Gary Franks Columns category, Page 2

Is it possible that welfare reform and my small contribution toward that effort in 1996 as the Republican chairman of the Welfare Reform Task Force may have inadvertently contributed to the election of a Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate in 2022, a Kentucky governor and a Virginia state legislature in 2023? Sounds...

Today’s Democrats have an opportunity to make history and have a positive impact on America. With assistance, they can select which Republican will be the next speaker of the House. Well, a turnabout would be fair play. After all, Democrats brought about former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s demise along with just...

The Republican candidates for president were at the Ronald Reagan Library in California last week for a debate. One candidate promoted himself well, like Reagan, and remembered the former president’s trademark: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican.” And for those two reasons, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis comes out...

“Let me tell you something New Yorkers, never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to — I don’t see an ending to this. This issue ( the influx of migrants crossing the Mexican border into the U.S.) will destroy New York...

The good news for former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley is that if the election for president were held today, she would clearly beat Biden — by six points. The bad news for her is that nearly every one of her top Republican challengers — except for...

Republican candidates for president, tell us your plan for America’s future. How will you attack President Joe Biden or any other Democrat, and how will you win in 2024? Do this, and Republican primary voters will reciprocate by handing you the nomination. Former President Donald Trump is leading largely because...

I am not that concerned with exploring what has “happened.” I am more concerned with exploring what is “happening.” I would rather prepare for 2024 and beyond than relive 2020. I am more concerned with the actions of a powerful person who can affect my life greatly than a powerless...

Let’s imagine what America would be like if we had adopted an age-limit constitutional amendment in 2010. After all, in nearly every occupation, there is an established age limit. Nearly all major labor contracts have an age-limit clause. But if you are a federal employee there are exceptions to this...

Maybe it is time to revamp your campaign, Ron DeSantis. I am guessing you have the “A Team” of consultants. OK. What have they done for you lately? Is it possible that one of your consultants participated, aided or abetted the campaign of the Arizona congressman who referred to Black...

It is amazing how nostalgia turns into public policy. The state of Virginia is wrestling with what to do about an already removed statute of Gen. Robert E. Lee, military leader of the Confederacy and an outstanding student at West Point. However, Lee lost the Civil War to Union Gen....

Is the media trying to make President Joe Biden look good instead of reporting the news as news, along with analysis? For example, are we being misled about the condition of our economy? Does anyone not understand that if you are not working, you are unemployed? Biden’s claim that the...

The biggest losers in the Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action decision are not Black people. When you are already in last place economically, you cannot go any lower. Ironically, good white people in America are the big losers. I am not attempting to mirror the court’s twisted logic — they...

I remember when Satchel Paige was pitching for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965. He was at least 20 years beyond his prime, much like President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are today in politics. In his prime his pitches were very difficult to hit. But at an...

The best move for former President Donald Trump is the one most unexpected. Being unpredictable or unconventional was the trait that helped him win the White House in 2016, and it would help him today. The baseball pitcher that tips off his pitches eventually gets hit hard, looks bad and...

Recently, CNN and CBS each earned kudos for digging deeper on an issue. They asked the tough questions that made folks in authority extremely uncomfortable and had equally as challenging follow-up questions. Adroit investigative reporting better serves the public. When the media does its job, it ensures that we have...

“Public schools are good for your kids but not good for … my kids?” This should be the Democratic Party’s motto. They practice this hypocrisy, and sadly get away with it. The liberal media is AWOL on challenging them. Democrats would say “let public funds be used only for public...

As I sat down to write a tribute to former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who turns 100 this week, I was distracted by “very disturbing” news I will address at the end of this article (it’s not about Kissinger). It would be difficult to find any living American who...

Wars come in many forms. Let us remember how some historic confrontations have been won. David beat Goliath — David had an unconventional weapon (a stone and slingshot), and he killed Goliath. Goliath clearly underestimated David. American early settlers used an unconventional weapon (a gun) to defeat the Native Americans....

Last May at a conservative function held in Dallas, the Old Parkland Conference, where Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was in attendance for the weekend event, along with dozens of minority conservatives, I had an interesting experience. I got “kicked out” of the conference because I challenged the views of...

How can billions of dollars be lost, and nobody can figure out who got the money or where it all went? Maybe fraud is involved somewhere? In the last banking crisis in 2008 — which led to a crippling recession in America and around the world — a deep-dive investigation...

Political power is in the hands of the people. Our democracy responds to the cries of the people. And the people would like to prevent America from having 5½ more years of octogenarian governance, whether it’s President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump again. Here is a very idealistic...

Democrats should stop demagoguing the gun issue on “how” people are dying and focus instead on “why” people are dying. When guns are involved, there is a 84% homicide rate for Black youths under the age of 18, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. The use of guns...

The two Black state representatives from Tennessee — let’s call them the Tennessee Duo — who were kicked out of the state Legislature this month for breaking rules of order (while protesting in the chamber during a debate on gun legislation) brought back memories. Protesting wrongs is truly what Dr....

Next week marks the 111th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. That tragedy did not just happen by chance. Arrogant people who boasted that the ship was invincible played a major role. The “best engineers” determined that even if the “unsinkable” ship were to start sinking, it would take...

The good news for President Joe Biden is that his approval rating, as reported by a recent AP-NORC poll, stands at 38%. This is his second worst rating in his presidency, slightly better than his 36% in July 2022. Yes, that is his “good” news. It should be worse. Vice...