Skipped Subject
One of the subjects I skipped in my presentation was religious issues in the military. And wow, is there ever a doozy of an issue out there on the surface today. From, of all places, Al-Jazeera: Hat tip to Friendly… Continue Reading
Government
Swine Flu: You May Already Be (Partially) Immune
Panic over the swine flu is starting to be tedious. I heard yesterday that a client who is a school bus driver saw about half the number of kids as normal going to school this week. Half? There’s that much… Continue Reading
David Souter To Retire
Well, I can’t say I’m super surprised. The rumors have been flying for days that Justice David Souter would retire and now it’s official. This is probably not a huge issue, actually. Souter has been fairly liberal on most things… Continue Reading
Not Enough To Say No
Jon Huntsman is a possible candidate for President in 2012? I’d not really thought about it, but I have to admit that he’s stepping up to say something in a real leadership capacity today. (People have to start getting his… Continue Reading
$100 Million Here, $100 Million There
The President has ordered his Cabinet to find ways to cut $100 million out of each of their budgets. I am unimpressed. So is the Washington press corps. When the President signs and applauds a budget bill with $8 billion… Continue Reading
Two Points About Effective Political Speech
When you speak publicly, you’re representing the people who agree with you. The responsible thing to do is to take care that you fulfill this function well. For instance, it is certainly the case that one person’s right to speak… Continue Reading
Penn Jillette
You turn into a skid. You put out a fire in your mouth by putting it deeper in your mouth. These things are counter-intuitive. But they work. On the other hand, you slow down when you’re speeding at a concrete… Continue Reading
Discomfort
On the one hand, it’s pretty clear that there needs to be a profound shakeup at General Motors. Rick Waggoner has run the company into the ground — perhaps he was overtaken by forces much larger than the company, but… Continue Reading
Attainder!
First, some Constitutional vocabulary. A “bill of attainder” is a law that punishes specific individuals without benefit of trial. A “taking” is when the government takes something from you without “due process of law,” which usually means either giving you… Continue Reading
Two Trillion Dollar Deficit
That’s right. You’ll see it on the news tomorrow. But you read it here first. Tomorrow, the Congressional Budget Office will forecast that the 2009-2010 federal budget will run at a staggering, unbelievable, mind-blowing, and scarcely comprehensible two trillion dollar… Continue Reading