If you missed it in Monday’s Oregonian, take a look at Robert J. Samuelson’s commentary on the myth and reality of Washington. Here is what Samuelson says: “The Washington of conventional wisdom and the real Washington are two entirely different places. The Washington of conventional wisdom is overrun by well-paid insiders — lobbyists, lawyers, publicists [...]
John Fund reports on National Review Online that a man who did not identify himself and presented no ID was offered Attorney General Eric Holder’s ballot in the recent Washington, D.C., primary election. Here’s betting Holder remains opposed to voter ID laws. Read Fund’s account here.
Originally published in The Oregonian — 03-29-12 – Suburbanites trip up Meetro’s regional light-rail, development vision – In response to the signature-gathering in Clackamas County to refer the county’s funding of the Milwaukie light-rail line to the voters, Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette, who represents part of that county, was quoted as saying, “We work hard [...]
With liberals dominating the academy, particularly in the social sciences, James Q. Wilson was a breath of fresh air, even at 80 years of age. His passing is a great loss for all freedom loving people. Today’s Wall Street Journal includes an editorial testament to Wilson [here], and a collection of some of Wilson’s many [...]
Writing in yesterday’s Investor’s Business Daily, Robert Samuelson explains why 40 years of campaign finance regulation has achieved none of its objectives. Why have we persisted in the face of repeated failure? Because of three myths that Samuelson dispels: Myth One: The rich and corporate interests rule government through campaign contributions and lobbying. Myth Two: [...]
Originally published in The Oregonian 2/21/12 Keep the messy politics: Rule by government experts is a recipe for tyranny The Oregonian editorial board suggests a siren to warn when “legislators try to take over management of the state’s natural resources” (“Water, trees and politics,” Feb. 16). On the opposite page, columnist Dave Lister describes how [...]
When Occupiers across the country and here in Portland were whining about unfairness, while camping out in public parks and celebrating their leaderlessness, a grassroots movement in Clackamas County, Oregon, actually got some things done. Writing in yesterday’s Oregonian, Dave Lister describes how ordinary folks have reminded the elite about the basic premise of democracy [...]
But not to worry. There is very little fraud. A study by the Pew Center on the States found 1.8 million dead people still registered to vote. A report on NPR gave assurances that there is, nonetheless, very little voter fraud as a result. The solution, in which Oregon is reportedly participating, is creating an [...]
The New York Times editorial board is upset with the influence the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is having on state legislatures. [see editorial from today's newspaper here] ALEC was founded by “right-wing activist” Paul Weyrich, and its funders include “Exxon Mobil, the Olin and Scaife families and foundations tied to Koch Industries.” Among some [...]
Originally published in The Daily Caller [here] 2/13/12 Lincoln’s Prescient Warning – There was a time when children celebrated the birthday of our nation’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. I recall, as a young Cub Scout, our den mother, who happened to be my mother, fashioning from clay and scraps of fabric the spitting image of [...]
Writing in today’s New York Times, Ross Douthat argues that the liberals’ inclination to look to government to solve every challenge leads to government displacing other forms of voluntary, community action. In the context of Obamacare’s mandate for provision of abortion and birth control services by all medical providers, Douthat writes: “The White House attack [...]
“This nation is great because we worked as a team. This nation is great because we get each other’s backs.” President Obama, State of the Union, 1/24/12 “This nation isn’t great because we work as a team with the president as our captain. America is great because America is free. It is great not because [...]
Originally published on TheDailyCaller.com 01/16/11 – President Obama’s “recess” appointments of Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and three individuals to the National Labor Relations Board have outraged Senate Republicans and generated much commentary on the constitutionality of the president’s actions. Not surprisingly, the commentary is dominated by the arcane legalese [...]
The Daily Caller published more than 2,000 op-eds this year. Editor Peter Tucci recently combed through all of them and put together a wholly subjective list of the 20 most interesting ones — the top 1%, so to speak. They’re listed in chronological order with Jim’s article on the ‘Occupy’ movement from last November placing [...]
Orginally published on the DailyCaller.com 01/04/12 – There can be no disputing that Rick Santorum is the big winner in Iowa, even though he came up eight votes short of Mitt Romney. Only time will tell if Santorum is a real challenger to Romney, or just the latest in a long line of conservative pretenders [...]
If you think we can restore economic prosperity and reduce government debt by getting Congress and our state legislatures to control spending, this interview with a college economics professor will cause you to think again. If the students in his classes are representative, we are facing a generation of future voters who think it’s the [...]
In today’s Oregonian, Robin Wisdom, President of the League of Women Voters of Oregon, writes in support of the Occupy protestors’ message, if not all of their methods. While it’s difficult to know what the Occupy message is, Ms. Wisdom seems to be saying that the League agrees with the broad complaint that the American [...]
Editor’s Note: This article is the first of a series of 6 that will be written by Judy Trego focused on strategies to decrease the government’s role in philanthropic ventures and reengage the community as a leader in these efforts. The series will run through April. By Judy Trego, Part 1 of 6 The American [...]
