Pete Spiliakos

A federal appeals court has struck down several of President Obama’s recess appointments that the president made while the Senate was having “pro forma” sessions.  It looks bad for Obama.  Well, I have an idea to help out his appeal before the Supreme Court.  . . . . Continue Reading »

So why are Republicans having trouble winning over the median voter? There are probably lots of interrelated reasons but here is former George W. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer giving his ideas: Republicans talk policy and Democrats talk people. Republicans can learn a little bit from Democrats on . . . . Continue Reading »

If Republicans were truly serious about extending the natural rights thinking of the Founders and explaining it to the public, wouldn’t they start with late-term abortion on demand?  That is far less abstract than (for instance) the relationship of the Obamacare mandate to the . . . . Continue Reading »

Well, I’m home with a sick kid who is trying to take a nap, so while I’ve got a moment, 1. Peter Lawler says: I don’t agree with Yuval that “the pursuit of happiness” is replaced by “collective effort.” That does sound kind of socialist or fascist, but the . . . . Continue Reading »

I agree with Paul Seaton in this thread. The move from “liberal” to “progressive” was mostly a branding response to changing public understanding of the term “liberal.” I can’t find it right now, but in David Frum’s book on the 1970s he wrote about . . . . Continue Reading »

Catastrophic Care: How American Health Care Killed My Father — And How We Can Fix It by David Goldhill has a good chance to be the Losing Ground of the health care debate. Since he identifies as a Democrat, I don’t think Goldhill would like the comparison, but Murray’s book was a . . . . Continue Reading »

Peter Lawler rightly said: “But it’s impossible not to admire the ambitious move from “We hold these truths” to “We, the people.” Or from “We, the people” to his policy agenda. It is interesting how he makes a point to ground himself in . . . . Continue Reading »

Occasioned by Peter Lawler’s trenchant thoughts, 1. Obama took office during a combination deep recession and banking crisis. You would expect corporate profits to recover absent a 1930s-style deflationary cycle + collapse of the banking system. Ben Bernanke might have gotten some things . . . . Continue Reading »

Josh Marshall writes: But a huge amount of the current gun debate, the argument for the gun-owning tribe, amounts to the gun culture invading my area, my culture, my part of the country. That is where I think that Marshall goes wrong in his whole essay. No part of the country belongs to his . . . . Continue Reading »

Roberta Costa and Andrew Stiles have written an interesting and mostly heartening article about the House Republican retreat.  The House Republicans seem to be asking a lot of the right questions. One section pulled me up a little short: Minority outreach is a priority. Greg Walden, who is . . . . Continue Reading »