Story Hart: A look back at 2018

1. It was another safe year for air travel.

Story Hart: Macron's woes a warning to the American left

What is the result of years of leftist, nanny-state rule? It has hurt the middle class, and eventually there are riots like we see now in France. French President Macron's woes should serve as a warning to America's rising Left.

Story Hart: Google CEO, the next Silicon Valley oligarch, to be grilled by Congress

We don't have royal weddings in America; our spectacle is Congress grilling business executives. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg appeared earlier in the year, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai is scheduled this week.

Story Hart: 'Our democracy is under attack.' Really?

Since they lost in the 2016 presidential election, Democrats from Hillary Clinton to candidates for statewide offices have been fed this talking point to use:

Story Hart: Modern-day barnstorming at a Trump rally

When President Trump stopped for a rally in Chattanooga, Tennessee, one of the papers that carries my column got me a press pass to go. So, in order to better understand this slice of Americana, I went.

Story Hart: Kanye raps a song Trump likes

Kanye West left California and flew east to visit with Donald Trump.

Story Hart: Just do it. Boycott Nike.

Fall is usually a great time of year. We stop fighting each other over politics and race and go back to not liking each other because of what football team we support.

Story Hart: Let's just admit that schools lower academic standards for athletes

College football season is just around the corner. It was a mild, wet spring in the South, great for growing SEC football players.

Story Hart: It turns out the FBI 'less than forthcoming'

The FBI - long given immense, unaccountable powers to arrest and ruin American lives on a whim - is finally facing some real consequences of its own hubris.

Story Hart: Trump sought for tearing tags off pillows

The pernicious Trump "collusion" probe is a stupid waste of money and an unnecessary national embarrassment that will backfire on Democrats.

Story Hart: The off and Un of North Korean diplomacy

Donald Trump has become quite the worldwide diplomat. We needed one. There was no place in the world the U.S. was better off after the Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry era.

Story Hart: Royal wedding is expensive but, like, really important

Last Saturday morning, heard all across the country, "the royal wedding is on TV, the royal wedding is on," screamed by sons who could never quite throw a spiral.

Story Hart: Bootleggers and Baptists and the need to cut costs, end Washington overreach

Given his first-hand experience with the massive size, pettiness, cost and overreach of deep-state government in Washington, it is time for Trump to cut about 25 percent of it.

Story Hart: Just another week in the life of our 'very stable genius'

Donald Trump's favorable poll numbers went up last week. Contrary to what you hear from the mainstream media, his numbers are higher than Obama's were at the same point in his presidency.

Story Hart: The Starbuck stops here

Liberal rip-off business Starbucks, which made its money opening stores in only affluent neighborhoods (aka redlining), all but cried recently when one of its stores in Philadelphia had two African-American, non-paying customers arrested.

Story Hart: Waffle House is a great American institution even if it's getting bad press of late

The great Southern tradition, Waffle House, has had its share of controversy lately. The well-run restaurants that are open 24/7/365 are a staple of college kids' late-night, post-party drunk dining.

Story Hart: Loretta Lynch on NBC tells us a lot about the swamp creatures

Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch shopped for a soft interview to preemptively rebut former FBI Director James Comey's upcoming book. When "Deep State" swamp rats fight, a lot is confirmed about what we know about corruption at the political top of the FBI and Department of Justice.

Story Hart: Tiger Woods attempts another comeback at The Masters

Tiger Woods, who became his own cautionary tale, makes his biggest pitch for a redemptive comeback this week. And what better place to stage his comeback than The Masters Tournament?

Story Hart: It's going to be a 'Stormy' summer

Publicity prostitute Stormy Daniels and her Democrat operative handlers made a financial calculation. Could she make more money than the $130,000 she agreed upon, and do more damage to Trump, by violating her non-disclosure contract and speaking?

Story Hart: Hillary slips after trashing American voters in India

Liberals manufacture one thing well: pious outrage.

