How our government sees its relationship with the American people
Daniel Ellsberg’s book Secrets is a trove of material illuminating how our government in Washington conceives of its relationship with us.
Think Ron Paul is crazy? Check out his opponents.
Apparently, Ron Paul promotes “crazy” conspiracy theories. What frequently goes unasked is, in comparison to what?
Can the UN allow Obama to wage war?
Can the United Nations and President Obama send American troops to war without asking Congress?
A letter to the president regarding Libya
I demand answers from President Obama after he has authorized US military action against Libya without congressional approval.
Does Scandal Matter?
Given the results of the 2006 elections, one could wonder whether scandals actually matter for electoral outcomes. Senator Conrad Burns of Montana, who used a subcommittee chairmanship to fulfill the requests of Jack Abramoff in exchange for cash,1 did lose his seat, but only by such a slim margin several days of vote counting were necessary to ascertain the final outcome. Other politicians with ties to Abramoff, such as Representatives John Doolittle,2 Roy Blunt,3 and Pete Sessions,4 won reelection. Additionally, …
Bush’s cronyism has gone too far
President George W. Bush’s penchant for cronyism has achieved infamy by now. Apparently, he thought a friend with no judicial experience and simplistic legal reasoning, Harriet Miers, a dandy choice for the Supreme Court. The highest court in the land isn’t for brilliant thinkers, after all, but long-time pals. Also, of course, the President believed a failed horse breeder with no disaster response ability, Michael Brown, a fine selection to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency. New Orleanders know what …
Heal our republic: change our electoral system
Consider the presidential election system we have today: Every state has a number of electors, equal to their amount of representatives and senators, who vote for the President of the United States. In most states, every elector goes to the candidate who achieves the most popular votes, regardless of his margin of victory. This means: Presidential candidates have little reason to campaign to the whole country. If partisan or personal loyalty makes victory certain in a state, a candidate can …
Impeach Bush now
Even a month ago, I was content to let the electoral system punish President George W. Bush for his incompetence in prosecuting the war in Iraq. Let him deal with more Democrats than he bargained for after the 2006 midterm elections, I thought. That would sufficiently punish him for his failures; anything more would set a dangerous precedent discouraging future presidents from launching big endeavors that might not work. Oh, what a difference a few weeks have made! Now, I …
