Conservatism

Republicans Have Family under Attack

by Sheldon Richman December 17, 2004

Anyone who still believes that the people and the government are the same thing ought to think about what a House-Senate conference committee refused to do recently. Thanks to Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the committee had the opportunity to strike a blow for the rights of parents and for ...

How Conservative Is George W. Bush?

by Anthony Gregory October 13, 2004

Given that so many conservatives have come out in favor of George W. Bush, who supposedly isnt as bad as John Kerry, an important question arises: Exactly how conservative is George W. Bush? Bush has expanded the welfare state and increased discretionary spending at a faster rate than any president since ...

The Hijacking of the Republican Party

by James Muhm September 27, 2004

The traditional principles of the Republican Party have in the past several years been subordinated to a more intrusive domestic policy and an imperialistic foreign policy. Whereas a policy of less federal government intrusion into domestic personal affairs once held together most party adherents, now the party ...

Big-Government Republicans

by Sheldon Richman September 22, 2004

If that was the small-government party we saw in action at the Republican National Convention in New York City, who needs a big-government party? In fact the Republicans have been a big-government party for many years, but at least they used to try to sound like they favored small government. Now they dont even try. The convention throng went wild ...

The Neocon War on Peace and Freedom, Part 2

by James Bovard May 1, 2004

Part 1 | Part 2 In their book An End to Evil: How to Win the War on Terror, David Frum and Richard Perle’s attitude towards civilian casualties shines through in their brief discussion of the UN sanctions imposed on Iraq from 1990 to 2003. During the first Gulf War, the United States intentionally destroyed Iraq’s infrastructure. A 1995 ...

Conservative Support of Darth Vader and the Empire

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 23, 2004

Isnt it fascinating that so many conservatives steadfastly remain committed to the imperial role that the United States now plays in the world, even while claiming to support the limited-government republic of our forefathers? Hundreds of thousands of imperial troops are stationed on hundreds of military bases in more than 100 countries. Cities ...

The Neocon War on Peace and Freedom, Part 1

by James Bovard April 1, 2004

Part 1 | Part 2 The main problem with Bush’s war on terrorism is that he has not attacked enough foreign regimes and not sufficiently trampled the privacy of the American people. Such is the thesis of David Frum, former speechwriter for President Bush, and Richard Perle, currently on the Pentagon’s Defense Advisory Board, co-authors of the new book ...

Anti-Freedom Conservatism

by Sheldon Richman December 1, 2003

“A prescription drug entitlement is not inherently unconservative, unless the welfare state itself is — and it isn’t.” — George Will Writing in the Wall Street Journal back in August, Fred Barnes, executive editor of the neoconservative magazine The Weekly Standard, asks, “Is President Bush a conservative?” Barnes replies that, although many conservatives ...

What If Gore Had Won?

by Scott McPherson August 13, 2003

Whenever anyone complains about George W. Bush and his love for big government, someone else can be counted on to apologize, “Sure, but it would be worse under Gore.” I beg to differ. If Gore had won in 2000, there wouldn’t be a Department of Homeland Security, that mammoth government ...

Conservative Conundrum

by Sheldon Richman June 9, 2003

Conservatives become more inscrutable every day. They spend half their time praising the federal government for its miracles in Iraq (and, if they get their way, in Iran) and the other half of their time ridiculing the Democrats for thinking that the same federal government can provide medical ...

What the Republicans Should Have Said

by Scott McPherson May 28, 2003

According to the Washington Times, “Six Washington-area lawyers ... say they’d be happy to file suit against landlord ... who ... cited a prospective tenant’s Republican affiliation when rejecting request for housing.” “I assume someone will inform about the fair-housing laws,” one self-described ...

Response from Bill Frist

by U.S. Senator Bill Frist March 19, 2003

This letter from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is in response to Howard Baetjer’s open letter of March 17. Thank you for sharing your open letter with me. For reasons of timing and policy, I cannot in good conscience agree to follow the course you propose in your letter. Your ...