Story Hart: Tariffs cost Americans money and they seldom work

Every bad political idea starts with a false premise. The Affordable Care Act lie that we had an awful health care system and government could fix it and save families "$2,500 a year" spawned the Obamacare disaster.

Story Hart: Self-control before gun control [video]

With the help of a sensationalizing media and of the entertainment business, which makes the violent video games and movies that I think play the biggest role in mass shootings, liberals predictably seized upon the Parkland shooting rampage to call for more gun control.

Story Hart: Trump is the mule Washington cannot tell what to do

When you grow up in Columbia, Tenn., the "Mule Capital of the World," you end up knowing a lot about mules. One thing you are told early is that you learn nothing new from the second kick of a mule.

Story Hart: 13 Russians indicted, Boris and Natashia next, Bullwinkle a 'Moose of Interest'

Here is what has happened so far in Special Counsel Mueller's collusion probe and how government has spent our $20 million.

Story Hart: Winter Olympics - make them stop!

The Olympic Winter Games began, as they always do, with the Parade of Nations — many of which we have yet to invade. By parading like that in those loud outfits, however, they just seem to be asking for it.

Story Hart: Why the 'memo' matters and should scare everyone

We have grown an alphabet soup of powerful agencies like the FBI, DHS, NSA, DOJ, IRS, etc. We invest them with immense powers to arrest and to ruin lives with scant accountability. We allow them to operate in clubby secrecy because they tell us we have to. Why?

Story Hart: Bad for Dems; even the Obamas are making money

During the Obama years, the State of the Union address was a divisive and arrogantly partisan lecture by a smooth-talking president. He lectured Supreme Court members so much that some stopped attending.

Story Hart: Addressing the educrats' college monopoly is next on Trump's agenda

Because it is largely government-funded, higher education has become an overpriced failure full of left-leaning political cronies.

Story Hart: A week in the life of a 'very stable genius'

People can often "misunderestimate" just how hard it is to be a "very stable genius" all the time. So it is with Trump, battling relentless media that are out to destroy him.

Story Hart: Laud, laud, the celebrity award season begins

Seth Meyers personified the predictably smug and self-congratulatory Golden Globes Awards on Sunday. The Golden Globes ceremony is the January ritual that kicks off the actors' awards season, where actors give each other awards and which lasts through November. It is good to see these stars finally getting some recognition.

Story Hart: My year-end look back at 2017

1. Washington elites went after the president on manufactured Russian collusion charges to damage him. Like I said in June, Democrats need to be careful; when you go after a president, you might not get the one you intended. The most popular Christmas song in D.C. this year was "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Nixon."

Story Hart: My Christmas wish list

1. I hope Judge Roy Moore rides away on his horse, "Sassy." It is Christmas, and he can hang around the mall until the kiosks close. (I think malls there still have a place to tie up your horse.) Or he'll continue to be a leader in Alabama; he currently leads the state in most proms attended.

Story Hart: Government shutdown is not a problem

The theatrics surrounding government funding standoffs could be avoided if Washington politicians didn't have the budgeting skills of an Ole Miss frat boy.

Story Hart: Let's take a breath on race to condemn media-hyped allegations

When news breaks of a sexual allegation or an event like the violence in Charlottesville, Va., there's a breathless race - before any due process or facts are vetted - to denounce the event.

Story Hart: Thoughts on Thanksgiving and the year

Here is my annual A.D.D. list of random things I am thankful, and not so thankful, for this year:

Story Hart: Going boldly where no man has gone

One in three folks over 50 who need a colonoscopy fail to have one. That's nuts. It's easier than it's ever been, and not getting this done might kill you.

Story Hart: My Druncle Mac's take on Weinstein fallout

I took my parents home to Alabama for the Crimson Tide vs. LSU game Saturday, and I had occasion to get some insight into current events from my Druncle Mac. I pass on his blue- collar views because I feel strongly that they go a long way to explain why Trump is president.

