Health Care Debate Proves Boehner Was the Right Choice for Leader

Lost among the frenzy of last Saturday’s health care debate were two discordant notes within the Republican caucus.  Both were the brainchild of Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ), who challenged Minority Leader John Boehner for his position during last winter’s the 2006 leadership elections.  I was a Shadegg guy then.  Now I’m glad the caucus voted [...]

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‘Tear Down This Wall’

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Marque’s Letters brings you President Ronald Reagan’s speech on June 12, 1987.  While it did not bring down the Wall, it reiterated the West’s commitment to the freedom of the people of Eastern Europe, a principle that Reagan made the centerpiece of [...]

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The Health Insurance Mandate: In Case There Was Any Doubt…

The House Ways and Means Committee confirmed today that the mandate provisions in Pelosicare will follow the form we’ve all expected: obey or go to jail.  While it’s an unconstitutional, brutal, and outrageous provision, it does crystallize the legal issues in a way the Senate bill does not.  These people have abandoned any pretense of [...]

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On the Marque, 11/4/09

A few worthy thoughts gathered from the internets:

Dan Gerstein of Forbes Magazine explores the makeup of the White House staff and the impact it may be having on the President’s performance.  Comprised primarily of what Gerstein quotes an insider to be “political hacks,” the staff’s tendency to fight, win, and be snarky when compromise, concession, [...]

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Election Day

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The Health Insurance Mandate: Why Constitutionality Matters

As you know, this blog has explored several ways whereby the proposed mandate that everyone obtain health insurance is unconstitutional.  Ignoring entirely the advice of this blog, the Senate Finance Committee reported out a bill that included a mandate, albeit a watered-down one.  In fact, it appears that any bill that will be voted on [...]

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Five Easy Pieces: Simple Solutions to Obama’s Quagmire

Perhaps the most amazing thing to me about President Obama’s popularity tailspin is how easy it would be for him to get out of it.  People still like the guy (although that may be changing, as well) — they just don’t like his policies, and they don’t think he’s listening to them.  Any one of [...]

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On the Marque, 10/20/09

Today’s theme is quality time:

A high school teacher in Alexandria writes a moving, yet troubling, article in Sunday’s Washington Post, exploring why his students are about to graduate without an education (hint: it’s missing fathers and busy mothers).  The immutable, bracing tragedy of it all comes flying at you from the first sentence.  How is [...]

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The Case of the Missing Anniversaries

Western cultures have long subscribed to the tradition that anniversaries ending in 0 or 5 deserve special mention, if not celebration.  That premise goes double for the media, which has found the anniversary to be a great way to spice up a slow news day. This habit of ours seems stranger the longer you think [...]

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On the Marque, 10/13/09

The word of the day is “decline”:

If you read nothing else for the rest of the year about the Obama presidency and the direction it is taking the country, read Krauthammer in this week’s Weekly Standard.  No, really – go read it.  I’ll wait.
Riffing on Krauthammer’s theme, Mark Steyn dishes up lugubrious drollery as only [...]

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