This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I have never been to Ukraine in person.

But, I feel as if I am there every day as I read stories about the terrible war.

Started by the immoral Vladimir Putin, what is happening in Ukraine is tearing apart that country, as well as Russia itself.  The West may be more united than ever as it faces the Putin challenge, but there will be price to pay for the West, as well.

For my part, I read the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Atlantic Magazine every day in an effort to make sense of what I cannot see in person. 

I also try to avoid drowning in information, for, as one citizen far from the war, there is not much I can do about it individually, so better to get an overall perspective than too much information.

So it was that I read with interest two recent columns – one by Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal and one by Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post.

Here are excerpts from each.

FROM PEGGY NOONAN:  Under this headline – “The World, Moved, Needs to Move Cautiously in Ukraine; We admire Zelensky and want to help his country. But escalation poses threats far beyond its borders” – here is what Noonan wrote.

“It is good to be moved.  It feels good to admire without ambivalence.  The West is united, suddenly and surprisingly, and that feels good too.

“Volodymyr Zelensky stirred the world not only by what he said but what he did.  He has put it all on the line, including his life.  Early on he told the press the intelligence services had informed him he is Russian target No. 1, his wife and two children target No. 2, but they’re staying, they won’t leave.

“It is reminiscent of the summer of 1940 and London bracing for the blitz. Prime Minister Winston Churchill asked if the children of the British royal family, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, shouldn’t be sent to safety overseas.  This was the answer of Queen Elizabeth, wife of King George VI: ‘The children could not go without me, I could not possibly leave the king, and the king would never go.’  So they stayed. Princess Elizabeth has been queen now for 70 years.

“The West must try with everything it has to end this.  Cease-fires, talks, negotiations that become serious, possible compromises, efforts at ‘deconfliction’—every attempt has to be made and made again.  That’s what diplomats exist to do, find a way out when history turns hard.

“We must do what we can without sparks flying, and Lord knows we should be talking to Russia about Ukraine’s 15 nuclear reactors.  It’s not only a matter of ‘don’t hit them,’ it is that human beings have to work there to keep them safely operating—showing up each day during a war, sustaining their professionalism, not being unnerved and making mistakes while they’re being shelled.

“The West must feel what it feels and not compromise our judgment.”

FROM KATHLEEN PARKER:  Under this headline – “Why Russia won’t soon recover from Putin’s Ukraine blunder” – here is what Parker wrote.

“I can’t stand it.  Nobody can stand it.  We’re dead.

“These were Nina Khrushcheva’s first words when I called to ask how she was faring as Russia’s war on Ukraine escalates and civilian death tolls rise.

“A friend of several years, Khrushcheva has taught me much about the country she loves and the leader she loathes — Vladimir Putin.  An author and professor at the New School in New York with dual U.S.-Russian citizenship, she’s the great-granddaughter of former Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev.

“She’s stressed out, just as are more than 80 per cent of Americans recently polled by the American Psychological Association.  While most Americans cite the cumulative effects of inflation, the two-year-old pandemic and a European war with no end in sight, Khrushcheva’s demons are more personal and specific to Putin.

“’How could a country that defeated the Nazis do this?’ she asks.

“Khrushcheva also finds Putin’s actions out of character.

“I kept arguing that the invasion of Ukraine couldn’t happen because, if you deconstruct Putin, he doesn’t do crazy, big things, she says.  He does small stuff — Crimea, Belarus.  Invading Ukraine was entirely out of the Putin-judo-master-KGB character.

“Americans have wondered what could explain Putin’s error in judgment. Is he ill?  Perhaps mentally ill?  French President Emmanuel Macron’s report that the Russian leader didn’t seem himself during a phone conversation just before the invasion gained traction because it seemed plausible when nothing else did.

“Putin the Monster will join not the greats but the murderers in Russia’s history.

“In his pursuit of a nationalistic, patriotic, moral Russia with himself as czar, Putin has put his country in reverse.  Economic sanctions might be the least of what he has wrought.  People including Khrushcheva are equally concerned about social sanctions, manifested in the loss of identity, society, and culture.

“’As a country, Russia is ruined for decades to come,’ she says. ‘The whole world is behind Ukraine.  The rest of the world will never, ever be normal with us.  Not even a handshake.’”

So, what do I surmise in all of this – if anything?

Well, my answer is the same as it has been for a couple weeks now.  It is that Putin is a criminal, more in line with Adolph Hitler than anyone else, so he should be repudiated and vilified, not made into some kind of weird hero.

