February 7, 2012 — Steven Hayward

Liberals and the Constitution

Featured image Liberals typically erupt in outrage if you suggest they don’t respect or understand the Constitution, let alone defend it.  But then they let slip that in fact they really don’t respect or understand the Constitution, and would replace it in a heartbeat if they thought they could get away with it.  Think of Ezra Klein remarking a couple years back on how the Constitution is too hard to understand because, »
February 7, 2012 — Scott Johnson

John Bolton comes to town

Featured imageFormer United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton appeared at a special event held by our local Minnesota chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition at the Parker Rosen law firm in downtown Minneapolis last night. Announced 48 hours in advance of his appearance, the event was the most successful in the history of our small chapter. Ambassador Bolton drew a crowd to excess capacity. Included among the dignitaries »
February 6, 2012 — John Hinderaker

The Delegate Count So Far

Featured imageI don’t know whether the GOP nomination battle will drag on toward the convention, or whether Mitt Romney will quickly pull away and win the nomination more or less by acclamation (I don’t think any other candidate has the potential to do that). News coverage tends to focus on momentum, but a more basic question is, how many delegates do the candidates have so far? Those numbers tend not to »
February 6, 2012 — John Hinderaker

Sling Baby, the $1 Million Finals!

Featured imageJustin Folk created the animated video that won the Power Line Prize contest, The Spending Is Nuts. More recently, Justin has worked on a non-political project, as part of a team that created a Doritos commercial for the Super Bowl. You likely saw it; Justin did the special effects and the baby in the commercial is his 15-month-old son Jonah. It is, in my opinion, a great commercial: The Super »
February 6, 2012 — John Hinderaker

In the Pocket of the Gas Lobby?

Featured imageLiberals (and, to be fair, some non-liberals) often assume that any organization or politician who gets donations from a company, organization or industry must be in the pocket of the donor. In general, that assumption is unfair: what actually happens is that people donate to organizations and politicians that share their views. Still, contributions can sometimes seem malodorous. Here is an example, from the Science and Environmental Policy Project’s The »
February 6, 2012 — John Hinderaker

Happy Birthday, President Reagan

Featured imageSteve noted earlier today that it is Ronald Reagan’s 101st birthday. Americans For Prosperity released this video in honor of the occasion, contrasting Reagan’s leadership with that of the current president: »
February 6, 2012 — Steven Hayward

Deconstructing Romney: Maybe Mitt Should Get a PIG?

Featured imageOkay, so as we saw with Romney’s off-the-cuff disaster about not being concerned about poor people last week, he’s not exactly another Great Communicator.   But if he wins, maybe he could do America and the presidency a service by shutting up.  From The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents: There are two main reasons for the development of the presidency as we know it today. The first is that the »
February 6, 2012 — Scott Johnson

Wonder dog

Featured imageThe current issue of the New York Times Magazine publishes Melissa Fay Greene’s article “Wonder dog.” Greene is a gifted writer. This is an incredibly moving article with heroes including an adoptive mom, two service dog trainers, and a Golden Retriever named Chancer. The family to which Chancer is dispatched measures time in two phases: Before Chancer and After Chancer. Check out the story and you’ll see why. After reading »
February 6, 2012 — Steven Hayward

Fathers and Schools: Presidential Parallels

Featured imageMichael Medved has an interesting article in today’s Wall Street Journal reflecting on the strange continuity that this election marks the seventh in a row featuring either a privileged son or a man with no relationship with his biological father, and wonders why: In one sense, these extreme backgrounds now dominate the presidential process because that process itself has become so extreme. A rising politico can no longer wait for »
February 5, 2012 — Steven Hayward

Pre-Game Notes

Featured imageNo, not that game.  (Though my chicken wings are marinating.)  The election game.  I watched the “Meet the Press” roundtable this morning, and I was struck with the firestorm David Brooks set off by criticizing the Obama Administration’s moves against the Catholic Church that we have discussed here on Power Line, which Brooks says is being under-covered by the mainstream media.  Brooks, a secular Jew, thinks it is a “huge »
February 6, 2012 — Steven Hayward

Rock of Ages, and Age of Rockers

Featured imageOr maybe this post should be titled, “From Rock to Rockers.”  Rock and roll may never die, but rockers clearly can’t escape the mortal coil.  The local NBC affiliate website is running one of those cruel before-and-after collections of famous rockers.  Makes you realize the baby boom will end not with a bang but a whimper. I recall Jay Leno joking about one of the forlorn Woodsrock reunions that “they »
February 6, 2012 — Scott Johnson

From Wilson to Obama

Featured imageSteve Hayward has been been touting his new book on the presidents from Wilson to Obama in a good-humored sort of way, but the book makes a substantial contribution to the subject. The book is officially published and available in bookstores next week, though it is shipping now from Amazon. The book comes with recommendations from Jonah Goldberg, Ed Meese and Michael Barone. Here is what I said about it »
February 6, 2012 — Scott Johnson

Obamacare against the Church, cont’d

Featured imageIn a USA Today column this morning HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius defends the Obamacare regulation requiring almost all Catholic institutions to provide health insurance including contraception, sterilization and abortifacients morning. She isn’t that forthcoming describing the regulation, but that’s what the column is about. What does she have to say? Not much. Her lips are moving, but she’s not saying anything — sort of like the boss. Sebelius doesn’t defend »
February 5, 2012 — John Hinderaker

Crisis and Commitment

Featured imageI had a hectic week last week–ten flights in seven days. But one of my travels was for pleasure, not business, as I spent the weekend in Palm Springs participating in the Koch brothers’ semi-annual seminar. It was my first visit to Palm Springs; compared to Minnesota in January, it was paradise–perfect temperatures and soft, dry desert air. If you’ve never been there, you should consider going: The seminar was »
February 5, 2012 — John Hinderaker

Liberal Bullies to Besiege CPAC

Featured imageI’m not going to make it to CPAC this year; too busy in the office. This headline, though, really makes me wish I could attend: “Big labor plans ‘Occupy CPAC.’” That’s right–union goons are going to try to interfere with the conservative gathering. The D.C. AFL-CIO sent a call out to its members: What do Wisconsin Governor SCOTT WALKER, presidential candidates MITT ROMNEY, NEWT GINGRICH, RICK SANTORUM and House Budget »