In one sense, the current bout of corruption in Washington is explicable enough: politicians, Democrat or Republican, who hold power long anough succumb to its temptations. But in another, it’s a function of the degeneracy of Bush-DeLay conservatism. When conservatives have embraced big government, massive increases in spending, huge new entitlements, a blizzard of earmarks, … Continue reading CORRUPTION AND CONSERVATISM
The picture is more complex than I anticipated. Big shout-out to all my poli sci readers who sent me data. At the height of the miscegenation bans, 41 states had them. Something close to that number will probably eventually have bans on marriage of varying degrees of severity for gay couples. The last hold-outs on … Continue reading MISCEGENATION LAWS AND SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
“So lots of pundits, including you, have been attributing Bush’s success nationally to his having excited the base over the gay marriage issue. In particular, the strategy of using the ballot initiatives in 11 states, thereby dragging religious conservatives to the polls to vote against marriage and at the same time check the box next … Continue reading EMAIL OF THE DAY
Just read this story about the Texas Republican Party. Their convention began with prayers and invocations, as any religious gathering might do. One pastor who spoke to the group said the following: “Give us Christians in America who are more wholehearted, more committed and more militant for you and your kingdom than any fanatical Islamic … Continue reading WHAT REPUBLICANISM NOW IS
There are a couple of points about the Santorum controversy that are worth re-examining. The first is his problem with the Constitutional right to privacy. As I said yesterday, this is a perfectly respectable position, and one with which I have some sympathy. My preference would be for Texas voters to throw out this invasive … Continue reading SANTORUM AND THE CONSTITUTION
Schroder’s humiliating electoral defeat follows the European Eight op-ed diplomatic coup last week. Suddenly the French, having recently sided with the Germans unequivocally, seem to be edging back toward support of the U.N. and the U.S. If Chirac tilts back toward the London-Washington axis, Schroder’s isolation will be complete. As will Germany’s. The big winner? … Continue reading THE AXIS OF WEASEL COLLAPSES
Bush’s ‘mandate’ “includes using the taxing power to transfer wealth from working people to the rich. It includes giving corporations a free hand to eviscerate the environment and control the regulatory agencies meant to hold them accountable. And it includes secrecy on a scale you cannot imagine. Above all, it means judges with a political … Continue reading BEGALA AWARD WINNER 2002 (for excessive liberal rhetoric)
The left-wing lurch of the New York Times increasingly means that the Washington Post is the paper of record for simple news coverage. This is a terrible shame. We need the Times’ high standards to be protected. But recall how the Times spun its political/Enron poll on Sunday. Now look how the Post reports very … Continue reading THANK GOD FOR THE POST
