First Principles

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 […]

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We get a lot of university alumni magazines at our house.  They’re big and glossy and have a little news about your alma mater.  They’re full of self-congratulatory pap about how dedicated to social justice your school is.  And they include a handy envelope so you can help advance that social justice by sending a […]

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I couldn’t live blog tonight, as I had a class to teach.  But I listened to most of it on the radio, and watched the rest on DVR when I got home. I wish the entire nation could have seen Governor Sandoval’s speech last night, in order to contrast it with this one.  Sandoval gave […]

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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 […]

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No, not from me.  From William Saletan at Slate, arguing these midterms were actually a victory for Dems: Politicians have tried and failed for decades to enact universal health care. This time, they succeeded. In 2008, Democrats won the presidency and both houses of Congress, and by the thinnest of margins, they rammed a bill […]

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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?”

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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. 

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I’m greatly amused over the hippy boycott of their former-favorite grocery store, Whole Foods, over WF CEO John Mackey’s Wall Street Journal Op/Ed on health care reform.  Fortunately for all the working stiff WF employees liberals claim to care about, it doesn’t seem to be hurting the company’s bottom line any. The thing that kills […]

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I just got home from Reno’s Tea Party, and it was great fun.  What better way to spend America’s Birthday than to talk and think and debate and celebrate the founding ideas of the United States! There was certainly anger in evidence, and rightfully so.  But that was a small undercurrent in what (to my […]

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At a protest of President Obama: They held their signs up high: “Don’t tread on me,” “Spend all you want, I’ll pick up the tab,” “I’ll keep my freedom! You keep the change!” “Free fertility drugs now.” And “B.O. smells and so does Socialism.” A Gilbert woman, with a sign that said, “Fund bikini wax […]

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Heh. This perfectly encapsulates the problems with the kind of responsibility free world liberals think they can achieve…

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On my recent trip to Alaska, I saw a couple of signs that just made me shake my head.  They are perfect examples of what becomes necessary when a socialistic culture takes root, and we all lose the ability to take care of ourselves.

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