On the law, Miguel Estrada, the brilliant attorney whose nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals was blocked by those who abhor a truly wise Latino conservative, actually has read the Honduran constitution. He finds that it specifies that it cannot be amended to change the limit on a single four-year term for the president. And it further provides that trying to amend the...]]> Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Zogby's results were even more definitive:

Amidst all the rhetoric surrounding President Barack Obama's first signature piece of legislation, a massive $800 billion economic "stimulus" bill, one thing is clear: a majority of Americans reject the President's handiwork. A just-released ATI-News/Zogby International poll shows that clear majorities of Republicans and Independents are against it. ... Overall, 53 percent of Americans agree that the Obama stimulus bill will actually hinder economic recovery; while only 31 percent disagree (16 percent are not sure). Fifty-six percent of...]]> Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600 After six exciting rounds of balloting, Michael Steele was elected chairman of the RNC. While some rock-ribbed conservatives may have had other dogs in the fight, the general consensus among both conservative and moderate Republicans alike is that the Republicans chose wisely and Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 House Democrats have come up with an $825 billion stimulus bill. Republican Minority Leader John Boehner’s initial reaction – “Oh, my God!” — expressed the abject disgust that many will feel once they learn what is in it. Boehner’s office put out a handy guide to some of the “lowlights”:

1. The House Democrats’ bill will cost each and every household $6,700 additional debt, paid for by our children and grandchildren.

2. The total cost of this one piece of legislation is almost as much as the annual discretionary budget for the entire federal...]]> Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 We have also learned that the media's love affair with the President-elect is largely unrequited. He dumped the transition team report regarding his staff's contacts with Blago the afternoon before a holiday, gave pabulum or non-answers at press conferences, and ditched the press pool to take his kids to an amusement park. The imbalance in his press relationship -- devotion on one side and Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 There is not just an intellectual dilemma for conservatives -- which keeps pundits bickering about the meaning and direction of "conservatism" -- but a realization that the organizational and technological advantage which conservatives enjoyed for nearly a generation has been matched or exceeded by the other side. One can quibble that the liberal opposition is not an intellectually robust or coherent one, but it is a darn successful political force which has swept to coast-to-coast wins in two successive election cycles.

As for conservatives, the existing institutions don't quite seem sufficient to the task of growing the party, developing new talent, and incubating new...]]> Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Next up is the auto bailout. Obama has gone from lauding the auto industry as the backbone of the American economy to cautioning that a viable plan to revive the industry and protect the taxpayers is essential. Moreover, he isn't personally on the phone twisting arms and cajoling his former Democratic allies in the Senate. It might have something to do with bailout fatigue and the latest poll showing the public is fed up with the car makers. (When the Big Three can't get the public in Michigan on their side, you know they're in trouble.)...]]> Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 The McCain team is in need of a lift. McCain is clearly behind and could use a conversation changer and a shift of momentum which a surprising performance by Palin might provide. What could she do to turn around her own fortunes and that of her ticket? Several things would help.

First, she needs to take it to her opponent on what is supposed to be Joe Biden's greatest strength: foreign policy. She's no Henry Kissinger but she can remind viewers that Biden championed the unworkable Iraq partition idea and opposed the surge. But it is in Biden's criticism of Barack Obama that she might really score points. Biden after all inveighed against Obama's vote to Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 All of this follows the litany of personal attacks on Sarah Palin -- for everything from running for office while having kids to allegedly supporting Pat Buchanan (she didn't) to advocating creationism in the schools (she hasn't).

Why the two-week spree of fury?

Howard Kurtz declares that the media is "mad" -- mad at McCain for "manipulating them." Others bemoan that McCain has hijacked the storyline and "forced" them to talk about Obama's gaffes. Meanwhile, juicy stories that would be headlines if a Republican were involved --...]]> Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 First, the Republican base is now energized and enthusiastic like never before in this race. If the Obama team was betting on a "turnout race" and a depressed conservative turnout, they may need to reconsider. She offers the potential to galvanize conservatives to a greater extent than anyone thought possible.

Second, Palin offers some geographic appeal and help in key swing states. If her appearance in Michigan on Friday is any clue, she may be a powerful weapon with blue collar voters there and in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the latter being places where Obama ran so poorly in the Democratic...]]> Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500