Friday Talking Points [40] -- Obama Shines, McCain Whines
[ Posted Friday, July 25th, 2008 – 16:17 UTC ]
Be careful what you wish for, John.
Archive of Articles in the "The Constitution" Category
Exclusive Interview: An M.I.T. And A Yale Professors' Cure For The Electoral College
[ Posted Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 – 13:53 UTC ]
I had the chance recently to interview two professors in the field of statistics (from Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), who have jointly come up with an interesting plan for replacing the Electoral College. Their plan would retain the electoral advantages small states currently have, but would remove the winner-take-all system we have now.
War Is Over (If Maliki Wants It)
[ Posted Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 – 15:35 UTC ]
You might have missed it, because there has been an astonishing lack of interest in this story in both the mainstream media and (surprisingly) the liberal blogosphere, but America's military involvement in Iraq may soon and irrevocably be drawing to a close. With timetables for withdrawal and everything!
Friday Talking Points [38] -- Whiners And Cheeseheads
[ Posted Friday, July 11th, 2008 – 16:46 UTC ]
While plenty has happened in the past two weeks which bears close and careful analysis, I'd like to begin by focusing on one event. Barack Obama announced a masterstroke of political tactics last week, and I don't think everyone has appreciated fully what it is going to mean. I say this not as an "Obamamaniac," or as some starry-eyed follower who has been caught up in his "personality cult," but rather as a political observer (with an admitted left-wing bias) applauding a Democratic candidate on a monumentally brilliant decision.
So Is Torturing A Daughter OK?
[ Posted Monday, July 7th, 2008 – 15:06 UTC ]
Think about that for a moment -- a former Justice Department legal counsel couldn't answer whether the President of the United States of America could legally order a prisoner buried alive. These were the people who were responsible for drawing the lines on what was (in their opinion) legally allowable, and what wasn't, and they can't even publicly state whether the president ordering someone buried alive is legal or not.
What Would Abbie Hoffman Have Thought Of The Flag Lapel Pin Debate?
[ Posted Friday, July 4th, 2008 – 13:09 UTC ]
I'd like to address, in as patriotic spirit as can be mustered, the wearing of United States flag lapel pins, and the inherent silliness this debate represents. Flag lapel pins are all the rage these days, but the battle over wearing the flag is older than you may have thought. Older than the battles in Congress over flag-desecration amendments to the Constitution (which stretch back to the 1980s... and which even Democrats who should know better still occasionally vote for in Congress... ahem).
Friday Talking Points [37] -- Welcome, New Readers
[ Posted Friday, June 27th, 2008 – 17:14 UTC ]
This column was born out of my frustration with the seeming inability of many Democrats to perform well in the Sunday morning interview shows on television. It's often been said that Democrats have an inherent "herding cats" problem, so I set out to do my tiny part to help.
Precedent George Bush
[ Posted Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 – 15:22 UTC ]
George Bush's term in office will be remembered for the precedents it set, particularly in relation to the power of the presidency, and the separation of powers between the three branches of American government. Vice President Dick Cheney has been at the forefront of this effort to "restore power" to the presidency, which he believes was unjustly taken from the office in the aftermath of Richard Nixon and Watergate.
In Honor Of George Carlin, Examining Nipplephobia And Buttcrackphobia In America
[ Posted Monday, June 23rd, 2008 – 18:17 UTC ]
Rest In Peace, Mr. Carlin. You leave behind you a void that will be hard to fill. Because, unfortunately, silliness is still rampant in America.
Friday Talking Points [36] -- End The Media's Pro-McCain Bias! Now!!
[ Posted Friday, June 20th, 2008 – 15:53 UTC ]
Anyone who thinks that the treatment Barack Obama has gotten from the media during this campaign is remotely the same as the treatment John McCain has received just has not been paying much attention. Because this pro-McCain prejudice has been both pervasive and unremarked-upon throughout almost the entire news media during the entire campaign season. McCain has even joked that the media is "his base" of support. It was a funny line, but there is an enormous truth at its core: the media has been hard on Obama but unbelievably light on John McCain. And this has to stop. Now. Because the election might just hinge on the media's portrayal of the two, so now is the time to point out the uneven nature of the press coverage to date on the two candidates. In time for the mainstream media to correct itself before the general election season really heats up.