Constitutional Matters

Adv.--Becoming America : The Revolution Before 1776
Publishers Weekly
"Butler's original analysis is important reading on 18th-century America . . ."

Kirkus Review
"A sweeping, well-researched analysis of the transformative changes wrought by immigration, war, and cultural change in colonial America."

Why we need conservative judges
Star Parker on poor people being hurt by liberals' social-engineering schemes.

Kiss Your House Goodbye
From now on no one's property is safe. If a local government thinks it can make a few tax dollars by selling your property to a private developer, it can.
by Christopher Orlet

Does the Constitution Matter?
"Our Constitution," John Quincy Adams once wrote, "professedly rests upon the good sense and attachment of the people. This basis, weak as it may appear, has not yet been found to fail." Until now that is.
By Thomas P. Kilgannon

Hatch's "Foreign-Born President" amendment
Paul M. Weyrich is of the opinion that there is no need to amend America's Constitution simply to allow people like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a chance at the presidency.

Bush's budget boondoggle
Joseph Farah denounces unconstitutional spending by Uncle Sam.

Brown vs. Board, 50 years later
The Supreme Court's decision 50 years ago, although an immense blessing to the nation, also carries a melancholy lesson.
by George Will

Half a century after Brown: Part III
Although Brown v. Board of Education dealt with race and with schools, its judicial philosophy spread rapidly to issues having nothing to do with race or schools. In the half century since Brown, judges at all levels have become unelected legislators imposing the vision of the political left across a wide spectrum.
by Thomas Sowell

Whose Justice?
Judicial activism, the practice of judges ignoring the law and deciding cases based on their personal political views, has been a problem in America since well before the Supreme Court invented a right to abortion in Roe v. Wade.
by Rep. Ron Paul

Messing with the Constitution
There is a move a foot in the Congress to essentially change the way the United States Constitution is amended.
by Neal Boortz

Abolishing Congress
What the heck use is the U.S. Congress?
by John Derbyshire

Stifling free speech
Joseph Farah says new law already killing 1st Amendment.

Blackmun's Constitution
The former Supreme Court justice's records shed new light on Roe v. Wade.
by Terry Eastland

Rush Limbaugh warns free speech threatened
Says conservative views on radio could be labeled 'indecent' if 'John Kerry types' end up running U.S.

Campaign finance law is a constitutional obscenity
Two years ago President Bush, who had called it unconstitutional, signed the McCain-Feingold bill -- furtively, at 8 a.m. in the Oval Office. The law expanded government restrictions on political speech, ostensibly to combat corruption or the ``appearance'' thereof.
by George Will

Congress Cannot Be Appointed
In the months following the September 11th terrorist attacks, questions arose about whether Congress could continue to function if many of its members were killed or injured in a future terrorist attack. These concerns resulted in the creation of a commission that advocated a first in American history, namely the appointment of individuals to the U.S. House. A constitutional amendment has been proposed that would provide the method for such appointments following a catastrophe that killed or disabled a majority of the people in Congress.
by Rep. Ron Paul

Before opening the borders, seal up the wombs!
Jane Chastain on the dirty little secret Bush doesn't want you to know.

States should oppose seatbelt mandate
Jon Dougherty says Congress acting outside its scope, authority.

Let's do some detective work
I'd like to enlist the services of my fellow Americans with a bit of detective work. Let's start off with hard evidence.
by Walter E. Williams

Destroying liberty to punish a judge
Jon Dougherty warns what happened to Justice Roy Moore imperils citizens, freedom.

First Amendment survey finds knowledge lacking
More than two-thirds of college students and administrators who participated in a national survey were unable to remember that freedom of religion and the press are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
By George Archibald

Schumerism
Democrats subvert the Constitution through judicial filibusters.
BY BRIAN C. ANDERSON

Commerce clause abuse
Several weeks ago, under the title "Is It Permissible?" I discussed how Congress systematically abuses the Constitution's "welfare clause" to control our lives in ways that would have been an abomination to the Framers.
by Walter E. Williams

Living in post-constitutional America
Constitutional conservatives love to argue that Americans need to get back to how the founding fathers envisioned the United States would work. W. James Antle III agrees but argues con-cons need to remember a few things.

Al Gore and First Amendment
Joseph Farah says ex-vice president needs lesson on Constitution.

Is it permissible?
You might say, "If our Constitution provides no authority for programs near and dear to the hearts of so many Americans, the heck with the Constitution."
by Walter E. Williams

Free speech confusion
If you are a stripper in a nightclub, or an aluminum siding salesman phoning Americans at suppertime, your activities are fully protected by the First Amendment. That is the import of last week's decision thwarting the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call list.
by Mona Charen

Calling a constitutional convention
Bruce Walker argues that the only way to stop all the abuse of the American Constitution is to hold a constitutional convention and give the country back to its people.

