The U.S. Should Get Out of Afghanistan Now

Americans should care enough about the troops to demand a pullout.

A sample of headlines since a U.S. soldier went on a killing rampage in Afghanistan: "Afghanistan's Taliban Suspend Peace Talks with U.S."; "Afghan Protesters Demand U.S. Soldier Be Tried in Afghanistan"; "Karzai Demands U.S. Troops Leave Village Outposts"; and "Taliban Threaten to Behead U.S. Soldiers in Revenge." And still we stay. President Obama stubbornly insists that nothing has changed. Our timetable for withdrawal remains December 2014. Why? When we attacked Afghanistan in October 2001, the mission was clear: kill or capture Osama Bin Laden, disrupt al Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power.

Stop Kony Video Inspires Millions to Care

Still, many criticize the social media campaign aimed at taking down evil in Uganda.

It is safe to say that last week, 99 percent of the people in this country had never heard the name Joseph Kony. That percentage is falling by the second thanks to an organized YouTube, Twitter and Facebook campaign that says as much about the power of social media as it does about the evil that lives in the jungles of central Africa. Joseph Kony is considered by many to be the world’s most notorious terrorist. For more than 20 years, Kony led raids on villages in and around Uganda to build his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Parents are slaughtered, boys are abducted and forced to be children soldiers, and girls are used as sex slaves and repeatedly raped. The numbers of killings and abductions are staggering. Some say both count more than 100,000. It is safe to say that they are both at least 50,000.

Tax Loophole for Americans With Mustaches Exposes Idiots in Congress

They don’t really read in Washington.

Congress has been exposed by a mustache. We owe a big thanks to the American Mustache Institute. The organization has been lobbying for something called the Stache Act, which stands for Stimulus to Allow for Critical Hair Expenses—a facial-hair tax loophole providing a $250 dollar-a-year tax credit for every mustached American to pay for essential grooming supplies. I know it sounds ridiculous. It gets better.

Rick Santorum’s Not Such a Bad Guy. Even Bono Agrees.

The presidential candidate is a champion for the sick, poor and underprivileged.

Rick Santorum lost the nomination during the Arizona debate. His strength is, and has always been, that he is honest and a man of principle. You may not agree with Rick Santorum, but you always knew exactly where he stood. Ironically it was his honesty last night that showed us he is not always a man of principle. When asked about No Child Left Behind, Santorum answered that he voted for the bill even though he disagreed with it in principle. That brought boos from the Mesa, Arizona audience, and Santorum just made matters worse by saying “Politics is a team sport.”

The Republicans Are Hiding a Presidential Candidate in the Attic

Why is the GOP scared of Buddy Roemer?

After tens of millions of dollars spent and nine primaries and caucuses, the Republicans are no closer to settling on a candidate than when this race started almost a year ago. The campaign trail is littered with the high hopes of names big and not so big—Palin, Trump, Pawlenty, Cain, Christie, Huntsman, Perry. Some decided not to run, some were run out. Now there are five viable candidates. What's that? You only count four? What if I told you that there is a fifth viable candidate who the Republican party and the networks are hiding from you? He is a former governor, a former congressman, and a bank CEO who did not take any bailout money. So he has executive, legislative and business experience. He has qualified for federal matching funds, so the government has anointed him a viable candidate. Why aren't we allowed to hear from him?

Philadelphia’s Iraq War Vets Deserve a Parade Down Broad Street

We can flood the streets to celebrate the Phillies. Why not honor those who fought for our country?

More than one million American men and women fought in Iraq. Many of them will never be the same—32,200 were wounded. Most knew one of the 4,484 who died. Every one of them sacrificed in service to country. Every one of them put their lives on the line. After eight years, eight months and 29 days, the long bloody war finally came to an end on December 15, 2011. And when all of those brave men and women came home, a grateful nation did nothing.

Cardinal Bevilacqua Did Not Get Off Easy

The former head of Philadelphia’s Catholic Church spent his final years in a self-made prison.

I first met Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua when he walked into the NBC 10 studios as a guest on Live @ Issue, the Sunday morning news interview show I started. He was alone, no PR person, no entourage. The Cardinal was both physically and mentally fit. For a half hour he defended Catholicism, attacked then Mayor Rendell for his refusal to support school vouchers, and ended the show with a blessing for Philadelphia. He was charismatic, combative and impressive. I liked him.

Is Chris Christie Running for Vice President?

His recent moderate moves in Jersey indicate he’s on his way to the Romney ticket.

If he had been standing up, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may have sheepishly looked down, and said “Aw shucks.” Instead New Jersey Governor Chris Christie answered Meet the Press moderator David Gregory’s question about the possibility of running on a ticket with Mitt Romney with a humble, “If you were a betting guy, I would bet on Chris Christie still being the governor of New Jersey in 2012.” Then Christie did something he has never done before after being asked the questions hundreds of times: He opened the door a little. “The fact of the matter is, if Governor Romney called me up to talk to me about being vice president, I love my country enough and I love my party enough to listen.” He opened the door a little more on Fox News, “If offered, my wife and would have a conversation and make a decision.”

Bonner and Prendie Can Pull Off a “Million Dollar Miracle”

What could be more Catholic than saving these schools?

There is nothing Catholics like better than a good, old-fashioned miracle, and there is a million-dollar miracle in the making right now in Delaware County. In an attempt to save Archbishop Prendergast and Monsignor Bonner high schools in Drexel Hill from closing, the alumni associations and the surrounding community have come together in an inspirational and frantic fundraising drive.