Liberal playwright's conversion to libertarianism?

Great article by Daniel Henninger in today's journal. I wasn't familiar with the playwright's work, but if it ain't about history, politics, law, or the Braves I'm not paying attention. It's good to see another guy bucking the orthodox groupthink we're spoonfed.

Read the whole [Mamet-wording] thing here.

Bummer

The woman I was planning on bringing home to mama married some douchebag named Doug.

Doing their part to torpedo Obama's candidacy

Story here. I guess the Black Panthers heard there was a white devil party going on without 'em.

Jeremiah Wright

Is one smooth dresser.

I actually think the Democrats caught a break here. They were on a scorched earth path heading to the convention, but this gives them a way out. Go ahead and put a fork in Obama.

I expect the msm to cry a river over this one, but they're too nearsighted to realize Hillary was the stronger candidate of the two anyway. Obama would've been eaten alive.

More good points made here and here.

UPDATE: David Bernstein adds the following strong analysis over at the VC:

when you're left with the choice of either acknowledging that you had sincere close, personal, and political ties with a minister whose views most Americans find beyond the pale, or defending yourself by using the "hey, I'm just a cynical politician who uses religion to get votes just like anything else, and I don't believe in it any more than I really believe that NAFTA is bad" excuse, I think you may be in for some trouble.

Lindsay Graham is Misrepresenting His Record

With millions of dollars ready for his reelection bid, Lindsay Graham has started running this ad. You'll note that Senator Graham highlights his role in the judicial confirmations of Justices Roberts and Alito as a direct evidence of his conservative street cred.

It's funny, I specifically remember Senator Graham wagging his finger at members of the Greenville Federalist Society when conservatives revolted against Bush during the Harriet Miers fiasco (see here). Sure, Graham supported Alito after the Miers nomination flopped, but if we had simply shut up as the Senator wanted, we would probably have another squeamish O'Connor clone on the bench. WIth that in mind, using a "balancing test" and considering the "totality of the circumstances," I don't find the senator's ad convincing.

Helvidius Hiatus

The past few months have taught me that it's pretty hard to keep a fulltime job in the legal world while trying to be a big time blogger. I tried two cases in February and have two more coming up in April, so blogging will be light in the coming months. Besides, I'm making 2008 the year I finally read this classic, which is a welcome dose of variety from economics and culture wars.

He who would trade liberty for security deserves neither

You hear this phrase, which is attributed to Benjamin Franklin, quite a bit. Mainly it's used as a gotcha line for those that object to national security policies. It's a fair enough point, but I wonder why those who shout this at the top of their lungs don't apply it to economic liberty. Doesn't Medicare, social security, welfare, food stamps, workers' comp, etc. sacrifice individual liberty at the altar of perceived economic security? Doesn't this type of big government turn us into a nation of sheep beholden to our masters in power?

Are you frustrated with palmetto politics as usual?

Look on the bright side: at least you don't live in New Jersey.

Bill Clinton shows his hand

On the stump the other day Bill Clinton bluntly told reporters and voters that if Obama wins the Texas and Ohio primaries, then Hillary's presidential aspirations are finished (Here). This looks like a classic poker tell. Follow my logic:
1. If Obama does win, then Hillary's toast. Bill said so himself.
2. If we assume that Hillary would bow out gracefully when she faces long odds for the good of the Democratic party, then Bill is simply stating the obvious.
3. On the other hand, if we assume Hillary will continue to claw as long as she has hope for the nomination, regardless of the resulting scorched earth, then he wouldn't gamble and set his tag teammate up for failure, unless he knew something the rest of us don't.
4. Hillary's entire life has been mere prologue to capturing the presidency. Thus we must assume #3.
5. In other words, Bill is so confident in Texas and Ohio that he's willing to go all in before he's had a chance to play all his cards (i.e., the super delegates).

Shrewdly, Bill also sets up Hillary as the next comeback kid in the process. Rumors of her impending concession, such as these, play into this trap.

In other words, don't bet on Obama yet.

Reminding McCain haters about that Bush kool aid

Tom Coburn has some good words in today's Philadelphia Inquirer for some McCain bashers. Here's the bulk of his argument:

I respect my conservative friends who don't share my enthusiasm about Arizona Sen. John McCain. Yet, I'm troubled that many critics are focusing on the specks of dust in McCain's eye while ignoring the plank in their own eye. The plank in the eye of some self-appointed conservative jurists, particularly those from former Republican leadership ranks, is this:

Under their leadership, Republicans grew the government faster than the Democrats we replaced. Under their leadership, Republicans attempted to secure a governing majority through the corrupting practice of earmarking. Under their leadership, Republicans passed the largest entitlement expansion since Lyndon Johnson, passing on more than $9 trillion in new debt to the next generation so we could win the 2004 election. McCain fought against all of those trends while many so-called conservatives were marching our party off a Bridge to Nowhere. John McCain isn't perfect. But he is by far the best candidate to tackle what many conservatives believe are the two greatest challenges facing our country - radical Islamic terrorism and a Congress that refuses to correct our unsustainable fiscal course.

Strong. I actually think McCain will be good for the conservative movement in that some healthy space will develop between the movement and the Republican party. Conservatives not only need to make the party compete for their votes but also stop drinking the party kool-aid.