Don’t Let ‘Em Take Your Water

May 10, 2019

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee, made a campaign appearance in Pueblo, Colorado. He was asked about western water issues – as national candidates invariably are when visiting the Centennial State – and his answer baffled the crowd. He was from Arizona, but had never really been much involved in […]

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Going Postal on Junk Mail

May 3, 2019

I have a friend who saved all his junk mail for a year, so he could weigh it. He was convinced that he received more unsolicited mail than anybody, and wanted to prove it. The pile weighed over 40 pounds. Imagine his disappointment when he found out it was no more than average. Indeed, Americans […]

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A Rare Opportunity for America

April 26, 2019

I was among a small group that met recently with Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar, to talk about public land management. When the discussion turned to minerals, he picked up a dark brown rock from the Mojave Desert and passed it around, explaining that it was mostly composed of a “rare earth” element. Such rocks, he […]

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Make Those Nasty Drivers Pay!

April 19, 2019

Louisiana Senator Russell Long famously explained how most people feel about taxes: “Don’t tax you; don’t tax me; tax that fellow behind the tree.” It was an apt description of our natural desire to make other people pay for things we want. Metaphorically, the man behind the tree is invisible, so we can in good […]

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Have You No Sense of Decency?

April 12, 2019

In June of 1954, the career of Senator Joseph McCarthy began to implode when an Army lawyer, Joseph Welch, interrupted with his now-famous, “Have you no sense of decency, sir?” The anti-communist investigations soon ended, and senators voted to censure McCarthy. They charged that he “acted contrary to senatorial ethics and tended to bring the […]

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Cherish Them From Afar

April 5, 2019

Bayard Taylor wrote, “And far and wide, in a scarlet tide, the poppy’s bonfire spread.” He could have been describing the famous poppy fields in Lake Elsinore, California. They cover the hillsides so colorfully that they are a popular destination for picnickers and shutterbugs. They also provide a seasonal economic boom for the town, but […]

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The Answer is Blowin’ in the Wind

March 29, 2019

If we switched all our electric generation to wind energy, how much brighter would our future be? We have been warned about the effects of climate change for years, and a fairly strong majority of Americans believe there is cause for concern. The most extreme alarmists think we might need to colonize other planets, because […]

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The “Can-and-will” Doctrine

March 19, 2019

Let’s say we’re neighbors. You have a beautiful and valuable car, and you decide to sell it. But I like looking at it in your driveway, so I might offer you even more than it’s worth – not to sell it. I don’t want to take it away or drive it. I just enjoy looking […]

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Winning Elections and Keeping Promises

March 15, 2019

One of the most frustrating aspects of American politics is the failure of elected officials to do what they promised. We resent politicians who campaign on an issue – say repealing Obamacare – and seem to forget it after the election. I know firsthand the rigorous demands of a campaign. One demand faced by conservatives […]

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How Green Will My Valley Be?

March 8, 2019

The proposed “Green New Deal” has attracted enormous attention in the past few weeks, mostly negative. In fact, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s promise of an early vote on the measure is widely seen as a stunt, designed only to embarrass democrats. Some democratic senators are scrambling to create an alternative to substitute before the […]

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