Political Science

In communist countries, the leaders like to pretend the revolution is still going on, that they're still standing up for the little guy. Twenty or thirty years after the revolution is over, the powers-that-be like to pretend they are still revolutionary leaders rather than, well, the powers-that-be. In that spirit, meet Senator John McCain, who still likes to pretend he's a … [Read more...] about Outsider Leader John McCain

A friend of mine was concerned a few days ago that the anti-gay-marriage amendment might actually pass, which would cause her some personal heartache. I told her I thought it was just a stunt, and not worth worrying about. Other people seem to think so too. For example, the D.C. Examiner supports a ban on same-sex marriage, but thinks trying to pass an amendment is a waste … [Read more...] about On the Unlikelihood of a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

People are sometimes puzzled when they ask me about my politics and I tell them I am something of a libertarian. That's not a familiar word to them. So for their benefit, from a comment in the Hit & Run blog, here's one of the best descriptions ever: When Duke was running for president in the Doonesbury strip as a Libertarian he explained: Democrats are for pot and … [Read more...] about Libertarianism Defined

Last year, the California government had a really great idea. (No, that's not the start of a joke.) Many California taxpayers have income only from regular employment and don't have any unusual deductions. This means that their state income taxes can be calculated entirely from the payroll data already in the state's tax database. As part of a pilot program, California sent … [Read more...] about Why Your Taxes are Hard to Prepare

Or President. Singer-actress Jessica Simpson, the star of "Dukes of Hazzard," spurned an offer to attend the National Republican Congressional Committee gala fund-raiser tonight because she didn't want to politicize her favorite charity. According to Reuters, those close to Simpson said she declined a request to appear that same evening at the fund-raiser for the NRCC -- even … [Read more...] about It’s Good To Be King