Federal Courts and the Imaginary Constitution
It’s been a tough summer for social conservatives, thanks to our federal courts. From “gay rights” to affirmative action to Boy Scouts to the Ten Commandments, federal courts recently have issued rulings that conflict with both the Constitution and overwhelming public sentiment.
by Rep. Ron Paul

Who’s Attacking the Constitution?
Citing the threat of terrorism, a cabal of influential saboteurs is proposing assorted amendments that would destroy our constitutional checks and balances.
by William F. Jasper

Judge Moore and the Godless 14th Amendment
Ilana Mercer urges repeal of illegally ratified revision to Constitution.

A Few Words About Liberals
Judge Moore is not the Congress, nor is he establishing religion. Welcome to the liberal version of the Constitution.
by Edward L. Daley

For Our System to Work, The Courts Must Be Obeyed
Let me tackle this Ten Commandments controversy over the Ten Commandments monument outside the courthouse in Alabama. . . .
by Rush Limbaugh

Direct democracy dithers
California's love affair with the initiative and referendum is leading it perilously close to direct democracy.
By Mona Charen

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Judge, or politician?
Joseph Farah slams Supreme abusing position on high court to undermine Constitution.

Living constitution, dying republic
W. James Antle III says that recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court don't read like neutral applications of the law as it is written and understood.

Constitutional Trojan Horse
Seemingly innocuous constitutional amendments — designed to appeal to good, patriotic Americans — contain hidden dangers that would greatly harm our republic.
by George Detweiler

A "Hole in the Constitution"?
The Continuity of Government Commission may be trying to rip a gaping hole in the Constitution rather than attempting to repair a hole that doesn’t exist.
by William F. Jasper

Justice Takes a Holiday
Five members of the Supreme Court are off vacationing in Europe. Maybe that explains what's happening to the Constitution.
by Terry Eastland

Schwarzenegger for president?
Senator proposes eliminating restriction on foreign-born citizens.

Free speech absurdity
Jon Dougherty says now even minorities aren't allowed to tell truth.

Free speech isn't free, even for the Dixie Chicks
For those who wondered how Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., could sponsor a "campaign finance reform" law that restricts political speech, the answer became clear during a hearing he chaired the other day: McCain has never read the First Amendment.
by Jacob Sullum

Ward Connerly takes on Supreme Court
Despite GOP opposition, launches initiative to end racial preferences.
By Sherrie Gossett

Gouverneur Morris, Philosopher-Poet
The constitution's rewrite man.
BY RICHARD BROOKHISER

A Practical Man, Difficult Too
Benjamin Franklin was "geeky," but there's no denying his greatness.
BY JAY WINIK

Marbury v. Madison Established Supreme Court's Role as Final Arbiter of the Constitution
I may have set the modern record on Monday for the number of e-mails I received from people telling me I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I was told I was wrong about this, wrong about that, wrong about virtually everything I opined on yesterday, particularly about Supreme Court decisions.
by Rush Limbaugh

This Supreme Court's Activism Is Frightening
Folks, can you believe that we will need a constitutional amendment defining marriage, as we have always known it, in the traditional way? It's unbelievable.
by Rush Limbaugh

What Would The Founders Do?
Ladies and gentlemen, when the Constitution was ratified, the 13 original states had anti-sodomy laws. In Virginia, sodomy was punishable by death at the time of the founding. I doubt that the Founding Fathers, as one caller suggested on Monday, would agree with the Supreme Court intervening like it did in this Texas case.
by Rush Limbaugh

'Democracy:' It's a threat to our republic
Most people believe the United States is a country created with a democratic form of government. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Founding Fathers were almost as fearful of democracy as they were the monarchies of Europe.
By David P. Shreiner

'Toto! What happened to Kansas?'
Barbara Simpson on social engineering, destruction of states' rights.

A lesson in constitutional law
Joseph Farah pounds Supreme Court for giving in to diversity craze.

Lap dancing on the Constitution
George Will on how far 'right of privacy' extends.

Sodomy ruling damages freedom
David Limbaugh says Supreme Court decision weakens states' rights.

Officially sanctioning racism
Jon Dougherty says high court undermined 14th Amendment.

