The late, unlamented George W. Bush administration was a disaster for American constitutionalists. The second Bush insisted that he as president possessed inherent power to wire-tap American citizens despite constitutionally enacted laws, shielded his underlings against valid congressional subpoenas even so far as to permit them to refuse to plead “executive privilege” in person, rendered Federal Government supervision of even the … [Read More]

Some just-published research suggests that the incontestable hotness of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hurts her chances of becoming president, which is a sore disappointment to her admirers at Conservatives4Palin, and also to me. Never mind any discussion of Palin’s political leanings or qualifications. It just seems to me that if America is going to elect a woman president, she might as … [Read More]

Last week, while CPAC was winding down its annual conference, one of its stellar speakers, Jonathan Krohn, was honored with an interview on FOX news. This much-touted interviewee, who is now being compared to Joe the Plumber, is only 14 years old, and he bears a striking resemblance to my 13 year-old grandson Joshua. For about a moment, my wife thought … [Read More]

In his campaign and inaugural address, Barack Obama cast himself as a moderate man seeking common ground with conservatives. Yet, his budget calls for the radical restructuring of the U.S. economy, a sweeping redistribution of power and wealth to government and Democratic constituencies. It is a declaration of war on the Right. The real Obama has stood up, and lived up … [Read More]

Conservatism is people! That conservatives have already soured on Obama and his big spending agenda is understandable, but in flocking to cheer a very charismatic, yet non-specific and vague political figure in Rush Limbaugh, CPAC 2009 wasn’t different from any Obama rally in 2008. Limbaugh used to complain that liberals value “style over substance.” Today, apparently so do conservatives, as even … [Read More]

Eric Holder’s “nation of cowards” comment wasn’t simply a roundabout way of making the tired old accusation of “institutional racism.” It signaled the acceleration of a trend toward the state policing not only of behavior but attitudes, ideas, and the interpretations of facts. Your thoughts might be impure. Attorney General Holder is here to help.  On February 18th 2009, Eric Holder, … [Read More]

I am not really “with it.” My taste in clothes—formal or otherwise—runs the gamut from 1920 to 1960, as does my taste in cocktails, bars, and restaurants. Reasonably au courant in literature, my taste in music is hopeless: big bands, Strauss waltzes, the “American songbook,” and folk music, particularly Celtic and early American. Worse still, I’ve been this way as long … [Read More]

Vassilis Paleokostas is the Arsène Lupin of the Olive Republic, aka Hellas or Greece. He is by profession a bank robber, known for his impeccable manners but unfortunate jowly, plebeian looks. He is 42 years of age, a ladies’ man, and Greece’s most wanted man. Three years ago, Vassilis managed a daring escape from the high-security Korydallos prison of Piraeus via … [Read More]