Banana Republic—Forget John Kerry; it’s House Republicans who are perfecting the art of the flip-flop—especially when it comes to holding open crucial floor votes for indefinite periods so they can twist arms and get their wavering soldiers to switch votes. The Medicare reform vote in 2003 lasted three hours in the dead of night, instead […]

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The commission that investigated the events of 9/11 has been highly praised and sharply criticized, but one aspect of its task has virtually escaped notice: its responsibility to leave behind a complete, lasting, and easily accessible public record of its investigation. For all the good work that the panel did, some of its decisions have […]

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With his nomination of Harriet Miers to be a Justice of the Supreme Court, George W. Bush has demonstrated once again that he is running a patronage operation in the White House. For high-level jobs with our government, only close friends or fellow ideologues need apply. The result of this mindless favoritism has been a […]

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Meet Madam Justice—Does Bush know something his conservative base doesn’t about Harriet Miers? He must, considering the outcry that has accompanied his pick to replace outgoing Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Following the announcement, Bush’s choice was met with a firestorm of disapproval, this time from his supporters. They wanted another Scalia or Thomas. […]

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Our friend Joe W. (“Chip”) Pitts is tireless when it comes to standing up for the constitutional rights of Americans. He has written for us in the past, on the dangers of the USA Patriot Act and domestic-surveillance schemes dreamed up by the Pentagon. When he’s not writing, Chip is busy as a lecturer at […]

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