First Principles

In search of the Unified Theory of Conservatism

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Entries Tagged as 'Newt Gingrich'

Be Careful What Newt Wishes For…

April 4th, 2012 · 1 Comment

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 […]

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Tags: Big Government · Campaign '12 · Constitutional Law · Health Care · Judges · Mitt Romney · Newt Gingrich · Obama

A Couple of Thoughts on Last Night’s Debate

February 23rd, 2012 · 1 Comment

I only got home last night in time to see the second half of the Presidential debate.  I didn’t hear anything unexpected, although overall I thought it was substantive and good.  Will it matter?  Who can say.  But here are my thoughts. ~~~ The most compelling thing to me was in the part I missed, […]

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Tags: Campaign '12 · Deficits and Debt · Economy · Education · Federalism · Iran · Mitt Romney · Newt Gingrich · Republicans · Rick Santorum · Ron Paul

What Should I Call Posts Like This? Everyone Else Already Uses “Nuggets”…

February 21st, 2012 · 2 Comments

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 […]

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Tags: Big Government · Campaign '12 · Constitutional Law · Corruption · Education · Environment · Environmentalists · Federalism · Health Care · Libertarians · Mitt Romney · Nevada Politics · Newt Gingrich · Principles · Religion · Republicans · Rick Santorum · Social Conservatism · Taxes

The Caucus: Fraud?

February 14th, 2012 · 2 Comments

In a word, no, in spite of ridiculous and baseless allegations from various folks, including these national Ron Paul folks who make the accusations pretty directly. I take these allegations a little personally, since I was in the counting room in Washoe County.  So let me just say for the record that in Washoe we […]

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Tags: Campaign '12 · Nevada Politics · Newt Gingrich · Republicans · Ron Paul · Voter Fraud

Slightly Tape-Delayed, Almost-Liveblog of the #SCdebate

January 16th, 2012 · 1 Comment

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 […]

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Tags: 1st Amendment · 2nd Amendment · Big Government · Campaign '12 · Capitalism · Congress · Crime · Culture · Deficits and Debt · Drugs · Economy · Education · Federalism · Foreign Policy · Judges · Military Service · Mitt Romney · Newt Gingrich · Race · Republicans · Rick Perry · Rick Santorum · Ron Paul · Taxes · Voter Fraud

“Is there a good ‘conservative’ ‘Republican’ in the race?”

January 3rd, 2012 · 2 Comments

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 […]

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Tags: Big Government · Campaign '12 · Jon Huntsman · Michelle Bachmann · Mike Huckabee · Mitt Romney · Nevada Politics · Newt Gingrich · Principles · Republicans · Rick Perry · Rick Santorum · Ron Paul

Mitt Romney’s Very Strange Definition of “Conservative”

December 22nd, 2011 · Comments Off on Mitt Romney’s Very Strange Definition of “Conservative”

Mitt Romney has always been my default candidate in this race.  He’s acceptable, good enough, has some points about him I really like, could beat Obama, and ultimately would be a vastly better President than the current one.  And his resume is full of taking economically failing institutions and slashing their waste until they’re successful […]

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Tags: Assembly 25 Campaign · Campaign '12 · Constitutional Law · Federalism · Health Care · Mitt Romney · Newt Gingrich · Principles

Newt Gingrich, the Judiciary, and the Principle of Limited Government

December 18th, 2011 · Comments Off on Newt Gingrich, the Judiciary, and the Principle of Limited Government

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 […]

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Tags: Big Government · Campaign '12 · Constitutional Law · Criminal Law · Judges · Lawyers and the Law · Newt Gingrich · Principles