Story Hart: Mueller is weaponizing criminal law for political gain

As most assumed, lobbyist and fired Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted by Robert Mueller's investigation.

Story Hart: Trump might lead to 'cafeteria politics'

You'd think Trump would be happy when his presumably favorite team, the Syracuse Orangemen, beat #1 Clemson last week. Instead, he picks a name-calling Twitter fight with our great Sen. Bob Corker as if he were Rosie O'Donnell.

Story Hart: Political correctness leading to comedy's slow death

Comedic actor Jack Lemmon popularized the saying, "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

Story Hart: Roger Goodell and the NFL's state-sanctioned monopoly need to go

With all the cowardly decisions, especially the recent national anthem enforcement and the concussions (CTE) deceptions, the real question is: Why does Commissioner Roger Goodell make $44 million a year for running the NFL, a monopoly sanctioned by Congress?

Story Hart: 'It's like, literally, like, amazing' ... Ughh

Maybe I am getting old. I remember a time when TV and water were free and pornography cost money. Now I'm certainly not a grammar-Nazi

Story Hart: Irma's hype was worse than her bite

Full disclosure: My mom is named Irma. I know. Not a storm or a name you'd wish on anyone.

Story Hart: Saving Robert Lee

ESPN, long the MSNBC of sports, made a bizarre executive decision to remove Asian-American football announcer Robert Lee from the William & Mary vs. Virginia game. It looked like an Onion headline. But no, ESPN continues to make a left-wing joke of itself. Northern liberal elites' hatred of the South has finally spilled over to South Korea.

Story Hart: On the path of totalitarianism

In the divisive issue of what to do with Confederate statues around the country, one reason we should take a breath here and not engage in the politics of history is to understand the past.

Story Hart: Trump administration ends government shakedown practices

Buried in all micro-drama distractions of the Trump administration are many of the good things it has done.

Story Hart: How to lose a man in ten days

Season One of "Survivor: Trump White House" has been nonstop fun. In this week's episode: Spicer out. Reince Priebus out. Anthony Scaramucci in, then out.

Story Hart: The Texas two-step into the transgender bathroom non-issue

Hey Texas, here's a Prince of an idea: No matter the new bathroom laws, let's potty like it's 1999.

Story Hart: Another 'Progressive' blue state cannot pay its bills

It was a nice summer day in Illinois. Kids were enjoying their summer break, diving for murder weapons in the Chicago River, when news broke that the state of Illinois had been downgraded to junk bond status.

Story Hart: The Fourth of July has lost meaning of freedom

Independence Day, a great American tradition, is upon us. Set against the pent-up tension of having to be around all your relatives in scorching heat with dubious potato salad and booze, what could go wrong?

Story Hart: Comedy leads to tragedy?

The bitter tone the left has taken toward the GOP, both in media and entertainment, made the shooting of Republicans practicing baseball quite predictable. Instead of debating policy differences, those on the left resort to calling their opponents "evil," and then seek to vilify, humiliate and destroy them. This is done nightly by hosts of the late-night shows.

Story Hart: Comey Hearings -- We also get "queasy" watching Washington

We have doubled the nation's debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the last eight years, growing the police state. ISIS is on the march. North Korea and Iran have nukes. We have a mucked-up health care system, a sluggish economy and the highest corporate tax and imprisonment rates of any country in the world. But now we are spending our money, time and attention on a "He said, he said" retrospective of former FBI Director James Comey's firing.

Story Hart: Mueller? ... Mueller? ... Mueller?

So a special counsel has been hired, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, to look into something about Trump — I think. Mueller is well respected by members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and has their unwavering support — right up until he renders a conclusion different from their own theory. Then he will suck and be the worst person in Washington, and there will be calls for him to be investigated.

