Apology to Mia Love

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Thursday August 30, 2012 · 2:21 PM PDT

2012/08/30 · 14:21

The British philosopher Antony Flew conceptualized the “No True Scotsman” argument in 1975. The presentation of this logical fallacy often takes an appearance similar to this exchange:

Paul: All Scotsmen wear kilts.
Lauren: My uncle, Duncan Machaggis, is a Scotsman and he doesn’t wear a kilt.
Paul: Well, all true Scotsmen wear kilts.

The latter party attempts to refute evidence against a universal claim in a manner that has no foundation in reason: by making the claim a prerequisite, or necessary qualifier, to the subject at hand.

So, from the Left, I’ll offer an apology to Ludmya “Mia” Love.

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Friday August 10, 2012 · 2:26 PM PDT

2012/08/10 · 14:26

The recent mass shootings at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado and a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee have reignited the discussion on the optimal methods to provide domestic security, and more specifically, the role of guns in promoting and perpetuating such heinous crimes. Despite the attention paid to these atrocities by the media, gun control – a polarizing subject – is likely to be a non-issue in this election campaign. That being said, an investigation into both parties’ stances on domestic security and gun control is no doubt warranted, as is a historical analysis of the language and intention of Founding Fathers in crafting in Second Amendment.

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Wednesday August 08, 2012 · 5:42 PM PDT

2012/08/08 · 17:42

Being a Federal Reserve Chairman must be a lot like refereeing in the NFL. The experts –with the most knowledge and superior vantage points – are perpetually harassed and critiqued by amateurs on the sidelines, most of whom are just searching for a scapegoat to blame for their teams’ failures. To extend the analogy, in an election year with high stakes this is nothing short of a Super Bowl setting for the Fed. Though the Federal Reserve is an independent, autonomous organization, it is still subject to scrutiny, most notably from Ron Paul, chairman of the Subcommittee for Domestic Monetary Policy.

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Monday July 30, 2012 · 4:39 PM PDT

2012/07/30 · 16:39

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996, has long been the bane of LGBT activists. This law defines marriage as between one man and a woman. Section 3 of DOMA bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions, even if said unions have been legalized by individual states. As well, this law determines that the word ‘spouse’ in all legislation shall be defined narrowly as a partner of the opposite sex. 1,138 federal programs have marital status as a criterion in determining eligibility for benefits, according to the Government Accountability Office. Thus, same-sex couples are unable to jointly file taxes or declare bankruptcy, and are ineligible for certain social security benefits and access to health care.

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Tuesday July 03, 2012 · 8:07 PM PDT

2012/07/03 · 20:07

“One more such victory will utterly undo me” – King Pyrrhus of Epicurus (279 BC)

There is no more succinct summary of Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act than the above quote.

On Thursday, the SCOTUS upheld the ACA by a slim 5-4 margin, with Chief Justice Roberts serving as the surprise swing vote. The cost of this victory may well be the presidency, legislation from the New Deal and Great Society eras, and future progressive attempts for government solutions.

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Monday June 25, 2012 · 1:47 PM PDT

2012/06/25 · 13:47

Senator John Thune’s recent op-ed on CNN was an exemplary study in intellectual dishonesty. No stranger to the realm of the unreal, Thune has previously claimed Social Security “is headed for bankruptcy.” Social Security is fully solvent for over 25 years, rendering Thune’s claim analogous to the assertion that a precocious pre-schooler is headed for his or her doctorate. He’s also stated that the ACA would cause 800,000 job losses, rated ‘mostly false’ by Politifact.

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Wednesday June 13, 2012 · 1:42 PM PDT

2012/06/13 · 13:42

I’m as much of a fan of hyperbole as the next man, but some of the articles and comments on Ben Bernanke lately are a bit outlandish. In Eschaton blog, Bernanke is condemned as ‘evil’ for his apparent lack of economic stewardship as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. All of the comments are brimming with vitriol, though some are also mildly humorous. For instance, the commenter that suggested the Chairman change his last name to ‘Dover’ made me giggle. On the heels of his testimony before the Joint Economic Committee, progressives feel betrayed by the inaction of Bernanke, who did not signal for more monetary stimulus to aid the stalling recovery.

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Tuesday June 12, 2012 · 1:26 PM PDT

2012/06/12 · 13:26

Last post, I discussed how an enthusiasm gap was instrumental to Tom Barrett’s defeat at the hands of Scott Walker. The recall election has caused many predictions about the landscape in November – notably Reince Priebus’ assertion that Wisconsin is now in play – yet the shared characteristic between Barrett and Romney receives little discussion.

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Tuesday June 12, 2012 · 7:05 AM PDT

2012/06/12 · 07:05

There is a reflex reaction amongst left-leaning pundits to overstate the role money played in the Wisconsin recall. Admittedly, Scott Walker outspent Tom Barrett by a ratio of over 2.5 to 1, and about 80% of state legislative candidates with the monetary advantage won their election bids from 2002-2008. Rather than making a snap judgment on the causes of Barrett’s loss, it may be instructive to delve into the opinions of Wisconsin’s electorate to discern reasons for the Democratic defeat.

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Monday June 11, 2012 · 9:34 PM PDT

2012/06/11 · 21:34

A recent piece in Washington Monthly’s “Ten Miles Square” blog by Jonathan Bernstein decried the use of “Establishment” to describe elements or factions of the Republican Party. However, careful scrutiny of the GOP identifies these perceived nameless faces, revealing their effects and continued influence on the party.

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Monday June 11, 2012 · 6:29 PM PDT

2012/06/11 · 18:29

Pundits believe that Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, is the physical embodiment of the GOP’s win-at-all-costs mentality. This handsome, successful businessman and former Governor of Massachusetts appeared the safe choice and inevitable victor from the commencement of the nomination process. However, the weathervane has fealty to certain core conservative doctrines that are prioritized over victory in November. It is these principles that will deprive the Republican Party of the candidate that provides the best chance of delivering the Barackout blow.

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Apology to Mia Love

The Right to Bear AR-15s or Whatever You Please

QE3 or not QE3? Monetary Stimulus and the Economy's Referee

The Veil of Ignorance: Windsor v. DOMA

ACA Aftermath and the Bitter Tears of Victory

John Thune, Immune from Fact

Ben Bernanke: Evil, Space Cadet, or Shrewd?

Mitt Romney's 'Tom Barrett' Problem

Why Walker Won

Elements of the Elusive Establishment

The GOP and the Gelding of Paul