What he has done in Ukraine is reprehensible.  So is what he has done to his own country.

The West, led forcefully by U.S. President Joe Biden (by the way, I continue to be glad that he is in the White House instead of his predecessor), must work to find the best answers in the current conflict. 

Not the magic answers, for there are reverse spins to every potential action.  And there is no magic.  The best answers.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

No big news to hear that life contains highs and lows.

So, for me, there have been both lately.

ONE LOW:  I have been absorbing a lot of information lately about a new malady – vertigo.

I have no idea where I’d be without the Internet.  I was struck again about how simple it is to obtain information these days.  A couple of key strokes and you’re there.

Twenty years ago, I would have checked our set of encyclopedias.  Today, I use “google” – and I’m sure that makes the company, Google, happy.

The other night I experienced something that apparently happens to about 40 per cent of the country’s population at some point in their lives — vertigo.

For me, it was startling to have the room spinning out of control for almost 20 seconds.  I wasn’t counting.  I am estimating.

Here’s the definition of the term:  “Vertigo is a sensation of feeling off balance.  If you have these dizzy spells, you might feel like you are spinning or that the world around you is spinning.  Vertigo is often caused by an inner ear problem.”

Further, vertigo is often triggered by a change in the position of your head.  People with vertigo typically describe it as feeling like they are spinning, tilting, swaying, unbalanced, pulled in one direction, feeling nauseated, or vomiting.

My next step is to get professional help for the condition.

ONE HIGH:  Speaking of professional help, here is the California desert, I was able to obtain appointments quickly with medical practitioners despite what I had heard, which is that wait time for appointments could be very long.

But I booked an appointment quickly with a primary care doctor, now “my primary care doctor” here in California.

Same with a physical therapist.

Why the latter?

It has been interesting to note that one suggested treatment for vertigo, both from my physician and in on-line information, was advice I never would have predicted – physical therapy.

The treatment is called “vestibular rehabilitation,”a type of therapy aimed at helping strengthen the vestibular system.  The function of the vestibular system is to send signals to the brain about head and body movements relative to gravity, so a therapist aims to change that system.

I have not had physical therapy yet, but have booked an appointment for Wednesday, March 16.  I also was told it would be one appointment, not a series, which is good in that the treatment is not like what happens in some cases – an ongoing and expensive series.

Hope this works – so my friends will know that, when I act out-of-balance, it is because of vertigo, not my normal self.

ANOTHER HIGH:  Perhaps it’s inaccurate to term this a “high.”  But I noted a column in the Washington Post this morning which cited polling statistics indicating growing support for President Joe Biden.

One reason is how he is handling the Ukraine crisis, which requires a deft touch.  Just imagine if Donald Trump was in the Oval Office.  No deft touch.  We’d have to listen to him fawning over Vladimir Putin, even as Putin wreaks havoc in Ukraine.

In a column on the perception that Biden’s ratings are improving, Washington Post writer Jennifer Rubin included this paragraph:

“Since President Biden took office, Republicans dedicated to his failure and the obstruction of virtually all his initiatives have hypocritically criticized his failure to achieve ‘unity.’”

This illustrates an unfortunate growing reality of politics these days.  It is the trait of those not in charge to win plaudits by opposing those in charge, then criticizing them for failing to achieve bi-partisanship or unity.

It’s one of the reasons I am glad to be out of politics as a lobbyist these days. 

And, is this a real “high” in the spirit of this blog?  I say yes! 

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

To state the obvious, it is hard for Americans like me to understand the reasons why Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine.

What is he trying to achieve?  Does what has happened so far – courageous actions by Ukraine citizens to fight Russian invaders – give him second thoughts?

As I said, who knows?

But I have been continuing to read the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Atlantic Magazine in an effort to understand more than I know on my own sitting in seat of relative luxury in La Quinta, California.

I do this trying to achieve the following balance:

• Reading enough to get at least a superficial picture of what is going on.

• Avoiding a tendency to drown in information because I do not have enough time in a day to read everything, with all due respect to the quality reporters who write stories.  Plus, as one American, there is not much I can do about this war other than to pray for its end.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reputation as a calculating and savvy strongman is collapsing as his war on Ukraine enters its third week.

“Whatever drove Putin’s decision to launch an invasion in the first place—be it nostalgia for the Soviet Union, fear of encroaching democracy, too much pandemic isolation, or a mix of all three—the campaign has already come at a devastating price.