Story Hart: As Obamacare predictably collapses, here's a column from 2010

As Obamacare predictably collapses and the Senate decides how to vote on the House repeal, here is a column I wrote in March 2010:

Story Hart: Free speech suffocated on campus

College presidents, the lambs of administrators, stand silent on the matter of free speech — unless, of course, it is far left speech with which they agree. That's cool.

Story Hart: Men And women's relationships in evolving PC world

Many became offended by the feminine term "Mother of All Bombs." Libs are even angrier that we still have "midget submarines" in our fleet. Trump, Bill O'Reilly, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby (pretty much all your Bills), and men in general are more confused than ever about our relationships with women.

Story Hart: Democrats have mastered the great conflation

We all kept looking for the evidence that, as the Democrats and their media kept saying, Donald Trump was in bed with the Russians. As of last week there was no evidence, and then he bombed Russia's ally, Syria. So the final answer is: Nyet!

Story Hart: Trump's golf course diplomacy

On Sunday, Donald J. Trump used golf to woo a member of the more conservative Freedom Caucus into seeing things his way and to try to forge an understanding on moving forward on important matters like Obamacare reform. Invitee Sen. Rand Paul tweeted: "I had a great time today with @realDonaldTrump and believe we are getting closer to an agreement on health care!"

Story Hart: Fix Obamacare right

In large measure, the reason Donald Trump was elected against the desires of the GOP, and later the Democrats, is that he is really neither. The inability to get the health care revision bill passed last week emphasizes why Americans elected Trump: to break up the caucuses that are driven by special interests and to get things done in Washington. He is not a politician, which is why this seems so awkward, but it's for the best.

Story Hart: Isolated from the real world, liberal colleges continue to embarrass

Back when I was in college, a "rager" was a wild party. Now the only "ragers" college kids have is when a speaker they disagree with comes to campus. They manufacture rage, all at the expense of the First Amendment. With such rage on its campus, a $70,000-per-year Middlebury College degree just went down in value — again.

Story Hart: Another crazy week for Trump v. Washington

One by one, Trump is working on the campaign promises that got him elected: tightening our borders, working on cutting taxes, overturning Obama's executive orders on regulations, fixing Obamacare, appointing one of the right-of-center judges on his list for the Supreme Court, etc. He has Washington, D.C., politicians on both sides in a tizzy. They just can't figure this guy out; they are not used to someone who keeps his campaign promises.

Story Hart: Time for a balanced approach to climate change hype

Democrats, the self-proclaimed 'party for the middle class,' raise the middle-class cost of living by raising energy prices with their regulatory meddling. Regulations cost consumers $1.8 trillion per year, which means higher bills for utilities, gas and transportation for the average person.

Story Hart: Incomprehensible laws and the legislators who layer them

Incomprehensible laws on when an incoming president's national security adviser can talk to a Russian ambassador cost Mike Flynn his job. I am actually for term limits, but I believe our national security adviser's term should last longer than a gallon of milk.

Story Hart: Don't get your political opinions from musicians

Entertainers took time from giving each other awards to give each other awards at the Grammys on Sunday. I'm surprised they could spare the time out from Trump bashing, but they did manage to honor themselves yet again. It's nice for celebrities to get some attention.

Story Hart: If the left keeps crying 'wolf,' protests won't work

Lefties have one go-to reaction to anything that does not fit their narrative: protest. They know if George Soros or any two-bit local malcontent can get 10 lay-about friends together, paint some signs and alert the media, they will get inordinate TV coverage. Apparently you don't have to say what you are protesting or have a concise message. Just show up in perpetual outrage.

Story Hart: Obama 'saved the U.S. economy.' That's untrue

In search of any plausible, positive legacy item, even if they have to manufacture it, Democrats have advanced the false narrative that Obama "saved the economy." It would be a neat thing if it were true.

Story Hart: Yellow journalism flows down Trump's leg

Libs are mad because Hillary lost, and they are acting out.

Story Hart: Our spying-industrial complex needs to be reviewed

Here is what we learned about this administration in the wake of purported Russian 'phishing' of Clinton campaign manager John Podesta's email.

