When was the last time you saw your Congressman or US Senator? These folks go off to Washington, buy big houses, put their kids in DC schools, and we may catch a glimpse of them on the nightly news occasionally. That’s not how our founding fathers envisioned how Congress would operate. What can we do...Read More

Jim Brown will be away to St. Patrick’s Day  this weekend, but co-host Leo Honeycutt will handle the program. You will hear a lot about politics, good health, and a good bit of Leo’s wacky humor. So be sure and tune in. Check local listings for times and stations. We will see you on the...Read More

Thursday, March16th, 2017 New Orleans, Louisiana A MAJOR SHAKE UP NEEDED IN CONGRESS! The approval rate for members of Congress seems to be in free fall.  Few constituents approve of the dysfunction taking place in the nation’s capitol. Just 15 years ago, Congress had an approval rating of 65%.  But no more.  The most recent Harris and...Read More

How about a guy who is about to turn 90 years old, has a 38-year-old wife, a four-year-old son, and has been named as the most popular governor in the past century? That’s the “Cajun Prince” himself, Edwin Washington Edwards. He has climbed the high mountain and sunk to the bottom, but there is still...Read More

Friday, March 10th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE CONTINUING INTEREST IN EDWIN EDWARDS! Former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards is approaching 90 years old and hasn’t seemed to slow down a bit. He remains active, still speaking throughout the state, often accompanied with his young wife and 4-year-old son. Last year, a Baton Rouge Advocate poll...Read More

A full schedule as planned for our commonsense weekend radio show. We start off with leading historian Michael Hogan, to discuss his new book, “The Afterlife of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.” Then we will hear a German journalist give you his thoughts of crisscrossing America to conclude the Donald Trump is really a reflection of America,...Read More

Can you believe”¦the Democrats are searching high and low for a presidential candidate to take on Donald Trump in 2020. And one of the names that keep popping up is Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. Some were impressed that Edwards was able to get elected governor as a Democrat in a deep red state.   So...Read More

Thursday, March 2nd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  A LOUISIANA GUY THEY COULD CALL MR. PRESIDENT?  John Bel Edwards for president? The Louisiana governor is being touted as a Democratic Party contender on the national front. Just a little over a year in his present job, it may be a sign of the few future contenders...Read More

  Jim Brown will be away t this weekend, but co-host Michael King, theKing of Home-talk radio will handle the program. You will hear a lot about politics, good health, and a good bit of Michael’s wacky humor. His website is www.hometalkusa.com. So be sure and tune in. Check local listings for times and stations. We...Read More

As I had shared and written before, there’s absolutely nothing like going to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. But when it’s time to shut down, it happens at the stroke of midnight on Fat Tuesday. The last parade that takes place are police officers, with many on horseback, clearing down Bourbon Street to let them...Read More

Former Louisiana Gov. Dave Treen took office 37 years ago. No one could’ve been friendlier. He was as nice a guy as they come. Many observers of the time thought he did not get a lot done. But history is judging him a lot better. He was a strong conservative; and felt that government should...Read More

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  A LITTLE LOUISIANA HISTORY GOVERNOR TREEN! Dave Treen was sworn in as Louisiana’s Governor 37 years ago. Anyone who knew him noted what a nice guy he was. But Treen’s legacy will not be based on his friendliness. History will treat him well and acknowledge that he was...Read More

Jim Brown will be away to Mardi Gras his weekend, but co-host Leo Honeycutt will handle the program. You will hear a lot about politics, good health, and a good bit of Leo’s wacky humor. So be sure and tune in. Check local listings for times and stations. We will see you on the radio! 9:00...Read More

I don’t know about you, but I’m heading off to New Orleans for a full week of Mardi Gras. It’s just a thing we do down here in Louisiana, as well as many other locations throughout the South. If you’ve never been toMardi Gras, particularly New Orleans, you really have not lived a full life....Read More

We have heard so much about the “Greatest Generation,” and the sacrifices made back in World War II. But look at all the technological developments they’re taking place today. Should not these current times made up by the greatest generation? Or are we building up a society of young “me first” individuals, who care more...Read More

The “Common Sense” radio schedule. We will talk with Jennifer Granick about her new book American Spies: Modern Surveillance, Why You Should Care, and What to Do About It. Granick shows how surveillance law has fallen behind while surveillance technology has given American spies vast new powers and skillfully guides the reader through proposals for reining in massive surveillance...Read More

Thursday, February 16th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHY AREN’T WE THE GREATEST GENERATION? Former NBC newscaster Tom Brokaw wrote a book a few years back about what he called “The Greatest Generation.” In contrast, there’s a recent best seller out calling America “the dumbest generation.” And since Louisiana is at the bottom of the barrel...Read More

We recently celebrated Presidents Day, but there is little talk about the pride and the struggles of being an American by either political party in Washington. It’s all “blame it on the other party” mentality, and you just have to wonder, how many of these Washington, out of touch, members of Congress, are really “tuned...Read More