“More than 2 million Ukrainians have fled their homes, and, according to the United Nations, hundreds of civilians have been killed.  Russia’s economy, meanwhile, is bending under the weight of sanctions.

“The crisis that Putin set off has arguably revealed his true nature, and the image that’s emerging is not exactly one of a cool-headed, geopolitical mastermind.

• Sergei Dobrynin, a Russian reporter who once thought that “Putin’s cunning was undeniable,” now sees him as immoral and irrational:“It was painfully obvious that a war would be catastrophic. I told myself, Putin is evil.  But he is not an idiot.  That’s what I kept telling myself right up until the night of February 24.”
• He’s creating the NATO he feared. “Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has primarily succeeded in materializing his worst fears: A unified West, a more militarized Europe, and a stronger, more attractive NATO.”
• And yes, he’s been canceled—deservedly so.  “When a Russian spymaster complains about his country’s cancellation, our response should not be to laugh at an idiot confusing a culture war and a real one.  Instead, we should recognize that economic and social isolation is a powerful weapon, and resolve to use it with the same restraint as any other weapon.”

Plus, this savvy analysis from the Wall Street Journal:

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted from two immense strategic blunders.  The first came on November 10, when the U.S. and Ukraine signed a Charter on Strategic Partnership, which asserted America’s support for Kyiv’s right to pursue membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  The pact made it likelier than ever that Ukraine would eventually join NATO—an intolerable prospect for  Putin.

“The second strategic error was Putin’s underestimation of his rivals. He despises the West and what he sees as Western decadence.  He had come to believe that the West was a shambles, both politically and culturally.  He also thought that the leaders of the West were of poor quality, and inexperienced, in comparison with himself.  After all, he’s been in power 20 years.”

So, the image that keeps coming back to me is the comparison between Adolph Hitler and Putin.  It appeared both wanted to restore “their country” to what they define as past glory.

Hitler didn’t care how many lives were lost in the process (not to mention the Jews whom he wanted to decimate) and, today.  Putin doesn’t care either.  Even in regard to his own Russian people, not to mention Ukrainians.

Back to this blog headline:  As a description of Putin, I vote for mad.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I have been thinking again about “words that matter,” perhaps because I have almost nothing else to do than this and golf while I sojourn for the winter in the California desert.

Here are three words that matter to me:

1.  Helm:  This word is a noun, but it is increasingly used as a verb.  As in a sentence like:  He helmed the meeting.

Sounds stupid to me.

Think of a better verb than helm, which is not a verb.  Try “direct, coordinate, manage,” or others.

•  Incent:  This is a far better verb than the supposed word “incentivize.” 

I always have disliked “ize” or “yze” words.  They sound weird and there usually is a better way.  Think of the supposed word prioritize.  Wouldn’t it be better just to say, “establish what’s most important.”

The most egregious example of the “ize-yze” problem was the time one of my partners used the word “catalyze.”

Say what?

He said the word “communicated.”  I said I had never heard the word before, so how could it “communicate.”

•  They:  This is a plural pronoun that, in some quarters, has come to be used to refer to individuals, not groups, when those inviduals don’t want to be called “he” or “she.”

I guess I understand how this has come to be a society that includes persons who don’t consider themselves to be of one gender or the other.  But, as an old person, I don’t have to like it.

For my part, I intend to continue using “he” or “she.”

Now, in general, as I have said in the past, I believe there are three kinds of people when it comes to how they understand points of view.

1.  Some people like numbers.  Not me.

•  Some people like charts, graphs, and photos.  Not me.

• Some people like words.  Me.

Of course, all of us tend to have parts of the threesome listed above, though we may have favorites such as “words” for me.

Another of my partners in business also liked words and used them well.  But he had a special ability to pare words with charts and graphs.  Far better than me.

He made the charts and graphs illustrate the importance of his words.

I often wished I had that ability.

But, I’ll stick with words.  That’s what I know best.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Here in La Quinta, California, where I am staying for the winter, I have the good fortune of playing a lot of golf.

My favorite sport.

But, I also have found time to think a few more thoughts about the game I love.

One of them was prompted by a column by one of my favorite golf writers, George Peper, editor of Links Magazine.  He suggested that one way to tame the problem of golf balls going too far – especially when hit by professionals or budding professionals — was to limit the number of clubs in the golf bag.

Better that than build ever-longer golf courses.

Peper suggested seven clubs, though he also admitted that his solution would never fly, if only because club manufacturers would not tolerate such a limit.

