Free speech not popular in some quarters. The recent Supreme Court decision over-ruling some Federal Election
Commission restrictions on political campaign contributions has provoked
angry reactions on the left. That is what often happens whenever the
High Court rules that the First Amendment means what it says — free
speech for ... MORE
by James Gattuso and Diane Katz. In his State of the Union address earlier this year, President Obama vowed to wield his executive powers when faced with congressional resistance to his legislative agenda: “America does not stand still – and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation … that’s what I .... MORE
Suspicions confirmed. With great fanfare the Environmental Protection Agency announced January that their “assessment” of potential mining impacts on salmon ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska had discovered unacceptable risks to salmon and their habitat (various drainages in the region). The agency stated that they ... MORE
by John W. Whitehead. 'Just salute and follow orders.' Question: How can you tell when a politician is lying? Answer: When he’s moving his lips. If that didn’t generate a chuckle, how about: Q: Why is honesty in politics like oxygen? A: The higher you go, the scarcer it gets. Then there’s President Obama’s gaffe on the Tonight Show: “We ... MORE
At odds with the GOP, in accord with Americans. GOP hawks are reportedly nervous about the potential level of
support Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) could enjoy if he decides to run for
president in 2016. On Monday Zeke J. Miller wrote in TIME
about how several prominent Republican donors at the Republican
Jewish Coalition suggested ... MORE
by Spencer Ackerman and James Ball. US intelligence chiefs have confirmed that the National Security
Agency has used a "back door" in surveillance law to perform warrantless
searches on Americans’ communications. The NSA's collection programs are ostensibly targeted at foreigners, but in August the Guardian revealed a secret rule ... MORE
The policing for profit scheme. When voters in Colorado and Washington state approved legalizing
marijuana in 2012, those votes undermined an abusive—and
profitable—police practice: civil forfeiture. Unlike with criminal
forfeiture, under civil forfeiture
people do not have to be convicted of or even charged with a crime to
permanently ... MORE
As people start to use it. We have finally (almost, sort of) reached the end of Obamacare signups. The White House is claiming over seven million people have signed up with several million more now on the Medicaid rolls. Democrats are desperate to find a success somewhere in the Obamacare narrative, so reaching seven ... MORE
by Steven Greenhut. Many people are familiar with "Luddites," those
early 19th century British textile workers who vandalized modern
looms and other innovative, time-saving machinery that they feared
would put them out of business – or reduce the value of their
work. I’m not the first writer to notice the resemblance between the
original Luddite ... MORE