushed around and pushed against the wall.

And now, in the Trump era, some of those folks are pushing back against what they see as a kind of reverse racism -- where the minorities become the majority, gradually ascend to positions of power, and ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Donald Trump has made politics less rational and more reflexive.

If he supports something, his backers will say that they also support it -- even if they would normally oppose it. Consider the Trumpsters who call themselves conservatives but now support tariffs and trade barriers.

In the same way, if the president ends a program, ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Never mind the undocumented. Donald Trump has a terribly complicated relationship with legal immigrants.

I'm not talking about the fact that he keeps marrying them, or that his in-laws -- legal immigrants Viktor and Amalija Knavs -- were sponsored for U.S. citizenship by their daughter, first lady Melania Trump.

And to ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Talk about a race to the bottom. There is a kind of xenophobia Olympics going on at Fox News.

Primetime hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham appear to be locked in a fierce competition over who can say the ugliest thing about immigrants. These two media figures -- who can seem like a cross between demagogues and circus clowns --...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Let me tell you something you already know: At the moment, the media is a mess.

It's time to send out a search party, because we've completely lost our way. We went from covering the world to thinking the world revolves around us. We used to hunt for the story; today, we make ourselves the story. Our primary job is to hold the ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- I'm all about regional pride. As a native of the farmland of Central California, it warms my heart to see one of my peeps break a barrier, achieve a victory or receive an honor.

Thus, I should probably be rooting for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to accomplish his goal of becoming House Speaker in the next session, which ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- No mas, Newt!

After two decades of watching the former House speaker wrestle clumsily with Latino outreach, I can't take any more flip-flopping.

Newt Gingrich cannot seem to make up his mind about whether Republicans get more benefit from approaching America's largest minority with an open palm -- or a clenched fist.

...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Take it from this country boy, Mr. President.

Farmers -- including those in my native Central California -- don't need your handout. They just want you to remove your boot from their neck so they can make a living.

The Trump administration is offering an estimated $12 billion in farm aid, which is about the last thing farmers need...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Have you been keeping track of the telenovela in New York's 14th Congressional District? If not, you're missing quite a show.

The primary election may be over, but the drama continues. And instead of the picture getting clearer for Democrats in a district that is made up of Queens and the Bronx, the outlook is murkier than ever.

...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- When we argue about California's so-called "sanctuary state" law, we might as well be arguing about unicorns.

Just as there is no such thing as a one-horned fantastical creature, so too is there no sanctuary for illegal immigrants in California.

It's a blatant lie that, as Trump administration officials claim, California is ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- A columnist should always admit when he is wrong, but not enough of us are willing to go to confession.

Thankfully, I'm a happily married man with a wife who is more than happy to point out when I'm wrong. And she does a lot of pointing.

Let me confess: I was wrong. For most of my life, I've assumed that diversity would lead ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Judging Supreme Court nominees is tricky. Whether the assessment is taking place formally by lawmakers in the Senate Judiciary Committee, or informally by everyday Americans at water coolers across the country, there are many unknowns.

Nominees are usually careful not to give any hints during their confirmation hearings about how ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Abolish ICE?

As political catchphrases go, it'll do just fine. It's pithy and punchy. It fits on a bumper sticker. Whether it infuriates or inspires you, it fires you up.

The one thing the slogan doesn't do is make you think, because that is not the point of it.

Think on this: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a baby ...Read more