Montesquieu has interesting things to say about a republic whose leadership and political processes have become corrupted. When…virtue ceases, ambition enters those hearts that can admit it, and avarice enters them all. Desires change their objects: that which one used to love, one loves no longer. One was free under the laws, one wants to […]

[Read more →]

Bob Marcotte sends me a link to an interesting commentary on polls as the “genital warts of election year.” Personally, I think it’s no accident that “poll” rhymes with “troll.”

[Read more →]

Is it official, then? Nine-one-one justifies the abolition of the First Amendment?

[Read more →]

It’s difficult to adhere to my favorite kind of writing — marrying discussions of cases to discussions of current events or issues — because there’s just so much going on in the world and so little time to look at it all, let alone write about it. Maybe I need to spend a day updating […]

[Read more →]

First, Dick Cheney is telling the people, that, as the New York Times reported, “the mere act of voting for your opponent opens the door to a terrorist attack.” Then, there’s this: “Feel the Hate” found via lessig blog, which I read somewhat irregularly since I decided to focus on criminal defense, rather than technology […]

[Read more →]

Not much I can add to this. I think Chepooka pretty well nailed it. I, myself, have to admit that even with the level to which political discourse in this country has plummetted, Keyes comments literally stunned me.

[Read more →]

Mark King disagrees with a comment I posted in response to him on the issue of what, for lack of a more succinct way of putting it, I’ll call the “sincerity” of rank-and-file Republicans. Specifically, Mark says, I must disagree with your thesis that all of those who follow the Repugnicant talking-points are blissfully ignorant […]

[Read more →]

In several recent comments to the blog, there is a renewed demonstration of what, frankly, can only be termed the Failure of Intelligent Political Discourse. There’s no other way to look at it. The current article points out why there’s not much hope for a country filled with Nicks, Nats and the other voters who […]

[Read more →]

Proving again that the Republicans recognize they cannot win re-election for their President by truthful reportage and discussion of issues important to the American people, the question of whether the “Hanoi War Crimes Museum” — which changed its name some years back to “War Remnants Museum” — “honored” John Kerry by hanging his picture there […]

[Read more →]

No, I’m not talking about Kobe Bryant today. The immediate case here is the conviction of two Arab immigrants, which was thrown out Thursday. The government had once claimed this their first major courtroom victory in the war on terror. But Judge Rosen said prosecutors developed early on a theory about what happened “and then […]

[Read more →]