As I made a visit to a local hospital early the other morning, a vaguely familiar scent filled my nostrils. It was the smell of concrete — fresh concrete, as in “new construction.”

Sure enough, the hospital was constructing an addition which requires lots of concrete. Sniffing the aroma, I was transported back in time. Read More»

April 15th came and went, and there was a sense of resolve this year.

I didn’t hear about Tax Day Rallies from Tea Partiers — probably because Tea Partiers are still a bit burned out and discouraged from last year’s election.

I didn’t hear stories about last-minute filers waiting in long lines to get their tax forms in on time — probably because many filers did their taxes online. Read More»

[Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com.]

Republicans are flailing about these days, trying to rebrand themselves before the next election cycle. A certain amount of introspection and internecine debate is inevitable after suffering a stinging loss against an opponent with a dismal record.

One thing the GOP needs to do to gain greater acceptance among voters is to improve their credibility by outgrowing a tiresome, unthinking opposition to any and all tax increases. Read More»