Story Hart: Let's Make Capitalism Cool Again

Inside Barack Obama's rhetoric of 'income inequality' and 'attack the rich,' used mainly to sway envy-driven, simple minds, was always a dangerous subtext: Capitalism and entrepreneurs are bad. Trump needs to get us back to our capitalist roots, cut government and start running government like a business.

Story Hart: Dems desperately seek to delegitimize election

As Obama and fellow Democrat travelers in the media work down their checklist of excuses for being demolished in the election, Russian email leaking is the latest 'dog who ate their homework.'

Story Hart: My Clinton Foundation challenge

There's a bright side to every loss. The Clintons can now spend more time 'saving the world' with their Clinton Foundation, which in no way was a self-enrichment/pay-for-play scheme.

Story Hart: Trumped-up campaign promises; now reality sets in

Donald Trump, who is not even in office yet, is already effecting change by keeping American jobs. Even Ronald Reagan had to wait until his first day in office to get our Iran hostages released.

Story Hart: The South is back in Sessions

Crawling out of their safe spaces after the election, the media are now advancing the narrative that Trump is running behind in his cabinet selection process and that tumult reigns. Never mind that he is ahead of where Obama was at this stage of the game. Facts no longer have a place in modern mainstream reporting.

Story Hart: A new day in America -- now what?

The hard-fought presidential election is, mercifully, over. Now Americans can relax, stop despising each other for how they voted and go back to disliking each other based on the football team they like.

Story Hart: So much smoke in this year's race, fire inevitable

Apparent Democratic operatives firebombed a North Carolina Republican headquarters. Just when you thought this presidential race could not any more heated, one party firebombs another. Even Kim Jung Un of North Korea said, hey Americans, take this down a notch.

Story Hart: Hey, let's elect a dumb president who pays more taxes than owed

News flash: Donald Trump does not try to pay any more federal taxes than he owes.

Story Hart: Gary Johnson's Moment: What's Aleppo?

Knowing about this obscure city in Syria is apparently the litmus test to be president, according to the Washington, D.C., chattering class — the same ones who said nothing when candidate Obama said he had visited all 57 states.

Story Hart: Kraper-nick: Stupidity armed with an ego

He can say stupid and hypocritical things; it's every American's right to be an idiot. And it's my right to make fun of him.

Story Hart: A severed Weiner

Just like her boss and mentor, Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin-Weiner struck a political power couple deal with her ex-congressman husband, Anthony Weiner. This speaks to two things: judgment and just how thirsty they are for power.

Story Hart: Conventions this time are unconventional

Donald Trump and his family took charge of the GOP Convention last week. His sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump Jr., and daughter Ivanka Trump Jr., were great. I kid, but if anyone else were to name all his kids Donald Trump Jr. in a George Foreman-style child naming scheme, it would be Donald Trump.

Story Hart: Summarizing news stories I didn't get to write about

Hillary Clinton was fired for dishonesty from her role in the Watergate investigation, but she learned a lot about the importance of destroying evidence.

Story Hart: Obama, the divider-in-chief

In spite of all the facts, the media are again taking a hit off the bong of the Black Lives Matters lies in pursuit of their political agenda — and higher ratings.

Story Hart: Taking away Americans' guns won't win the 'War on Terror'

The Orlando gay nightclub shooter was on the FBI watch list. He was turned in to the FBI again by a gun shop owner for trying to buy 1,000 rounds of ammunition and a bulletproof vest. And he swore allegiance to ISIS in Arabic during the shooting. Obama's feds are still trying to find his motive.

Story Hart: Higher Education Scam: The Clintons trump Trump

Because it is largely government-funded, higher education has become an overpriced and failing proposition, full of left-leaning political cronies. And bloated colleges with tenured professors who seek to indoctrinate, rather than educate, diminish our country.