Still, I liked his idea, so I made a list of “my seven,” then asked a few of my friends to do the same.  When I return to my home in Salem, Oregon, this spring, I intend to schedule a “seven club mini-tournament.”

So, for any who cares, here is my seven:

1. 3-wood
2. 3-hybrid
3. 6-hybrid
4. 7-iron
5. 9-iron
6. 52-degree wedge
7. Putter

If you like golf, think of your own seven-club set.  Doing so might be influenced by the specific course where you play, or the weather, or both.  But, still, a good exercise…since it is likely that most amateurs only play about seven clubs a round, even though they may carry the maximum 14.

Now, on to two other thoughts about golf.

WHAT’S THE FAVORITE GOLF CLUB IN YOUR BAG:  The on-line version of Links Magazine asked this question of its readers.  Two responses:

• Always been my 7-iron.  I can’t explain why it’s always my easiest club to hit.  Always called it my “tweener” club.

• 7-iron from 150 yards out to around the green in the deeper grass just outside the first cut…that club is usually the first one I need re-gripped.

My answer is the same – and it will not be a surprising choice for those who play golf with me. 

Contrary to pro golfers – yes, I am not one, not even close – I often use a 7-iron around the green in an attempt to get the ball rolling along the green toward the hole.  My son, a much better golfer than I am, would use a wedge for the same shot – and his result usually would be better than mine.

I began using a 7-iron when I had the privilege of playing golf in Scotland on five occasions.  There, in links-style golf, you want to get the ball rolling along the hard ground quickly, so a 7-iron is often the best choice – whether from greenside or 150 yards out.

WHAT YOUR BRAIN SAYS ABOUT YOUR NEXT SHOT:  I attribute the quote below to acknowledged golf psychologist, Bob Rotella.  In his book, “Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect,” he writes this:

“The brain tries to be an accommodating mechanism.  It will try to send the ball in the direction of the last thing you look at or think about.  If your last thought before striking the ball is, ‘don’t hit it in the pond,’ the brain is likely to react by telling your muscles to hit it in the pond.”

Most golfers would say Rotella is right.  I would.  Your mind does funny things on a golf course.

When I am thinking clearly as I address the golf ball, I try to take one last look in the distance and focus on a target.  Such as a tree.  Then, with that image in mind, I hope my golf ball goes in that direction.

Does it work?  Sometimes.

But, when it doesn’t, the reason usually is that some other thought has intruded.  Such as, “don’t hit in the water,” or “watch out for that bunker.”

If Rotella has a moment of free time, I’d like to set an appointment with him.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Lawmakers scurried out of Salem on Friday to end their one month, even-numbered year session at the State Capitol in Salem, Oregon.

As a state government manager and state lobbyist who labored at the Capitol for more than 40 years, several things seem to be true this time around:

• Legislators got out of town on time.  On the basis of a two-year limit on the days to be in session, legislators made it out on time.  They had to be done by March 7; they were done by March 4.

• Legislators had a lot of money to spend in contrast to some past sessions when they were cutting budgets.

• About 130 bills were heading toward Governor Kate Brown for her signature and most observers said there were none she planned to veto.

• Among controversy topics lawmakers passed:  Agreed that farmworkers should earn overtime if they work more than 40 hours a week this year; voted to keep the Elliott State Forest in public hands as a place to research forest management; approved preventing police officers from stopping motorists for some minor infractions; decided against allowing statewide self-service gas pumps; passed on an opportunity to put caps on contributions to political campaigns; and gave up on an effort to clear the convictions of people found guilty by non-unanimous jury votes, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has found that system unconstitutional. 

• At the same time, it appeared legislators avoided too much political friction, at least anything that was apparent from the outside, which could have included, but did not, walk-outs to stop action.

In many ways, one of the most significant aspect of this session:  Key departures

For one, Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, presided over his last legislative session in the top job.  [There might be a short floor session later this year to consider appointments to State Board and Commissions, but in terms of legislative policy leadership, Courtney is done.  He is the longest-serving Senate President, having had the job since 2003.]

Second, Senator Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, resigned before the session to run for governor, so her absence was noted, especially because of the way, even though a Democrat, she worked the middle at the Capitol.  That trait could help make a credible run for governor next fall.

Third, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, also resigned before the session to run governor and, in the general election, voters could see both Kotek and Johnson running for the state’s top executive level job. 

Fourth, Democrat Governor Kate Brown has nine more months in the job, but no one knows yet whether she will serve out all the remaining months of her final term.  Rumors continue to circulate that she could take a job in the Biden Administration.

