Thoughts on random issues in the public square: How quickly Bush began a turnaround with the Miers withdrawal, Alito nomination, Bernanke Federal Reserve appointment, and Iraqi voter approval of their constitution. Now if he can get really tough on domestic spending and much bolder on immigration policy, he will have turned the corner. The best […]
Archives for 2005
American Higher Education: Issues and Questions
“We have a responsibility to make sure our higher education system continues to meet our nation’s needs for an educated and competitive workforce for the 21st century.”—Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education. In this excerpt from the announcement of the Secretary’s appointment of a commission to study and make recommendations on the future of American higher […]
Taxing Thoughts
Allow me to repeat a quote I used in a previous issue (Are We on Europe’s Path?, August 2005) from Heritage Foundation economist William Beach: “A citizenry that reaches a certain tipping point in dependency on government runs the risk of evolving into a society that demands an ever-expanding government that caters to group self-interests […]
Hurricane Watch
There is now a second event to be added to the one on 9-11-01 that will dominate George W. Bush’s place in history, dictating as it will the future of “small government conservatism”, the concept of federalism as we have known it, and as a result, the future shape of the Republican Party. No less […]
Bush’s Historic Opportunity
As I write, John Roberts is about to begin his tenure as the 17th Chief Justice of the U. S. Will he preside over what can be described as the “Roberts Court”? This remains to be seen, but the critical next step is for President Bush to solidify Roberts’ leadership with a bold appointment of […]
The TAB Case—Why We Should Care
For the past couple of years, we political junkies have watched, some with varying degrees of amusement, many with disdain, as Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle pursued partisan retribution against those who would have the temerity to exercise their First Amendment right to free political speech by exposing the voting records of duplicitous legislators […]
Whither Europe? II: “The Cube” Revisited in Germany
In an earlier issue lamenting Europe’s severe crisis of confidence, I noted the premise outlined by George Weigel’s great book, The Cube and the Cathedral, which is that, ultimately, the underlying constitutional debate in Europe must answer the following question: Is it possible to construct and sustain a democratic political community absent the transcendental moral […]
Summer Books
The War for Righteousness, by Richard M. Gamble. This is a fascinating account of how the progressive Protestant clergy in America transformed themselves from principled pacifists to crusading interventionists in the period leading to World War I. Gamble explores the inner workings of the institutions of the “social gospel” and liberal theology, explaining how they […]
Reviving and Advancing the Texas Education Miracle
When we examine the education priorities of Texas’ political leadership as evidenced by the policy initiatives of the 79th Session of the Texas Legislature, we find a policy mix dominated by three priorities: property tax relief, fixing the broken “Robin Hood” system of school finance, and providing more money for public education. The first two […]
New Orleans after Katrina—the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
After one week of the horror of this massive human disaster, all the returns are not yet in, but here are my immediate thoughts: The Good—As usual, the innate and almost unlimited capacity of the American people for generosity and compassion in time of human need, as well as the resolve and courage of the […]
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