Story Hart: Why Democrats fail on the economy

The primaries, where Democrats debate over who loves African-Americans the most and Republicans debate who loves Jesus more, are over. Now, both parties must sell us on who will be best for the economy.

Story Hart: Summarizing a very busy time in the news

There are so many things going on. Since I am on vacation, I'll just summarize:

Story Hart: Who treats women worse: Trump or the Clintons?

Now that she knows Donald Trump is her November opponent, Hillary Clinton had The New York Times do a hit piece Sunday on him and his "women issues." It's curious; Trump has been running for more than a year, in primaries against as many as 16 other GOP candidates, and "the Great Gray Lady" just now decided to run the piece.

Story Hart: Veep sweepstakes fantasy league draft choices

A tough few weeks for Ted Cruz has culminated with a crushing defeat in Indiana and his decision to suspend his campaign.

Story Hart: Let's potty like it's 1999 -- unneeded restroom laws divert attention from real issues

Here is a Prince of an idea: No matter the new bathroom laws, let's potty like it's 1999.

Story Hart: Chalk up another example of college student wimpiness

An Emory University degree just went down in value — again.

Story Hart: This batch of candidates would make a weak poker hand

There are five presidential candidates left. We have been dealt Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. If they were a poker hand, I'd fold.

Story Hart: America's two-party system is cracking up

As cracks in the Democratic and Republican ranks expand exponentially, we now effectively have at least a four-party system.

Story Hart: The risks of raising a risk-averse generation

Recently released statistics show that the percentage of adults under age 30 who own a business is the lowest in 30 years. Today, only 3.6 percent own a stake in a private company, compared with 6.1 percent in 2010. Even more troubling: This number was 10.6 percent in 1989.

Story Hart: #OscarsSoWhite and #HollywoodSoLeftist

Those in the entertainment business took some time off from giving each other awards to give each other awards and talk about race Sunday at the Oscars. They will now take a 14-day break from bestowing awards on themselves so they have time to make another crappy movie, record a song or go to rehab.

Story Hart: After the pope picked a fight with him, Trump won South Carolina

The GOP presidential field got through its bruising South Carolina primary with only one casualty: Jeb Bush. The South Carolina primary is a backstabbing political free-for-all combined with manslaughter.

Story Hart: Justice Antonin Scalia: a man in full

It was a great blow to freedom and to the Constitution when Justice Antonin Scalia died suddenly. I predict that, in a closely watched and contentious decision, the Supremes vote 5-3 to buy flowers for his funeral.

Story Hart: Cuba is an untaught lesson on perils of socialism

I'm just back from Cuba, where I observed that, while Cubans are realizing the futility of central command-and-control government, we are embracing it. Cuba and the U.S. are like ships passing in the night.

Story Hart: A better 'money speech' than those the Clintons give

As the corruption exposed by Hillary Clinton's emails — and the use of the Clinton Crime Family Foundation to launder political shakedown money — percolates, she might need another sex scandal from Bill to divert attention from her.

Story Hart: Obama a racial divider, not uniter

I head to Cuba this week to see what 50 years of socialism have done to that country's economy and to the well-being of the citizens. I want to get there before "normalization," meaning when there are a CVS and a Pure Barre on every corner.

Story Hart: Government the biggest Powerball winner

The record Powerball lottery jackpot, purportedly $1.5 billion, produced three winners last week, each of whom will get a lump sum of about $330 million, which is the most money anyone (if you don't count Prince Charles) has gotten for doing nothing.

Story Hart: North Korea's Kims: Like father, like Un

With all the conflicts in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria last week, evil dictator-in-training Kim Jong-un was feeling a little ignored. So he either tested, or pretended to test, a hydrogen bomb.

Story Hart: The uncle your parents warned you about

It is time I stop railing at politicians and start making fun of my family again. The focus groups who read my column seem to want to hear more about my Uncle Mac. Everyone but my family wants me to talk about him.

Story Hart: A year of watching Trump, Hillary, ISIS

Here's my annual look back at the year just past: