Civil Liberties
Continuing the earlier discussion about the Detroit bailouts, there is a broader debate taking shape: Obama Chief of Staff Hopes to Exploit the Economic Crisis to Expand the Growth of Government: In earlier posts I have emphasized the risk that the combination of economic crisis and unified Democratic control of Congress and the White House…
Call it “star wars” for the “thought police.” In response to a plea from Peter Kirsanow for folks to begin advocating against the “Fairness Doctrine” before it becomes an immediate threat, a Corner reader suggested that we come up with a name that doesn’t validate the Orwellian evocation of “fairness.” I suggest “idea rationing.” The…
This is shocking: DeHayes would not provide the exact contents of the messages, which he said were found on a computer in the Memorial Union, the student life building, and at Swan Hall. In an interview yesterday, he would say only that they were a “characterization” of Obama. DeHayes said a student brought the messages…
Alright, so let’s allow that David Richardson pushed the envelope to an imprudent degree — that it was wrong of him to harass customers to his store for the reason that they were speaking Spanish. Mark my words: Such precedent will expand until it crowds out our freedom: Providence storeowner David C. Richardson has signed…
Tiverton’s public hearing on charter-related questions potentially to be placed on the next ballot didn’t let out until after 11:00, Monday night, although many in the audience (including the Providence Journal’s Gina Macris) left after the headline-grabbing debate over the future of the financial town meeting had ended. I stayed so late — despite dying…
Local law student and IT worker Brian Mekdsy offers a summary of the recent Second Amendment ruling by the Supreme Court on his new (to me) blog, Libertarian Observer.
RI Future diarist “forsanri” has posted a long item purportedly taking Congressman James Langevin to task for supporting the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reform that passed the House and is pending in the Senate. After an incoherent shot at Anchor Rising involving aluminum siding salesmen and carpenters (I didn’t get it), four points are made…
…so says the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision. Ed Whelan of National Review’s Bench Memos summarizes the ruling here.
Andrew was recorded last night on the Matt Allen Show without anybody’s having secured a warrant, as far as I know (segment streamable by clicking here, or download). The topic was the FISA compromise that he’s been addressing ’round here.
Congress and the President seem poised to agree on a revision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the law that sets the terms that American intelligence agencies must follow when gathering electronic intelligence. A major issue that had stalled reform was deciding how to treat foreign nationals outside of the boundaries of the United States…