About the President’s Madison Quotation

By John J. Pitney & Jr. May 23, 2013

In today’s speech on counterterrorism at the National Defense University, President Obama said: “We must define the nature and scope of this struggle, or else it will define us, mindful of ...

The IRS’s Duplicitous Criterion

By John J. Pitney & Jr. May 13, 2013

At one point, the IRS criterion for flagging political groups included “political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding Government.” Although this standard might seem evenhanded, it isn’t. One thing that unites conservatives is ...

‘No Single Person Can . . .’

By John J. Pitney & Jr. January 21, 2013

 In his inaugural today, the president indulged his penchant for straw men. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers ...

On ‘States’ Rights’

By John J. Pitney & Jr. November 28, 2012

Mona Charen is correct that mainstream Democrats have used the term “states’ rights.” In fact, one of them is President Obama: From a statement of administration policy opposing an appropriations bill: ...

Unrealistic Expectations

By John J. Pitney & Jr. November 8, 2012

Republicans need to give serious thought to what went wrong in their campaign. But some commentators are going too far in suggesting that Romney blew a race that he should ...

Taxing

By John J. Pitney & Jr. November 7, 2012

Californians have apparently approved Proposition 30, a measure to raise sales and income taxes. Though opponents of the measure raised a great deal of money,  the supporters had boots on ...

Mitt Romney Tests a Theory

By John J. Pitney & Jr. October 23, 2012

Snap polls indicate that Obama won the night. But Romney seemed to be treating the debate less as a contest than as a last-round job interview. From this perspective, his ...

Last Night . . .

By John J. Pitney & Jr. October 12, 2012

Biden was too manic and Ryan was too stiff. During the debate, I kept thinking that I’d seen this show before. Then it hit me: Cesar Romero as the Joker ...

Rerun

By John J. Pitney & Jr. October 12, 2012

Biden was too manic and Ryan was too stiff. During the debate, I kept thinking that I’d seen this show before. Then it hit me: Cesar Romero as the Joker ...

So What Happened to President Obama?

By John J. Pitney & Jr. October 4, 2012

First, never before in his life had he ever faced a first-rate Republican debating opponent. His races for the Illinois state senate and the U.S. House were one-party affairs. In his 2004 Senate ...