COMMENTARY AND OP-EDS
John Edwards' two Americas (cont'd)
In fact, Mr. Edwards is correct about there being two Americas. One pays taxes, the other doesn't.Liberals of Mr. Edwards' stripe talk at length about how upper income citizens don't pay their "fair share," but are studiously silent about how much they DO pay, and what the ephemeral phrase "fair [...]
John Edwards' two Americas
Former Senator John Edwards has made a name for himself speaking about the "two Americas." While I have not seen any very specific explanation of what these two Americas are, it's reasonably clear that, in Mr. Edwards' view, America No. 1 consists of rapacious, oppressive Robber Baron-wannabees, and America No. [...]
John Armor: One Cheer for the Ninth Circuit On Arizona's Honest-Voter Law
It is not very often that the American Civil Rights Union has kind words for the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Nor does the US Supreme Court have many kind words for them, either. That Court reverses decisions of that Circuit more than all other Circuits [...]
Though you drive nature out with a pitchfork, she will still find her way back.
Scott Johnson, writing yesterday on Power Line, puts yet more skids under the liberal reaction to the murders at Virginia Tech. In particular, Scott quotes Mark Steyn as Steyn laughs out loud at Yale's reaction to the shootings -- a reaction that, in terms of unadulterated nonsense, tops even the [...]
Vote Fraud Takes a Hit in the Ninth Circuit
Congratulations to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for its decision on Friday refusing to enjoin Arizona from enforcing Proposition 200, which Arizona voters adopted in 2004 to stem vote fraud.Proposition 200 amended Arizona law to require persons wishing to register to vote for the first time [...]
Boris Yeltsin Dies at 76
MSNBC reports that former Russian President Boris Yeltsin has died.For whatever else might be said of Yeltsin -- and there is plenty, good and bad -- no one of my generation will ever forget the picture of him standing on the tank in those crucial days during the attempted coup [...]
Don't Mess with Miss America
Over the weekend, Fox News reported this gem of a story:82-YEAR-OLD EX-BEAUTY QUEEN STOPS INTRUDER BY SHOOTING OUT TIRESSaturday, April 21, 2007WAYNESBURG, Ky. -- Miss America 1944 has a talent that likely has never appeared on a beauty pageant stage: She fired a handgun to shoot out a vehicle's tires [...]
Some Religions Are More Equal Than Others, cont'd.
My colleague Eric Langborgh notes in his piece below that the ACLU has taken umbrage at the offer by a private person to give Bibles to high school students, apparently during the school day. Eric quotes ACLU attorney Yale Freeman as saying, "There is a time to speak you[r] religious [...]
ACLU Declares Churches Free Speech Zones (Restrictions Apply Elsewhere)
The following quote by ACLU attorney Yale Freeman is astounding:"There is a time to speak you [sic] religious beliefs and that is in your church."Mr. Freeman said this in defense of the ACLU's objection to a private citizen offering Bibles to students during lunch at various high schools in Collier [...]
A Tale of Two Cities
City No. 1: Blacksburg, Virginia, April 17, 2007.Cho Seung-Hui, a 23 year-old student at Virginia Tech, well prepared and having armed himself to the teeth, kills two classmates early in the morning, returns to his room to prepare a package of videotapes he will send to NBC, and, after a [...]
Some Get an Audience, and Some Don't
Roll Call reports that our top military commander in Iraq will make a rare visit to Capitol Hill next week, but House majority leaders initially declined the Defense Department's offer of a members-only closed-door briefing with Army Gen. David Petraeus.Some might recall that it was only quite recently when these [...]
William Otis: The Gonzales Hunt
No one doubts that Congress has the right, if not the obligation, to inquire into malfeasance by the executive branch. But the current campaign against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales reeks of the very political infection it purports to deplore.
Heroism in the Midst of Evil
Yesterday's mass murder at Virginia Tech University will doubtless re-ignite the Second Amendment debate. While the American Civil Rights Union has its view of that issue, it is not our purpose, for now, to discuss it. This is a time in which respect for the murder victims counsels circumspection.We can, [...]
Fairness Doctrine or Freedom Doctrine?
Moves are afoot among liberals to revive the defunct "Fairness Doctrine." That was a regulation issued by the Federal Communications Commission which required broadcast licensees to present "both sides" of controversial issues, and present them in what the FCC deemed to be an honest, equal and balanced manner. It has [...]
Al Sharpton, America's National Scold
Much has been said of the recent episode in which Don Imus, a radio "shock jock," made a racist insult against the Rutgers women's basketball team. I have never listened to Mr. Imus's program and don't plan to start. I did hear re-plays of the insult. My reaction is that [...]
In the world our fathers knew….
The estimable Victor Davis Hanson has a dream. It starts thusly:"I recently had a dream that British marines fought back, like their forefathers of old, against criminals and pirates. When taken captive, they proved defiant in their silence. When released, they talked to the tabloids with restraint and dignity, and [...]
Government Sponsorship of Religion — If the Religion Is Islam (Continued)
For those who may have been interested in yesterday's story of apparent state sponsorship of Islamic religious practices at a public college in Minneapolis, there is a follow-up today provided by https://www.powerlineblog.com. It is reprinted below. Powerline, incidentally, is one of the most informed, thoughtful and analytically sound blogs anywhere [...]
The Top Five Reasons to Oppose "Sanctuary Cities"
Reason No. 5: Because sanctuary cities facilitate and encourage illegal immigration, they are unfair to legal immigrants, who waited in line, followed the rules and showed respect for the law.Reason No. 4: Sanctuary cities impose costs on their residents -- citizens and legal immigrants -- that they shouldn't have to [...]
OneNewsNow.com: 'American Civil Rights Union Blasts Sanctuary City Policy'
OneNewsNow.com today features an article on the ACRU's opposition to the distrubing trend of American cities declaring themselves "sanctuary cities" for illegal aliens. The article - "American Civil Rights Union Blasts Sanctuary City Policy" - comes out of their recent radio interview with Bill Otis, director of legal affairs at [...]
The Gonzales Hunt
The Washington Times today features an editorial from the ACRU’s Director of Legal Affairs, Bill Otis, on the controversy surrounding the Bush Administration’s firing of eight U.S. attorneys, entitled, “The Gonzales Hunt.”Here is the full text of the article:The Gonzales HuntBy William OtisNo one doubts that Congress has the right, [...]