With the departures, the Legislature is in for new leadership.  Representative Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, appears to have solidified his hole on the House Speaker position.

No one knows who for sure will seek to replace Courtney in the Senate, though one likely leading candidate could be Senator Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, who appears to have performed well as Senate Majority Leader.

And, of course, there will be a new governor in office starting in 2023.  Former Speaker Kotek is the leading Democrat candidate.  Former House Former House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, D-Canby, has been raising money strongly, so could be the leading Republican in the spring primary.

But, also don’t sell former senator Johnson short.  She could be the first independent candidate to ascend to the Governor’s Office.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

It’s way too early for this notion to have crossed my mind, but it did.  Does what Vladimir Putin is doing in Ukraine conjure up images of what Adolph Hitler did in post-World War I Germany?

The notion arose as I read a good story in the New York Times, one reported from Moscow, Russia, by a seasoned reporter.  The story appeared under the headline that leads this blog.

And, this admission — what I know about the Ukraine-Russia issue revolves around what I read in such publications as the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and The Atlantic.  Not, to state the obvious, personal experience.

Hitler’s abhorrent view of history was that he wanted to restore Germany to pre-World War I power, given that he believed the allies had set out to punish Germany after the war ended.  Of course, Hitler also rose to power by hating the Jews and murdering millions of them.  Hitler’s animas appeared to be trait exemplified by many in Germany during his time in power.

Now, several analysts believe that Putin has similar goals for Russia.  He appears to be angry about the dissolution of the Soviet Empire starting in 1990 and wants to retore it to a previous standing in the world.

According to the New York Times:  “The collapse of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago gave birth to democracies across Eastern Europe — and to Putin’s grievances.  He once described the Soviet breakup as ‘the biggest geopolitical catastrophe of the century’ — a time period that included two world wars and the Holocaust.  He has suggested he wants to reverse that collapse.”

It is not clear whether Putin has views about a certain race of people as Hitler had for the Jews, but that could emerge in the future.  [But, while there is no indication that Putin is going after Jews, there is this strange coincidence.  Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish and has given the world a Jewish hero.]

Notice that I have used the word “appears” because there is the “fog of war,” even as smart analysts assess the reasons for what’s happening as bombs fall.

Here are excerpts of the NY Times article:

• The autocrat who has steered Russia for 22 years was embraced by many Russians for what they saw as his rationality and astute risk management.  That image has been upended.  Russians thought they knew their president.  They were wrong. 
• For most of his 22-year rule, Vladimir Putin presented an aura of calm determination at home — of an ability to astutely manage risk to navigate the world’s biggest country through treacherous shoals.  His attack on Ukraine negated that image and revealed him as an altogether different leader:  One dragging the nuclear superpower he leads into a war with no foreseeable conclusion, one that by all appearances will end Russia’s attempts over its three post-Soviet decades to find a place in a peaceful world order.
• Many Russians had bought into the Kremlin’s narrative that theirs was a peace-loving country, and Putin a careful and calculating leader.  After all, many Russians still believe, it was Putin who lifted their country out of the poverty and chaos of the 1990s and made it into a place with a decent standard of living and worthy of international respect.
• During the pandemic, analysts had noticed a change in Putin — a man who isolated himself in a bubble of social distancing without parallel among Western leaders.  In isolation, he appeared to become more aggrieved and more emotional, and increasingly spoke about his mission in stark historical terms.  His public remarks descended ever deeper into distorted historiography as he spoke of the need to right perceived historical wrongs suffered by Russia over the centuries at the hands of the West

So, what does all this say about how any of us should react?  Well, not sure because, as individuals, there is not much we can do about a new, major war. 

However, we can continue relying on major, credible media outlets – the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the NY Times and The Atlantic – as we try to separate fiction from fact.

And, we can hope that the Russian people will not give Putin the same kind of room to move as the Germans did for Hitler in post-World War I Germany.

President Joe Biden is facing a reality as a war-time president, though the conflict is overseas.  Still, he must face this new reality, one he led with as he gave a credible State of the Union speech this week.  The Ukraine reality probably could end up dwarfing such issues as inflation and the pandemic, two other realities Biden faces.

I continue to be glad he is in the Oval Office, especially in comparison to his predecessor.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

President Joe Biden appeared last night in Congress for his State of the Union speech and it was in a place – the U.S. Capitol – that he had called home for more than 30 years.

How well did Biden do in this important annual ritual?

Well, as you might imagine, opinion is mixed.

