Free Republic

Even before my retirement from information technology, I spent a decade working on rail-based solutions to transportation problems, and I deal with politicians from both parties in Washington State. My associate on our latest project, who identifies himself as a “Hubert Humphrey” Democrat, is a retired academic and author who ran for local office on a shoestring and managed to get a third of the vote against the machine. In the presidential race he’s backing New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson because “at least he’s done something.” So I suddenly found myself invited to a Richardson campaign event at a hotel...

The United States Constitution does not recognize War and War Lite, only that a state of war exists. Traditionally the US has used two different instruments for declaring war. When dealing with a sovereign nation the policy was to use a declaration of war, and it was removed from the books in the treaty that ended the war. When dealing with a non-sovereign, like the Barbary pirates or al-Quaeda, the policy was to use a congressional resolution authorizing the use of force. That these resolutions were not removed from the books after the non-sovereign was defeated is simply a matter...

The year 2005 will mark the 72nd anniversary of the New Deal, the seminal event of the modern Democratic Party. Democratic policies and rhetoric all hail from that era of Big Government protecting the American people from Big Business. As long as the party held to its roots in economic equality, it prospered. When it marched boldly into the quicksand of social change, it alienated the Great Middle of American politics and lost its way. Now the signs are all in place for another great Democratic debacle, but with one major difference. This time, the Democrats are headed for the...