So Donald Trump calls you up on the phone one day, and says he wants to visit. That’s right! He wants to get a “feel” for what the average person is thinking. What would you tell the new president? What questions would you ask him? Would you give him any advice?   I sure would. Check...Read More

February 9th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHAT WOULD YOU ASK PRESIDENT TRUMP?  If you could sit down with our new president, what would questions would you ask him? What insights would you be looking for?  What knowledge would you expect him to have?  And just how much difference do you think he can really make?...Read More

I’ll be broadcasting live from St. John in the Virgin Islands this Sunday morning.  (Tough duty but someone’s got to do it.)  We will review highlights from the week’s events, and also have some Caribbean fun.  So be sute to turn in.  Check local listings for times and stations.  See you on the radio.Read More

Special holidays like the 4th of July always have, for good reason, a special acknowledgement of those military service men and women who have defended our country for so many years.  There are few veterans in congress today.  Most politicians reflect the comment of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who, when asked why he did...Read More

When President Trump looked around the country for potential Supreme Court justices, it was obvious he didn’t spend anytime looking down in the Bayou State. Justices almost always come from the various Courts of Appeals around the country. But the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was not given the time of day, and for obvious...Read More

Thursday, February 3rd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NO CHANCE OF SUPREME COURT CHOICE FROM LOUISIANA! Before President Trump made his choice to fill the vacancy on the United States Supreme Court, the White House undertook a nationwide search. But by even the widest stretch of standards to be met by any nominee, one thing was...Read More

So much to talk about this weekend on the “Common Sense” Radio Show.  We will begin with Paul Craig Roberts, a former Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury and former associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, has been reporting shocking cases of prosecutorial abuse for two decades. A new edition of his book, The Tyranny...Read More

The immigration issue is front and center as President  Trump tries to bring a halt to so many illegal immigrants. What to do, what to do? Ray Stevens puts the whole problem in perspective in his funny video below. Take a look.Read More

Politicians down in southern oil states were high-fiving this week over the announcement by Pres. Trump that he will push towards building the Keystone pipeline from Canada down to Texas. Louisiana senators went way overboard by talking about 50 or 60,000 new jobs coming into the Bayou State. Boy, were they really off the mark....Read More

Jim Brown will be away this weekend, by co-host Leo Honeycutt will handle the program.  You will hear a lot about politics, good health, and a good bit of Leo’s wacky humor.  So be sure and tune in.  Check local listings for times and stations.  We will see you on the radio! THE NEW MEXICAN...Read More

Thursday, January 26th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  KEYSTONE PIPELINE: LOUISIANA’S ECONOMIC SAVIOR? One of the new President’s first actions announced this week is to support the building of the Keystone XL pipeline that the Obama administration had disapproved. Both Louisiana senators hailed the decision and talked about all the new jobs that will come to...Read More

Friday, January 20th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  STRAIGHTENING OUT LOUISIANA’S FINANCIAL WOES! We hear from the national news that the country has become polarized over the election of Donald Trump. But if you want to see real division in government, just take a gander down South to the Bayou State. Republicans have been trying to...Read More

Louisiana has its state government financial back to the wall, as officials dig deep to find additional revenue. The state faces a $300 million dollars in debt for the coming year. What’s the governor to do? Well, right now, he’s off try to get a blessing from the Pope. We all hope he’s got something...Read More

Radio Program Schedule to be posted Friday Morning!Read More

Below is an excellent video on the perspective of millennials in our country today. There’s a great deal of talent, but also a sense of entitlement. Here is an excerpt of Simon Sinek, a commenter on today’s younger generation from an episode of Inside Quest. It is well worth a few minutes to review. And...Read More

Legislators in many states across the country are looking under every rock to find new ways to pile taxes on their citizens. Louisiana is no exception. Beginning immediately, the state will tax all Internet sales from wherever they take place. When you a pay tax, you expect to get something in return. But Internet sales...Read More

A jam-packed show plan for this weekend. Obamacare ““ can Republicans throw it away? Then what happens? We will talk with senior insurance analyst Laura Adams to analyze. She is with www.Insurancequotes.com. Also, do you want to go into the space? Rod Pyle has a wealth of NASA knowledge and we’ll talk about many things...Read More

My thanks to so many readers who have sent their comments and best wishes because of all the attention daughter Campbell has received over her new challenge withFacebook.  This month she will be joining Facebook to lead its News Partnerships team. This is a different role for her, but one where she will be tapping...Read More

So I’ve been hearing for years about the Varsity Drive-In located in downtown Atlanta right across from Georgia Tech University. They supposedly have the best hot dogs in the country, and people come from all over to give them a try. They have a two-story parking lot with drive in service. It apparently is the...Read More

Friday, January 13th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  NEW GIMMICK TO RAISE TAXES IN LOUISIANA!  You would think that in the New Year, following a year when the Louisiana legislature raised taxes by over one billion dollars, lawmakers would sense the public’s anti-tax fervor and be averse to mining every nook and cranny for more taxes. ...Read More

