Penny Gross

3 weeks ago | fcnp.com | Penny Gross

The authority of a president to issue a pardon is almost an afterthought in the last clause of the first paragraph of Section II of the Constitution of the United States: “…and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” (The capitalization of nouns in the document reflects an 18th century grammar practice that gradually fell into disfavor in the 19th century.) The pardon power is based on early English law and...

1 month ago | fcnp.com | Penny Gross

Few people have had a more significant impact on the National Capital Region during the past 30 years than my friend and colleague, Congressman Gerry Connolly, who passed away last week from esophageal cancer at the age of 75. Our paths first crossed in 1980, when Gerry joined the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, then chaired by my boss, Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho).

1 month ago | fcnp.com | Penny Gross

“This country is so much better than what Donald Trump is presenting.”  That was Virginia Senator Mark Warner’s reminder to more than 300 Blue Fairfax diners at the McLean Hilton on Sunday evening. The second Trump Administration is about four months old, and many aspects of his executive branch do seem infantile. Babies are fascinated by bright shiny objects. Maybe that’s why Trump tosses them like so much confetti, hoping everyone else is as fascinated by them as he is.

1 month ago | fcnp.com | Penny Gross

An American Pope!  Who woulda thunk it? Last week’s papal election was the seventh conclave in my lifetime, with a result I never imagined. Growing up Catholic, the church in America still was considered a missionary outpost, without the centuries of faith and dogma that defined the European nations. Popes historically were Italian, never traveled outside the Vatican, always celebrated Mass in Latin, and ruled with a conservative hand.

1 month ago | fcnp.com | Penny Gross

Are there any adults in the Trump White House? Media photos show adult humans coming and going, but the missives issued by Trump, his Cabinet members, and the White House press operation appear to belie any adult thought processes. It’s no secret that Trump’s personal values focus on himself and ostentation, the gaudier the better. What he and his vice president call the “cherished” Oval Office has become a gilded stage set for televised gatherings, the flashier the shiny gewgaws, the better.