Arizona Senate passes bill to create nullification jury. After being shot down earlier this week, the Arizona State Senate revived and successfully passed a bill that would create a mechanism for the state to nullify federal laws. As TPM has reported, Senate Bill 1433 would create a 12-person “Joint Legislative Committee on Nullification of Federal Laws ... MORE
Big government is liberty's greatest threat. Hardly a day goes by that I’m not compelled to reflect on the haunting words of Pastor Martin Niemoeller: “First they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the trade ... MORE
First Amendment gives way to blasphemy and hate speech. The recent exchange between an atheist and a judge in a small courtroom in rural Pennsylvania could have come out of a Dickens novel. Magisterial District Judge Mark Martin was hearing a case in which an irate Muslim stood accused of attacking an atheist, Ernest Perce, because he was wearing a ... MORE
How far-fetched are Breitbart conspiracy rumors? First, let’s nail down the difference between a conspiracy theorist and a broad-minded person. A conspiracy theorist says, “Of course, Andrew Breitbart was assassinated. Look how many people benefit from his absence. He told CPAC he had videos that could doom Obama’s re-election chances. He told ... MORE
A sure sign the war on drugs has failed. Of the many roles Pat Robertson has assumed over his five-decade-long career as an evangelical leader — including presidential candidate and provocative voice of the right wing — his newest guise may perhaps surprise his followers the most: marijuana legalization advocate. “I really believe we should treat ... MORE
Government economic malfeasance continues merrily along. The federal government recorded its worst monthly deficit in history in February, according to a preliminary report Wednesday from the Congressional Budget Office that said the deficit in fiscal year 2012 is already more than half a trillion dollars. The CBO’s figures show that despite repeated efforts to trim ... MORE
ObamaCare forces taxpayers to pick up tab. U.S. immigration officials are under standing orders to provide abortion services for detained illegal aliens in some circumstances and hormone therapy to those who say they are transgendered. The orders to do so are included in the “2011 Operations Manual ICE Performance-Based National Detention ... MORE
by Adam Dickter. Is this unethical? No more so, I think, than ducking into a cab to avoid a stalker, or closing the blinds on a peeping Tom. Or luring people into a massive social network under the guise of "helping you connect and share with the people in your life" while collecting a complete dossier on you. Comedian Steve Martin once came up with a novel way to fend ... MORE
Who are the REAL bad guys? Now that Mitt Romney is likely to be the Republican nominee, we can expect new attacks on his “vulture capitalism.” That’s how Rick Perry characterized his private equity work when he was still a GOP presidential candidate. As the campaign has unfolded, Newt Gingrich’s supporters ran an ad about Romney’s ... MORE
Does the government recognize your right to life? Can the president kill an American simply because the person is dangerous and his arrest would be impractical? Can the president be judge, jury and executioner of an American in a foreign country because he believes that would keep America safe? Can Congress authorize the president to do this? ... MORE
The seen is oil prices. The unseen is decline of the dollar. The rise in oil prices is not due to the laws of supply and demand regarding oil. It is the result of the continued fall of the dollar. As the Federal Reserve creates more money, the value of the dollar falls. As the value of the dollar falls and oil producers demand more and more for each barrel ... MORE
Power will always trump rights. Where are all the Progressives who were outraged by George W. Bush's frontal assault on the Bill of Rights and our civil liberties with the Patriot Act, military tribunals, use of torture, and other violations of human rights and International law? Where is the outrage when a sitting president asserts through a surrogate ... MORE
Eyes in the skies will troll for crime. Coming soon to the skies above you — drones, drones and more drones. And all giving police and who knows who else the chance to peek into your backyard. Legislation just signed by President Obama directs the Federal Aviation Administration to open the skies to remotely controlled drones within the next three years. ... MORE
Because big government is relentless. For supporters of limited government who are closely following the 2012 presidential race, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is the "Cult of Obama" is dead. A recent Reuters story explores the Obama campaign's marketing difficulties, and the headline says it all: "Obama's Slogan: Looking to Replace ... MORE
Identifying Jim Crow under another name. State Rep. Rick Olson (R-Saline) made an amazing blog post last month. He had recently attended a luncheon hosted by the Legislative Black Caucus to hear Michelle Alexander, a lawyer and author who teaches at Ohio State University. Olson's post was titled "Medical Marijuana Law Needs Clarification, But ... MORE