Policy

Ensuring Election Integrity

Ensuring Election Integrity: The Case for Voter ID, the SAVE Act, Voter Roll Maintenance, and Stronger Penalties In an era of polarized politics and heightened scrutiny over electoral processes, the integrity of our elections is paramount. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of democracy, ensuring that every citi Quick Takes: Friday Findings Welcome to today’s Quick Takes, where we dive into pressing issues with sharp analysis. First, we scrutinize Natasha Bertrand’s reporting on the DIA leaker controversy, questioning her credibility amid a history of selective narratives and conflicting evidence from the CIA, Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, and the IAEA on…

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Override the Parliamentarian

The Senate Parliamentarian’s Medicaid Ruling: A Procedural Roadblock for Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” As President Donald Trump pushes for his ambitious "Big, Beautiful Bill" to overhaul taxes and spending, a critical obstacle has emerged in the Senate: the rejection of key Medicaid provisions by Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough. These rulings, grounded in the arcane but powerful Byrd Rule, threaten to derail the GOP’s reconciliation strategy, forcing a reckoning over Senate procedure and historical precedent. Understanding the specific provisions at issue, the basis for MacDonough’s objections, and the rare history of overriding the parliamentarian provides crucial context for this high-stakes legislative battle.…

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The War Powers Resolution is Unconstitutional

An Originalist Case Against the War Powers Resolution In the sweltering Philadelphia summer of 1787, the Framers of the Constitution grappled with a question that had plagued republics and monarchies alike: who should wield the power to wage war? Drawing on the lessons of European monarchs who dragged nations into ruinous conflicts, they sought to craft a system that balanced deliberate democratic consent with the need for swift action in times of crisis. The result, enshrined in Article I, Section 8, gave Congress the power to “declare War,” while Article II, Section 2 designated the President as “Commander in Chief” of…

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Fisking Sen. Ron Johnson’s 2025 Budget Reconciliation Analysis

Analysis of "FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation: Facts, Figures, and Analysis" by Senator Ron Johnson Introduction Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) authored the "FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation: Facts, Figures, and Analysis" report, released on June 18, 2025, which examines the U.S. federal budget’s fiscal challenges. Notably, Johnson is also recognized for producing an immigration chart that gained historical significance during a July 13, 2024, campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Former President Donald Trump, unscripted, turned to reference this chart on illegal immigration-originally shared with him by Johnson during an April 2024 plane ride-when he was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt.…

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The Art of the Deal is Required Reading

Why Understanding Trump’s Tariff Policy Requires Reading The Art of the Deal To grasp the intricacies of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy in 2025, one must delve into The Art of the Deal, his 1987 book that outlines the principles driving his negotiation strategy. This book is not merely a memoir of real estate triumphs but a blueprint for his approach to high-stakes deal-making, emphasizing bold ambition, strategic leverage, and market awareness. These principles-thinking big, maximizing options, knowing your market, using leverage, being willing to walk away, getting the word out, fighting back, delivering results, and enjoying the process-are vividly reflected…

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Willie Sutton Was Wise

Sanctuary Cities: That's Where the Illegals Are Reversing Biden-Harris Border Chaos, Reducing Crime, and Restoring Economic Justice for American Workers In June 2025, the United States grapples with the fallout of the Biden-Harris administration’s open-border policies, which triggered a massive influx of illegal immigration, straining public resources, depressing wages, and escalating crime. During a 2019 Democratic presidential debate, Joe Biden declared, “I would in fact make sure that there is, that we immediately surge to the border-all those people are seeking asylum,” a statement critics argue invited unchecked migration. The Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, targeting blue sanctuary cities like Chicago…

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It’s Time to Cut the Capital Gains Tax

Analysis: Capital Gains Tax Cuts and the Prospects for H.R. 1 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), poised to reshape America’s economic landscape through reconciliation, presents a rare opportunity to ignite robust growth by including a capital gains tax cut. Whether modeled on Sen. Ted Cruz’s inflation-indexing approach or James Kay’s tiered-rate structure, a capital gains cut is a critical investment-focused complement to the bill’s consumption-driven tax relief, such as eliminating taxes on tips and overtime. This dual strategy maximizes economic impact, spurring both spending and investment to deliver unparalleled bang for the buck. The Taxpayer Relief Act of…

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The Los Angeles Conspiracy

The Los Angeles Conspiracy Democrats’ Marxist Blueprint for a Permanent Voter Base From June 6 to 9, 2025, Los Angeles burned-not with spontaneous rage but with a meticulously orchestrated chaos that exposed a Democratic strategy to secure a permanent, dependent voter base through amnesty. The protests, sparked by ICE raids targeting undocumented workers, were no organic uprising. They were a Marxist-driven spectacle, funded by taxpayer dollars and shielded by Democratic denialism. This op-ed exposé, drawing from an exhaustive array of sources-RedState, Hot Air, Hot Air, Townhall, Legal Insurrection, Twitchy, Twitchy, Twitchy, Twitchy, The Federalist, The Federalist, The Federalist, PJ Media, RealClearPolitics,…

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Learning About Congressional Budgeting

Charting America’s Budget A Tale of Reconciliation, Rescissions, and Deficit Debates Before we get into the heart of this lesson, let's review how a bill becomes a law. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ8psP4S6BQ In the heart of Washington, D.C., in June 2025, a fiscal tempest brews, captivating lawmakers, analysts, and citizens. H.R. 1, the “Big Beautiful Bill,” a daring reconciliation bill passed the House, promising to extend Trump tax cuts and carve $1.6 trillion from federal spending. Yet, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) sounds a warning, estimating a $4 trillion deficit increase, igniting fierce debate. Meanwhile, a “DOGE rescissions package,” driven by the Department of…

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Friday Falls

Friday Quick Takes It has been a hot minute since I've done a Quick Takes post, so without further ado let's get into them. Fake Jake Takes a Fall Jake Tapper's CNN show, The Lead with Jake Tapper, has experienced a significant ratings decline, averaging 525,000 viewers from April 28 to May 25, 2025, marking a 25% drop from the previous year and the lowest ratings in nearly a decade. This downturn coincides with the release of his book, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, co-authored with Alex Thompson. Despite extensive promotion on…

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