Tea Party Politics At The State Level: Less Libertarian, More Authoritarian
If you look at the Tea Party’s impact on state politics, you see it really isn’t much different from the Religious Right.
Donald Trump Tied For Lead In Meaningless Poll
Donald Trump has been surging in polls of Republican voters recently, but that doesn’t mean much of anything.
Was There Really An Imminent Humanitarian Crisis In Libya?
President Obama says he acted in Libya to avert an imminent genocide, but there’s no evidence that any such thing was about to occur.
Explaining the NYT Paywall
Philip Greenspun wonders, “How did the New York Times manage to spend $40 million on its pay wall?”
House Republicans Have Forgotten How A Bill Becomes A Law
House Republicans engaged in a publicity stunt on Friday that displayed a profound misunderstanding of how government actually works in the United States.
Congress, The President, And War Powers Under The Constitution
Operation Odyssey Dawn has resurrected the eternal battle over what limits there are, and should be, on the President’s ability to use military force without Congressional authorization.
Rock Hall Of Fame Running on Empty?
They’re letting anyone into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame these days.
Too Late For Palin?
There’s still time for Sarah Palin to burnish her political reputation. But she probably won’t.
Thinking About the Politics of Wisconsin and Public Sector Unions
Recent events in Wiscosin seem to undercut the hypothesis that public sector unions have undue political influence.
Illinois Abolishes Death Penalty
Illinois became the 16th state to abolish capital punishment today. That’s far too few.
Quorum Busting v. Filibustering
The funny thing is that the quorum-busting in WI is more like a filibuster ought to be: a true delaying tactic that eventually has to give way to a democratic outcome.
Leave The Strategic Petroleum Reserve Alone
As gas and oil prices rise, the pressure is increasing to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It’s a dumb idea.
“In lieu of flowers…..make a donation to ANYONE running against Barack Hussein Obama”
In lieu of flowers, at Jim’s request, please make a donation to ANYONE running against Barack Hussein Obama
Athletes Are Ruining Sports!
Players have taken control of the NBA from the owners. That’s bad for fans. But probably a good thing.
Quorum Rules
A commenter asks, “Why does Wisconsin have a quorum rule if not for situations like this?”
Elections Have Consequences
Republicans won the right to govern Wisconsin. What does that mean for Democrats?
Wisconsin Teacher Showdown
Neither side is covering themselves in glory in the battle over the Badger State budget.
Unemployed? Don’t Bother Applying.
Being unemployed, especially in the long term, makes it less likely to get hired.
Latinos Aren’t Pro-Democrat So Much As They’re Anti-Republican, New Poll Finds
A new poll finds that Republican policies on immigration are chasing Latino voters straight into the arms of the Democratic Party.
Ron Paul Wins CPAC, Loses YAF
Ron Paul has won the CPAC straw poll for a second straight year. But YAF has voted him off its board over his opposition to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Leftward Drift Of The Democratic Party
Oddly, the Democratic Party seems to be responding to the 2010 midterms by moving further left.
Moast Loathesome Americans
The Beast has released its The 50 Most Loathsome Americans of 2010, which I gather is supposed to be amusing rather than taken seriously.
Idaho Resurrects Discredited Idea Of Nullification In Health Care Reform Battle
Republicans in Idaho are talking about resurrecting the foolish and discredited idea of nullification as a weapon in the fight against ObamaCare.
Mitt Romney Wins N.H. Straw Poll, Ron Paul Second, Palin Fourth
It’s straw poll season already. First up, New Hampshire where things turned out about how you’d expect them to considering Mitt Romney lives there now.
