First Principles

In search of the Unified Theory of Conservatism

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Entries Tagged as 'Constitutional Law'

In Defense of Obama’s Signing Statements. Kind Of.

March 11th, 2009 · Comments Off on In Defense of Obama’s Signing Statements. Kind Of.

Today, Obama signed the uber-porky federal budget, which is plenty bad enough at a time when the federal government needs more than ever to watch every penny.  But along with it, he included a signing statement declaring that he considered 5 of the provisions he was signing into law unconstitutional, and would not enforce them. […]

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Tags: Congress · Constitutional Law · George Bush · Obama

Traitor or Patriot? Soldiers and Constitutional Law

February 25th, 2009 · 8 Comments

During the Bush Administration, there were a few members of the military who deserted their country and their brothers in arms.  In order to justify their treason, they decided on their own that the Iraq war was Unconstitutional.  Their legal reasoning was absurd, but more importantly, they didn’t have the authority or standing to make […]

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Tags: Constitutional Law · Military Service

A Prescient Warning From a Founding Father

February 19th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Amused Cynic points out this centuries-old but all-too-relevant warning from James Madison in Federalist No. 61: It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; […]

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Tags: Big Government · Constitutional Law · First Documents · Obama

Obama’s Fundamental Constitutional Misunderstanding

October 27th, 2008 · Comments Off on Obama’s Fundamental Constitutional Misunderstanding

A lot has been already made about Barack Obama’s lament that “economic justice” and “redistribution of wealth” wasn’t a priority for the Warren Court.  (I’ve even heard some people call his arguments “conservative” because he suggests that the courts may not be the best places to achieve such re-distribution.)  Not enough has been made, to […]

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Tags: Campaign '08 · Constitutional Law · Federalism · First Documents · Obama · Principles

Smacking of Ridiculousness

August 11th, 2008 · 2 Comments

I got a campaign call yesterday from a supporter of local pawn shop manager and proud pit bull owner James Smack, a self-proclaimed “Constitutionalist” running against Dean Heller for his Congressional seat in the Republican primary.  He’s a Ron Paul type, and I’m not, so I politely told his supporter I was voting for the […]

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Tags: Abortion · Constitutional Law · Constitutionalists · Federalism · First Documents · Nevada Politics · Principles · Ron Paul · War on Terror · Yucca Mountain