As one viewer and hearer, I thought he did a workmanlike job, though also it is true that State of the Union addresses tend to be as memorable for the atmosphere that surrounds them as for what is said.  That was true last night when Ukraine looming in the foreground, inflation in the background, and Covid-19 in retreat at least for the moment.

Not surprisingly, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post produced different editorials to rate Biden’s content and delivery.

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST/

“Now, Putin’s effort to redraw Europe’s map by force has exploded not only Biden’s plans for a foreign policy pivot to China but also the entire global balance of power.  Dealing with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its consequences seems likely to consume a large part of this Administration’s attention for the next three years.

“In short, events have thrust historic challenges upon Biden, but also opportunities.  Tuesday night, Biden rightfully claimed that he had helped maintain, and indeed increase, the unity of Western allies in the face of Russian aggression and that his administration made innovative and subtle public use of its intelligence.

“Strong and swift U.S.-led sanctions, widely supported around the world, have indeed isolated the Putin regime andensured it pays a heavy price. “This has aided unity between the two parties; members of both rose to applaud Ukraine and its ambassador, who was present.  The Republicans among them were differentiating themselves from the shameful praise for the dictator voiced by their party’s presumed 2024 presidential front-runner, Trump.”

FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL/

Under this headline — Biden Misses the Moment in His State of the Union Address – editorial writers said Biden “had supportive words for Ukraine against Russian, but offered no domestic or defense policy reset.”

They went on:

“President Biden is no Olaf Scholz.  The new Germany Chancellor upended decades of center-left German defense and energy policy this week after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and Biden had a similar opportunity in his State of the Union address Tuesday.  He missed the moment. The President remained on the same policy course of his first year, albeit dressed up in new anti-inflation packaging.

“More defense spending to meet the threats from autocrats?  No.  A new appreciation for the contribution of fossil fuels to American and European security?  Not a word.  A note that government spending contributed to the highest inflation in 40 years?  Nope.  A word of praise for the private Pharma innovation that developed Covid therapies and vaccines?  He proposed government price controls instead.

“Biden did offer stirring support for Ukraine and its fight for freedom, which received bi-partisan applause. His Administration deserves credit for helping to rally Europe and other nations to impose sanctions and provide more military aid.  He was properly condemning of Putin.”

FROM COLUMNIST DANA MILBANK IN THE POST/ 

He wrote under this headline:  “Republicans are so eager to see Biden fail that they’d let Putin succeed.”

More from Milbank: 

“After her fellow Republicans booted her from party leadership last year, Rep. Liz Cheney posed a question:  “Do we hate our political adversaries more than we love our country?”

“Now, with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Republicans are answering that question — in the affirmative.”

For my part, I have heard many “State of the Union” addresses over the years, including when I lived and worked in Washington, D.C. for a couple years. 

I always thought it was tempting to make too much of them.  After all, the speeches are and were only expressions of a point of view at a moment in time.  On occasion, they offered an opportunity for a president to set a new agenda or call for a bi-partisan America, both good goals.

But, they often degenerated, as last night’s example did, into a round of partisan bickering.

For one thing, President Biden, for all his good, honest traits as a public figure, does not have the wherewithal to deliver soaring rhetoric in the manner of, say, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama or John F. Kennedy.  No memorable lines such as, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” or “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Nor, does Biden lower himself into the depths as Donald Trump was prone to do. 

If you listened closely to his speech, Biden managed to condemn Putin and Russia while, at the same time, outlining an agenda to combat inflation, thus, in a way, setting a new course for his Administration.  Not the huge “Build Back Better” agenda, but bits and pieces of that aspiration.

Apart from the list of policy proposals, Washington Post, columnist Max Boot captured what, for me, was the best assessment of yesterday evening’s speech:

“It is a great comfort in this dangerous time to know that, while Russia might be led by an unhinged egomaniac, the United States no longer is.”

The egomaniac in the U.S.?  Of course, it’s Trump.

Just imagine what Trump might have said if he was at the lecturn in the Senate.  He would have cozied up to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, whom he admires.

So, I, for one, am thankful this morning that Joe Biden is in the Oval Office and I wish him only the best as his Administration moves into near wartime footing.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I have written previously about the issue summarized by this headline:  Pro golfer Phil Mickelson endorsing the new Saudi Golf League, despite that country’s horrible human rights record.

I do so again, the realization that any more comments by anyone, me included, could be assumed to prolong this issue.  Still….

