It appears that we have another stealth candidate for the Supreme Court, and it also appears to me that the president may have been too clever by half. Let me begin by noting that the nominee may be pro-life, may be a constitutional originalist, and may be a solid conservative vote on the court — …
Here’s A Plan
John Roberts has been pressed by liberal Democrats to say that he will not allow his personal moral convictions to affect his performance of his public duties. And this is an assurance he has given to them. But what does it all mean? I see it as a golden opportunity. After Judge Roberts is confirmed …
Race and Response Time
Just finished watching President Bush on the news defending his administration against charges that the slow federal reaction to Katrina was motivated by racism, that all-purpose smear for anyone who for any reason offends the current guardians of Thought Purity. What a thesis! Think of it! President Bush calls in Karl Rove, well-known genius of …
Gulf Coast Enterprise Zone
As unseemly as it is for officials to be assigning blame (invariably to other officials) before the rescues are even complete, it is happening anyway. We will have plenty of time to sort it all out, but the charges are flying early. The observer should keep in mind that in this debacle there are probably …
Thoughts on New Orleans
The events of the last week on the Gulf Coast have been a gradually unfolding, slow motion disaster. Every day appears to be worse, along with each new day causing the realization to sink in deeper — this is the kind of natural disaster that has not occurred in our nation within living memory. But …
Behind Closed Doors
I have heard a few commentators say that at least the Terri Schaivo debacle has taught many Americans the importance of having a living will. It ought to have taught no such thing. This is not to say that having a living will is useless or ought to be rejected out of hand. It is …
Terri Schaivo and Postmodern Law
As Andrew Lytle noted, we like to think of ourselves as modern men, but actually we have the affliction of being momentary men. Because we are momentary men, sound-byte men, the problem with political and civic conflicts is that everything reduces to pushing and shoving in the present, and no one really cares about consistency …
The Death Lobby Overeaches
As I write this, it looks as though all legal options are exhausted in the fight for Terri Schiavo’s life. It also looks like the option of intervention by Gov. Bush is extremely unlikely. If Gov. Bush had decided to send in the National Guard, it would have been a constitutional exercise of a governor’s …
The National Guard Option
In the grimy world of politics a million consciences have been bought and sold without anyone noticing. But in the providence of God, there are occasional moments when a crisis of conscience comes for someone, and it all happens under the spotlight. At that moment the entire nation goes silent to watch what the decision …
Murder and Folly in Atlanta
The courtroom shooting in Atlanta has served to illustrate, as though we needed another illustration of it, the mind-numbing stubbornness of the current PC codes. The murders of the judge and two others occurred, along with an apparent fourth victim later, because a large, muscular defendant was escorted to court, guarded by a female sherriff’s …