Barack Obama obviously thinks so. Perhaps the rain made the teleprompter unreadable. That's one thought I had on pondering Barack Obama's comments to a rain-soaked rally in Roanoke, Va., last Friday. Perhaps he didn't really mean what he said. Or perhaps -- as is often the case with people -- when unanchored from a prepared text he ... MORE
It isn't a bad word. Don't change the text. Change the attitude with more judicial engagement in enforcing existing, critical constitutional features — in particular: federalism. To some, the F word is constitutional obscenity. It is relabeled "states' rights" and followed by reference to slavery and the Confederacy. This taps into deep emotions but ... MORE
What was your first job? I stuck pieces of plastic and metal together at an Evanston, Ill., assembly line. We produced photocopiers for a company called American Photocopy. I hated the work. It was hot and boring. But it was useful. It taught me to get good grades in school so I might have other choices. Four years later, good grades got me a job as a researcher ... MORE
It's about private property, get over it. About two months ago I mentioned my disappointment that Raleigh, NC lacked Southern culture, only to be informed in the comment section that true sweet-tea-drinking Southerners don't even consider the city to be part of the South. The longer I stay in this godforsaken place the better I understand ... MORE
A red flag for First Amendment proponents. Most Americans know they have a constitutional right to freedom of speech, but a clear majority does not think that implies allowing unlimited spending by corporations or labor unions on political campaigns, according to a new survey. Americans oppose unlimited campaign spending by corporations and unions ... MORE
Clever demagogues and gullible followers make toxic combo. When I first saw a book with the title, "White Girl Bleed A Lot" by Colin Flaherty, I instantly knew what it was about, even though I had not seen the book reviewed anywhere, and knew nothing about the author. That is because I had encountered that phrase before, while doing research ... MORE