First Principles

In defending the President against his responsibility for his scandals, liberals undermine their governing philosophy.  We should support these efforts! It’s been incredibly interesting to watch supporters of the President try to defend his actions – or lack thereof – in his various swirling scandals these days.  First there was a lot of silence – […]

[Read more →]

Robert Fellner has an interesting piece on the GOP’s platform plank to resist the expansion of on-line gambling: The stated justification for this horribly intrusive, un-Constitutional, un-American, nanny-state action that the most hardcore Progressive would be proud of, is that “compulsive gambling is a serious disease” blah blah blah, Why is there no call to […]

[Read more →]

Party That Allegedly Opposes Unethical Payoffs to Political Cronies With Taxpayer Dollars Elects Unethical Tax-dollar Wasting Crony “Capitalist” to Lead Party Taken in the kindest possible light, new GOP Chair Michael McDonald’s past and current “property development” activities proves that he’s all for government-forced redistribution of wealth.  A more honest assessment would be that he’s […]

[Read more →]

A few months ago, I was seriously considering Newt Gingrich for my caucus vote.  But then he came out with his absurd and dangerous suggestion that the political branches of government have the power to haul federal judges before boards of inquiry, and that they be subject to impeachment if we don’t like their legal […]

[Read more →]

Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as […]

[Read more →]

I tweeted out this Big Journalism story on the trap Republicans were falling into on this whole birth control mandate issue, with the added commentary, “Focus, people.  Focus.”  It drew several questions and comments both on Twitter and Facebook that I felt were worth discussing. The issue is an important one, but it is important […]

[Read more →]

So much great stuff around the Silver State’s Intertubes (and beyond) today… ~~~ Attorney General Cortez-Masto says that the presence of a middle man cures otherwise Unconstitutional transfer of money from government to private industry.  Interesting. I really hope NPRI files a lawsuit over this, if for no other reason than I always get a […]

[Read more →]

I wish this debate had happened sooner.  Although it definitely helped that there were fewer candidates on stage – it’s not an accident that fewer candidates and no absurd timeclock led to a far more substantive debate than we’ve seen in the past. I haven’t seen a lot of the post-debate spin from other people […]

[Read more →]

A reader recently E-mailed me with this question, and I thought the night before the Iowa caucus would be a time to reflect on it here. Is there a good “conservative” “Republican” in the race? As much as I’d like to think the guy currently in office is vulnerable, the Republicans seem to be trying […]

[Read more →]

The other day these guys were protesting on the sidewalk between my office and the courthouse.  I thought they were just a regular #Occupy protest, and most of them looked the part.  (Yes, how you dress matters, hippies.  If you want to be taken seriously, shower, shave, take the fishing tackle out of your face, […]

[Read more →]

I missed last Thursday’s debate where Newt Gingrich and Michelle Bachmann took aim at the Supreme Court, and indeed, the Federal Judiciary generally.  But since then Newt has kept at it, and his answers make me incredibly nervous. The principle of limited government means that government must be strictly limited – even if you like […]

[Read more →]

Jon Ralston wrote a fascinating column this weekend arguing for reforms to the Legislature that were inspired in part by NPRI’s recent lawsuit arguing that state employees cannot legally serve in the State Assembly or Senate.  Primary among Ralston’s complaints is the part-time nature of the Legislature itself.  He argues: But the worst and most […]

[Read more →]

Via Big Hollywood, Adam Carolla on the #Occupiers.  So, so, so awesome.  (Also gloriously vulgar – fair warning.)

[Read more →]

Mike Chamberlain has a great post questioning the mission creep of the Clark County School District Police, who are writing tickets far beyond their jurisdictions.  He’s right to question the costs of them coloring outside of their lines. But the larger question should be this – why do we have separate school police departments at […]

[Read more →]

True social conservatism, that is – not Big Government nanny-statism in the name of the Lord. Last week, various tea party movement activists from around the country sent a letter to GOP leaders asking them to back off the social issues and focus on deficits and spending.  I agree with them to a point, but […]

[Read more →]

So Harry Reid wants to protect Nevada from that big, bad President Obama and his profligate spending, now, does he? Like many senior lawmakers, Reid opposes abandoning “congressionally directed spending” – the allocation of funding for projects, or earmarks – in favor of leaving the money decisions to officials in government agencies. 

[Read more →]

Today I came across this very interesting – and relevant – article in the City Journal about how California’s public employee unions have contributed mightily to the Golden State’s economic destruction. [W]hat was once the most prosperous state now suffers from an unemployment rate far steeper than the nation’s and a flood of firms and […]

[Read more →]

Attorney General Cortez-Masto’s decision to ignore the Governor’s request and to not join over one third of the Union in a Constitutional challenge against ObamaCare is a travesty.  The threat to our country and to our state particularly is real and immediate, and our participation in the lawsuit is critical to the rule of law […]

[Read more →]

I’m trying to imagine going back in time and asking the Federalists, “Now, if we ratify this thing, will it give the federal government the power to regulate tournament rules for collegiate sporting events?”

[Read more →]

Well, no big surprises.  He made the same promises that he made a year ago, and the only difference is that now we can be even more sure he won’t keep any of them. The big takeaway from me on this was just how unserious this speech was. 

[Read more →]