Right Opinion
The best of conservative opinion and commentary, updated daily.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Sanders' Proposal Sets a Dangerous Precedent
On Monday, presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders joined 11 other members of Congress in sending a letter to the National Institute of Health (NIH), urging the agency to cut costs for the prostate cancer drug, Xtandi, by employing its "march-in rights." These rights, which have never before been utilized by the NIH, were established in 1980 under the Bayh-Dole Act, which gives federal agencies the authority to license a patent when action is deemed necessary, primarily as an emergency tactic. Using this provision as their justification, lawmakers are requesting that NIH override Xtandi's patent protection, which guarantees its manufacturers exclusive sales, in an effort to reduce the costs of the drug.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Judicial Watch Finds Clinton Email Withheld From State
Judge Lamberth's reference to "constantly shifting admissions by the Government and the former government officials" certainly describes the challenge to our effort to get to the bottom of the scandal. In another recent development, we obtained State Department documents from February 2009 containing emails that appear to contradict statements by Clinton that, "as far as she knew," all of her government emails were turned over to the State Department and that she did not use her clintonemail.com email system until March 2009.
Mississippi Moves to Protect Religious Freedom on Marriage
This morning, the Mississippi House passed a bill, HB 1523, protecting religious freedom. If the House disposes of a procedural maneuver that has delayed a final vote until Monday, the bill will go to the governor's desk for his signature, as the Senate passed the bill earlier this week. The bill is good policy and the governor should sign it.
Tennessee Lawmakers Fume Over State University's 'Sex Week'
Youngsters at the Volunteer State's flagship university are about to engage in all sorts of debauchery ranging from lessons on male sexual fluidity to a lecture on "butt stuff" from an amateur porn star. Sex Week at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville kicks off April 4 — five days of depravity that makes Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street look like a Sunday school picnic. The star of the show is Sophia St. James, a self-described "queer diesel femme." St. James will be teaching the boys and girls on Rocky Top how to "explore all the titillating crevices and protrusions of your body."
An Open Letter to Trump Supporters
The Principles and Person of Ted Cruz, and the Political Realities for Donald Trump
Why the Electoral College Matters
It seems that every four years, we hear a call for an end to the Electoral College. On the face of it, it does appear undemocratic to allow a bunch of anonymous electors to have the final word when it comes to determining the victor in a presidential election. Why on earth, you might well wonder, didn't the Founding Fathers allow the popular vote determine the outcome? It's because they, who had suffered under the rule of King George III, were constantly on the alert against despots, even when they happened to be in the majority.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
$15 an Hour. Why Not $30? Why Not $100?
There is a single thought that unites the political parties of the left all over the world (from welfare state liberals to socialists and communists) and it is this: incentives don't matter. And since prices are the mechanism that coordinates incentives and clears markets, it follows that prices don't matter either. What other explanation can there be for something senseless that is about to happen in California: A $15 minimum wage, soon to be mandated for almost every employee in the state?
How Well Do You Know Your Baseball?
Pitcher Jim Bouton said: "Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?" To show how smart you are, identify...
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Principle, Federalism, and Passion: GOP Needs All Three to Win and Govern
Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican presidential contest. Ted Cruz continues to gain ground against the frontrunner. John Kasich continues as the outside chance in the race. The eventual Republican nominee needs to take something from all three candidates to win. Forget the personalities for a moment, hard as that might be. All three sometimes seem to do their best to irritate friends as well as foes. But all three also have strengths. Whoever gets the nomination needs to draw on those advantages in November and beyond. Because it is critical for America that another Clinton — or, even worse, an admitted "democratic socialist" — not sit in the Oval Office.
Is It in the Genes? Trump as Businessman
Donald Trump was, of course, famous long before he began his presidential run. That fame rested on his decades-long career in real estate. Though there are heated arguments currently between Trump and commentators regarding his net worth, there is no question that he has made tens of millions of dollars. Before dealing with that controversy, I would like to note how his father and paternal grandfather each made a fortune before him, largely in real estate. Thus, the question, "Is it in the genes?"
33 Years and 33 Minutes: Why Missile Defense Is More Necessary Than Ever
Wednesday marks the 33rd anniversary of Ronald Reagan's historic "Star Wars" speech, in which he introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to the American people. The intent was to protect the U.S. from nuclear attack. Today, when a ballistic missile fired from anywhere in the world can reach the United States within 33 minutes, Reagan's bold vision for a multi-layered missile defense system is more necessary than ever.
Forest Pines for Real Tolerance
Liberals like to say that same-sex couples are the persecuted ones. Jim and Beth Walder can count 80,000 reasons why they're wrong. Thanks to an activist judge, that's how much the Christian couples owes for mistakenly believing that tolerance and equality applied to them. Like dozens of other family businesses, the Walders never thought that their faith would be a liability to their booming bed and breakfast business. They were wrong.
Obama Set to Give Iran Another Gift
No matter what Iran does to threaten U.S. interests and our allies, the response by Obama/Biden/Kerry is always the same: more U.S. concessions to Tehran. The latest is a decision by Obama's Treasury Department to give Iran's financial institutions access to U.S. dollars. Doing so will inevitably lead to more European and Asian banks doing business with Iran. Why is this in the interest of the U.S.? As Iran continues to export subversion and support terrorism throughout the Middle East, the Obama Administration should be increasing pressure on them, not rewarding the mullahs in Tehran.
The Elephants' Tale
Periodically, when I hear that society at large is being held responsible for the crime and poverty in the inner-city, I feel the need to relate the story of the rampaging elephants. Some years ago, the park rangers at the Serengeti began coming across the trampled carcasses of rhinos. They couldn't figure out the cause of the massacres until they set up hidden cameras. What they discovered was that young rogue elephants were the villains. They were running around like teenage gangbangers killing rhinos just for the hell of it.
Friday, April 1, 2016
N.C. Fights the Status Cuomo
The Left's empty threats may have made a chicken out of Governor Nathan Deal (R-Ga.), but it's certainly not slowing down other states. In Mississippi, Governor Phil Bryant (R) isn't about to tuck tail and run when liberals try to blackmail leaders into killing religious liberty bills or "lose business." That may have worked in Indiana and Georgia, but Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas know better. In fact, the Magnolia State is so unconcerned with the Big Business bravado that they haven't just passed *any* religious freedom bill — but the best, most robust version yet.
Present at the Destruction
Donald Trump never ceases to amaze, but his answer at a CNN town hall about the pledge he had taken to support the Republican Party's nominee was still jaw-dropping. Not only did Trump say that the pledge is null and void as far as he's concerned, he also went further and told CNN's Anderson Cooper that he doesn't want the support of Ted Cruz.
The Four Foreign Policies
After dozens of contests featuring cliffhangers, buzzer- beaters and a ton of flagrant fouls, we're down to the Final Four: Sanders, Clinton, Cruz and Trump. (If Kasich pulls a miracle, he'll get his own column.) The world wants to know: What are their foreign policies? Herewith, four candidates and four schools: pacifist, internationalist, unilateralist and mercantilist.
Clintons Are in No Position to Surf the Populist Wave
With apologies to Buffalo Springfield, there's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear. Here's Bill Clinton in Spokane, Washington, making the pitch for his wife last week: "But if you believe we can all rise together, if you believe we've finally come to the point where we can put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us and the seven years before that ..." The awful legacy of the last eight years? That'd be a strange thing for any Democrat to say, but it's particularly odd given that Hillary Clinton has made it abundantly clear that she's running for a third Barack Obama term.