Louisiana’s governor had a rocky beginning during his first year in office. He was stunned by this financial crisis faced by the state, had to  deal with flooding issues as well as killings that rocked the nation. Now he starts off in 2017 with a  budget deficit of some $300 million. And it’s  time to...Read More

We are getting ready for our first program of the New Year. Jim is off in the Blue Ridge Mountains with family to enjoy the snow, and maybe even ski a bit. Leo Honeycutt will be filling in this weekend and will review all the crazy news in the first week of 2017. So join...Read More

Thursday, January 5th, 2017 Linville, North Carolina IT’S CRUNCH TIME FOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS! The honeymoon may be just beginning for President-Elect Donald Trump, but any such love fest has come to an abrupt end for Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. 2016 was a year the new governor would like to forget, but things don’t...Read More

So what are you doin’ on New Year’s? If you are like me, New Years Eve, and the beginning in 2017 will be special. I’ve had meaningful quiet celebrations, and big blowouts in the French Quarter down to New Orleans. And I’ve enjoyed them all. I do make New Year’s resolutions, and try to stick...Read More

December 29, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NEW YEAR THOUGHTS FROM THE BAYOU STATE!  Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I always do.  A New Year always brings with it promise and uncertainty, but this coming year brings with it a greater foreboding than we have experienced in the past.  The Chinese have a saying: “May...Read More

We will have a lively New Year’s program this Sunday, January 1st. Come join us to review the highs and lows of 2016, and what to expect in the coming year. Is our new president an unguided missile who will be completely unpredictable? What can we expect around the world, and right here at home?...Read More

Looks like Santa is doing exactly what most of us would be doing after a hard winter getting ready for Christmas.  We hear at The Common Sense Radio Program and The Lisburn Press wish you and your family a happy and prosperous New Year.Read More

My friend Don Siegelman was the former Governor of Alabama, an extremely popular democrat in a deep red state. Since the republicans could not beat him fairly through the election process, a cadre of national and local GOP operatives put on a show trial and convicted him for “bribery.” The acts for which they convicted...Read More

December 22nd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THE HOLIDAYS OFFER US A SECOND CHANCE! Most of us have been swept up in the momentum of the holiday season.  We have passed the Christmas milestone and are approaching New Year’s Day, the third in the trilogy of holidays that we celebrate during this time each year “”...Read More

As expected, we are all caught up in last minute Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, and all the other festivities of Christmas around the Christmas season. But it’s also time for reflection, and an opportunity. A really big opportunity if you want to take advantage of it. It’s the chance of redemption, exactly what the Christmas...Read More

We have a great Christmas program scheduled for this weekend. We will talk about   Christmas customs from days long gone by to what’s happening today. And how would Jesus get along in 2016? Have we lost the meaning of Christmas was so much commercialism? Tune in for Sunday show the see what you think. Check...Read More

Even though we don’t have any snow down here in the deep South, we are all really getting into the Christmas spirit of course, I’m doing a lot of last-minute Christmas shopping. When you get to be my age, you have a whole slew of kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews, and...Read More

Well Obamacare is on the chopping block as a new Republican controlled administration is about to take over the federal government. Abolish Obamacare has been the mantra of the GOP and President-Elect Trump. But will things really change? Will a Republican congress eliminate the mandates that require everyone to have health insurance? As I explain...Read More

We are just a few days away from Christmas, and our Common Sense radio show will surely have this Christmas spirit. How about Santa Claus on Christmas Eve? Attorney Robert Ryan talks about all the laws Santa Claus breaks on Christmas eve , according to various federal rules and regulations. Also, what about all these...Read More

December 15th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ARE REPUBLICANS FLIP FLOPPING ON OBAMACARE? Remember the old knock on presidential candidate John Kerry back in the 2004 presidential election?  “I was for it before I was against it.”Â Â  Today, about the single worst charge that can be made against any conservative Republican politician is that they support...Read More

December 8th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA HAS WORST DRIVERS IN AMERICA?  Say it isn’t so. The Bayou State, made up of docile souls who are law abiding, courteous and well-trained motorists, has just been tagged by several rating services as having the worst drivers in the nation. Look, the folks down here in the...Read More

Louisiana folks are so laid back and easy  going. Well, most of the time. But not when they are driving. Speeding, road rage, drunk driving and failure to obey a police driver combine to make Bayou State drivers the worst in the nation. That’s what the national surveys say. Do you agree and what can...Read More

I’ll be out of the state this Sunday visit my youngest daughter up in Hood River, Oregon.  Listeners up ion the far northwest can hear our weekly syndicated program on KDBD radio, 97.6 FM through a strong signal out of Forks, Washington.  Leo Honeycutt, a regular on my show, will fill in this week as...Read More

Our book publication company, The Lisburn Press, has a new title out that is creating a great deal of excitement down in this part of the country. The book is called “Long Shot,” by authors Jeremy Alford and Tyler Bridges. It is the compelling story of Louisiana’s recent governor’s race, where an unknown Democrat came...Read More