The furor over whether President Obama should be allowed to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia looks like yet another case of today’s partisanship overriding the unwritten understandings that have made government work. Should Democrat Obama leave the appointment to his successor taking office in 11 months? Should the Senate, controlled by the Republicans, refuse […]
Journal Tribune Opinion
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The dangers of overpromising
PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. — “I want you to understand: I will not promise you something that I cannot deliver,” Hillary Clinton told a rally here in South Carolina. “I will not make promises I know I cannot keep. We don’t need any more of that.” No, we don’t. The disillusionment with politics and government now […]
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Millionaire ducks and the bear pilots who love them
Perhaps the best feeling in the world is waking up late on a Saturday morning. Eggshell light trickles in through the scant slit in the curtains covering your bedroom window. You flex and stretch the muscles in each limb, one at a time, making sure all systems are fully operational. You sigh. There’s no hurry. […]
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Editorial Roundup
The Providence Journal (R.I.), Feb. 8: Growing concerns about the use of solitary confinement in our justice system have led to some changes at federal prisons. Recently, President Obama issued executive orders based on a recent Justice Department study that include a ban on solitary confinement of juveniles, and also forbid using isolation to punish […]
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Editorial Roundup
The Republican (Mass.), Feb. 12: It could be worse. The Republican National Committee announced a year ago that it would limit the number of presidential debates to between nine and 12. That’s a far cry from the 27 debates and forums staged during the 2012 campaign. The RNC operatives felt that many so intramural clashes […]
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Will Scalia’s death mean life for death row inmates?
In September and October, Justice Antonin Scalia told audiences at two different law schools that it would not surprise him if the death penalty were ruled unconstitutional while he was still on the court. Scalia noted Justice Stephen Breyer’s recent dissent in Glossip v. Gross, a case in which Breyer said the court should consider […]
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Take a hike
My friend Charlie invited me to go on a 6-mile hike in a nearby nature preserve. Sure, why not? Just because I’ve never been hiking before in my life shouldn’t hold me back. Besides, what is a hike, anyway, but a long walk? I walk all the time. Why, just yesterday I put out the […]