Mickelson paid a price for his comments, though they were made to the writer of what was called an “unauthorized biography of Mickelson,” and Mickelson apparently thought they were off-the-record.  His biographer strongly disagreed.

For Mickelson, clearly a “public official” – not one in government, but one in the public eye — the price is growing larger by the day. 

So far, the following firms have pulled back from endorsing Mickelson:  American-Express (which removes Mickelson’s status as the host of the pro golf tournament in La Quinta, California), Callaway (the golf clubs Mickelson plays and has endorsed for years), Workday, Amstel Beer, and KPMG.

Rather than write more about this issue myself, I am going to provide brief excerpts of coverage that has appeared in major newspapers.

WASHINGTON POST:  In a column that originally appeared under this headline – Phil Mickelson and the perils of sportswashing – the Post , interestingly, produced a new headline (How Phil Mickelson got clocked by his own backswing).  It was the lead for a column by long-time excellent sports writer, John Feinstein, which included these excerpts:

“The Saudi Arabian soap opera involving some of golf’s biggest stars — notably Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson — appears to be a complicated tale.

“In fact, it’s very simple: It’s about money — and how reaching for more can damage even the best reputations.

“Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman believes that throwing millions of dollars at professional golfers can help him whitewash his reputation as the man who U.S. intelligence officials believe ordered the murder of Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

“Players such as Mickelson have been ready to accept Mohammed’s cash, guaranteed to players up front, instead of sticking with the PGA Tour, where — for the most part — you are paid what you earn each week.”

MORE WASHINGTON POST:  Editorial writers at the Post went on record under this headline:  “Saudi Arabia is trying to distract from repression — 18 holes at a time.”

“Saudi Arabia has long had a knack for running its bad deeds through the wash, displaying to the world a squeaky-clean version of itself to distract from reports of brutal repression and a general disregard for civil liberties.  The country’s latest attempt at reputation-laundering relies, cannily, on an institution known for neat presentation and exemplary decorum: professional golf.

“No doubt the PGA would like to squeeze every cent it can out of a beloved golfer’s 30-foot birdie putt or bunker shot placed right in the hole. But by suggesting these sins are on par with the abuses rampant under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rule, any golfer who flees the PGA for the SGL hits right into Saudi Arabia’s hand.

“Certainly, there are ways to take a stand against corporate greed besides aligning oneself with a notorious dictatorship.  Indeed, corporate greed and that dictatorship are apt to find ways to be allies.  Just look at former president Donald Trump, who reportedly is in talks to host the likely lucrative SGL events at his financially struggling clubs.

“Mickelson has apologized for his comments.  But his blunt honesty might yet stymie the endeavor, by laying bare the moral compromise submitted to by would-be SGL players.  Or maybe not.  As PGA Tour star Brooks Koepka pointed out this past week, ‘Everyone talks about money. … They’ll get their guys.’  Still, it is to be hoped that even the most ardent golf fan would recognize a sellout.”

FROM THE DESERT SUN NEWSPAPER IN PALM SPRINGS:  “In the wake of his controversial comments about a proposed Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway golf league and his perceived problems with the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson will no longer serve as host of The American Express PGA Tour event in La Quinta.

“The PGA Tour confirmed to The Desert Sun on Saturday that Mickelson, who served as tournament host since 2020, will not return to that role in 2023.  In addition, the Mickelson Foundation, formed in 2019 specifically to be the charitable arm of the tournament, will no longer be part of the event, the tour confirmed.”

WALL STREET JOURNAL COLUMN:  “These are supposed to be easy days for Phil Mickelson.

“At 51, the veteran pro golfer is one of the most successful and recognizable players in the sport.  His unexpected victory at the PGA Championship last spring was one of the best golf moments in eons, a thrilling crescendo on an already historic career. 

“Now in his fourth professional decade, there’s no pressure for Mickelson to deliver memorable Sundays.  Sponsors don’t need wins; they’re coasting on past deeds.

“Of course, if you know anything about the golfing life of Phil Mickelson, you know he has seldom made it easy on himself.  He’s in the rough once more, this time off the course. 

‘Mickelson is under siege and taking time away from golf after a series of remarks about his involvement in efforts to challenge the PGA Tour—an organization he feels has financially shorted its top players—by launching a Saudi-financed rival ‘Super Golf League.’”

NEW YORK TIMES STORY:  The last paragraph of the story said this, though the Times did not write an editorial about the issue:

“I have experienced many successful and rewarding moments that I will always cherish, but I have often failed myself and others, too.  The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level.  I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.”

