Lloyd Constantine

"How rich is too rich?"

America's economic divide grows at an alarming pace

The advice that "you can never be too rich or too thin" attributed to Wallis Warfield Simpson, the late Duchess of Windsor, for whose love King Edward VIII gave up his throne, seems to resonate with some very wealthy cultural and educational institutions, even and especially at a time when lots of American are finding it hard to just get by. Read More 

"Voters need to return fire against NRA"

I am neither happy nor proud that my predictions and desires made in this newspaper on June 7, 2012, about the outcome of the prosecution of George Zimmerman for killing Trayvon Martin were substantially realized.

In my commentary, "Stand your ground needs to go," I argued that a prosecutor and jury could not bring Trayvon back, Zimmerman was no longer a threat to anyone other possibly than himself, but the tragic case presented Florida and the nation with an opportunity to remove a mass killer from our midst. The public menace is comprised of recklessly permissive gun and "Stand Your Ground" laws that encourage people to pack, provoke, engage and shoot. That in truth is what Zimmerman did and was within his legal rights to do in the Dodge City theme park that Florida has become. Read More 

"For gays, justice awaits"

Supreme Court appears ready to lift bans on same-sex marriage

The Supreme Court is on the verge of ruling on challenges to the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2008. Both laws target gays and same-sex marriages. DOMA treats as nullities lawful marriages performed in New York and a steadily increasing number of states, for the roughly 1,100 ways that marital status is crucial in the application of federal law. Read More 

"Talk about a nonstory; Obama isn't Nixonian"

The president needs to do a better job refuting such scandalous comparisons

The momentary elation of commenting on the story du jour, that President Barack Obama was starting to be perceived like former President Richard Nixon, is quickly overwhelmed by the depressing realization that the premise is baseless but nevertheless has legs.

This is an opportunity for the increasingly lazy press to waste a month spinning the analogy rather than reporting important news. Moreover, the disloyal opposition in Congress would seize this latest excuse to obstruct the progress of our nation rather than participate in its governance. Read More 

"Another Obama warms up"

The Vogue cover for last month was a photograph of our imposing first lady, flanked by a story teaser "Michelle Obama: How the First Lady and the President Are Inspiring America." We inhabit the United States in the era of co-presidencies — ushered in by Bill and Hillary, then George W. and Dick (some would reverse that order) and now Barack and Michelle, who was proclaimed by a 2009 Vogue cover "The First Lady the World's Been Waiting For." Read More 

"Britain appreciates our pain"

An ill wind blew from JFK to Heathrow Airport on Monday, as we started hearing about the Boston Marathon atrocities, while still on the tarmac in London. The flight gave me and other American passengers too much time to speculate and relive the horrors of 9/11 that began with other Americans boarding flights from Boston. Read More 

"Commentary: First the father, now the son"

Rand Paul is a slicker, more sophisticated but just as dangerous version of Ron Paul

Ready or not, here comes Rand Paul, the theatrical senator from Kentucky who has entered the 2016 presidential contest in two acts. That guarantees a Dr. Paul among the aspirants for the fourth time.

Senator Paul's first act was his filibuster, momentarily blocking the confirmation of John Brennan as director of the CIA. According to Rand, that protected us from being assassinated on American soil from a drone strike ordered by President Barack Obama.  Read More 

"Assault on the Constitution"

Gun control advocates need to respect what the Second Amendment actually says

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

That is what the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says. Read More 

"News, not blather"

Arab TV network has the right to attract U.S. viewers

If you are in the satire or irony businesses, the announcement that Al Gore's Current TV network is being sold to Al Jazeera and converted into "Al Jazeera America" is almost too good to be true.

The new network already derisively dubbed "Al Gorezeera" by the pundits will result in the Nobel Peace laureate and former vice president pocketing some $100 million as his share of the total $500 million shelled out by the Emir of Qatar (pronounced "gutter") who owns Al Jazeera, a cable network that has operated in the United States for many years without gaining carriage on any major U.S. cable providers.  Read More 

"Credit where it isn't due"

The truth behind the gimmickry of 'Small Business Saturday'

A story on the front page of the Times Union on Sunday, Nov. 25, had the headline "Stores' strategies for getting a grip on your green." It provided shoppers with vital information about retail marketing practices on the day after "Small Business Saturday," an invention of the fertile minds at American Express. This newest marketing day, sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, needs some explanation. An appropriate headline might be: "American Express' strategy for getting a grip on your and the stores' green." Read More