Leahy to Bush: 'Follow What the Constitution Says'
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) suggested Wednesday that President Bush would be violating the U.S. Constitution if he names a nominee to the Supreme Court without first consulting with Senate Democrats.
By Jeff Johnson

Our Living Constitution
The Supreme Court's Michigan law school ruling means that the Constitution means one thing today and will mean another in 2028.
by Terry Eastland

What the Republicans Should Have Said
According to the Washington Times, “Six Washington-area lawyers ... say they’d be happy to file suit against (a) landlord ... who ... cited a prospective tenant’s Republican affiliation when rejecting (his) request for housing.”
by Scott McPherson

Split decision for choice-by race
Tax-supported universities may use race as a "plus factor" if they make individual choices about whom to admit, but the University of Michigan's undergraduate point system "clearly fails" that constitutional test, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday.
By Frank J. Murray

The Declaration philosophy - Part I
The origins of rights: Linda A. Prussen-Razzano explores the inherent philosophy behind the Declaration of Independence in the first part of a series.

The Declaration Philosophy - Part II
The nature of rights: Linda A. Prussen-Razzano continues her look at the philosophy behind the Declaration of Independence with the second in a series of essays.

Calling all con-cons
Revive constitutional conservatism: There are a thousand flavors of conservatives, writes W. James Antle III, and people are proud of their labels. The problem? He wants to know where the constitutional conservatives are.

Court spanks social workers
Judges: State agents violated Constitution in corporal-punishment probe.
By Ron Strom

Justice, Tobacco, and Retroactive Law
John Ashcroft's minions are trying to gain a new source of government revenue by again looting U.S. tobacco companies—and further destroying the U.S. Constitution in the process.
by William L. Anderson and Candice Jackson

Ruled by scoundrels
Walter Williams exposes unconstitutional scams promoted by politicians.

Repeal the horrid 16th Amendment!
Ilana Mercer pummels government's limitless lien on U.S. citizens' property and lives.

Entangling alliances
Rep. Ron Paul slams schizophrenic U.S. foreign policy, push for globalism.

Whither Congress?
As President Bush rushes the nation headlong into another foreign war, an important question should be finally and unambiguously answered: What exactly were those old gentlemen talking about in 1787 when they wrote that Congress, not the president, held the power to declare war?
by Scott McPherson

War in Iraq, War on the Rule of Law?
The chorus of voices calling for the United States to attack Iraq grows louder. Recent weeks had seen growing controversy concerning the wisdom of such an attack, including controversy over the need for congressional approval for an invasion. The war hawk TV pundits have been busy working to quell the controversy by insisting the President has complete authority to wage war without congressional involvement.
by Rep. Ron Paul

Congress Already OK'd Iraq War
All he need do is establish a link to Sept. 11.
BY RUSH LIMBAUGH

Politicians: Read your Constitution!
Joel Miller's Daily Devotional Plan for elected officials.

	Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis An illuminating study of the intertwined lives of the founders of the American republic--John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. During the 1790s, which Ellis calls the most decisive decade in our nation's history, the greatest statesmen of their generation--and perhaps any--came together to define the new republic and direct its course for the coming centuries.
	Scandalmonger : A Novel Scandalmonger is the 25th book from William Safire, the prolific, feisty New York Times columnist and word wrangler. It's a historic novel set in 1790s New England, when the Founding Fathers were enduring various crises and humiliations as they scurried to become part of the history books. Always a stickler for the truth--as long as it's uttered in the finest of phrases--the author lets us know right from the start that we're "entitled to know what is history and what is twistery." Based on documents and diaries, and complete with an exhaustive section of footnotes separating fact from fiction, Scandalmonger turns out to be a bona fide page-turner. Safire knows what he's doing; he knows he has a lesson to teach. It's a lesson about how early America wasn't much different from Clinton's America--the temptations of mistresses, the power struggles, the ridiculous debates about purity between corrupt men being just as present. If he has one message, it is this: within every powerful politician, there is a dirty-minded second grader trying to get out. Witness this scene between two outraged congressmen who seem intent on "turning the House into a 'gladiators' arena'"
	Setting the World Ablaze : Washington, Adams, Jefferson and the American Revolution Setting the World Ablaze is the story of the three men who, perhaps more than any others, helped bring the United States into being: George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. Weaving their three life stories into one narrative, John E. Ferling delivers a genuine and intimate illustration of them and, in doing so, gives us a new understanding of the passion and uncertainty of the struggle to form a new nation.
	Becoming America : The Revolution Before 1776 Publishers Weekly "Butler's original analysis is important reading on 18th-century America . . ." Kirkus Review "A sweeping, well-researched analysis of the transformative changes wrought by immigration, war, and cultural change in colonial America."
	Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell From one of America's best-known economists, the one book anyone who wants to understand the economy needs to read. At last there is a citizen's guide to the economy, written by an economist who uses plain English. No jargon, no graphs, no equations. Yet this is a comprehensive survey, covering everything from rent control and the rise and fall of businesses to the international balance of payments. The purpose of Basic Economics is to enable people without any economic training to understand the way the economy functions-not only the American economy, but other economies around the world.