Enough excerpts.

But does Mickelson deserve to pay such a huge price?  Well, not sure yet. 

My quick thoughts:

• I wish one of my favorite golfers, Mickelson, would stick to what he does better than many others, which is to play golf.

• To criticize the PGA Tour, I wish Mickelson would have done so in private by talking with its CEO, Jay Monahan, and/or consulting with the Tour Council, a group of players that advises Monahan.

• I wish Mickelson would follow his apology in words (I liked most of what he said) with an “apology in actions.”

• And, I wish all of us, as Americans, would find a way to practice forgiveness, not just criticism.

The latter strikes me as a way for Mickelson to restore at least part of his reputation.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

In a way, this blog could be said to be about golf again.  But, it’s not, at least not specifically.

It’s about resources to produce lithium batteries, one use for which is to power new golf carts that use lithium, not water, in their batteries.

So, why a blog about lithium?

Well, there are huge deposits of lithium in the two states where I live – Oregon and California.  So, the subject is of interest to me, as well as conveying opportunities for both states to mine lithium and provide jobs for residents of both states.  Thus, this blog.

So it was that I read stories a few days ago from two credible media outlets — Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and CBS News.  [In the spirt of full disclosure, OPB was a major client of mine when I toiled as a lobbyist, so I readily admit to bias in favor of OPB.]

Here are selected excerpts of stories from OPB and CBS. 

In a story by reporter Bradley Parks, OPB wrote this:

“A super-volcano, a massive eruption and a lost lake left Oregon with what could be the largest known lithium deposit in the United States.

“Sammy Castonguay (an expert on the land area in Oregon) broke a chunk of rock off a small outcropping on the northeast rim of the McDermitt Caldera on the Oregon-Nevada border and pinned it to the ground with his boot.  He raised his hammer and, with a gentle swing, smashed the rock into smaller pieces.

“Castonguay was collecting samples for his geology students at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon, on a sunny Friday in January.  He said teaching about this ancient super-volcano is a lot easier when he can hand a piece of the soft, white rock to his pupils.

“Others are looking for their piece of the McDermitt Caldera, too.

“The caldera has some of the highest concentrations of lithium in the United States.  Lithium is the lightest metal on earth and highly reactive, making it an ideal ingredient in batteries to power cellphones, lap-tops and electric vehicles.”

According to Parks, the lithium rush is coming to Oregon as the U.S. and global powers seek more of the metal to power electric vehicles and store renewable energy from wind and solar.  Digging up Oregon’s lithium would mean sacrificing this chunk of the sagebrush sea to provide the nation with a key ingredient to wean itself off fossil fuels.

In the other story, CBS news reported lithium developments at
Salton Sea, about 10 miles east of where I live in the winter.  The story appeared under this headline:  “This is going to be a game changer – treasure hidden under the Salton Sea could be inside the next car you buy.”

Here are excerpts from the story:

“The Salton Sea, located about 120 miles east of San Diego, is the largest inland body of water in the state of California. 

“But even on a sunny afternoon, you won’t see it packed with boats or people lounging on the beach. This area has been declining for decades, but there is hope for the future. 

“Eight thousand feet below the Salton Sea is a chemical that some call ‘white gold.’

“Tesla, and its lightweight lithium battery powered cars, changed everything (for the Salton Sea).  Now, several automobile makers want lithium for their batteries. 

“So now the race is now on to mine the lithium under the Salton Sea. The California Energy Commission estimates the Salton Sea could produce 600,000 tons of lithium a year.  That’s far more than the current world demand.  And it could be worth $7.2 billion. 

“Company plans call for a $500 million project that includes drilling a well 8,000 feet down where the lithium is found in superheated saltwater that can reach 700 degrees inside ancient geothermal reservoirs. 

“Steam from that hot water will provide another benefit, clean energy to power the lithium mining. 

“And we’re not talking decades from now, but only a year or two. General Motors needs lithium fast as it plans for 30 fully electric models by 2025.  And that also means hundreds of new, well-paying jobs, and Jim says more than 95 per cent of them will go to people living in the area.”

So, that’s the deal:

• Development work will extract lithium from both Oregon and California that will power batteries around the world – including for a new golf cart I want to buy.
• The work will mean economic development prospects for both areas that have been hard hit by lean times.  Translate this into one phrase:  New, high-paying jobs.

For me, I’ll watch all this happen for the states of Oregon and Washington, while hoping that the companies involved will be smart and savvy about capitalizing on the opportunities.