Conservatism

What Happened to the Conservatives?

by Sheldon Richman March 1, 2001

Are conservatives so desperate to have a Republican in the White House that they are ready to toss their principles overboard and become boosters for whatever President George W. Bush hands them? It seems so. Mr. Bush’s two earliest initiatives — education and aid to faith-based organizations — should have ...

Abolish the Nonessentials

by Jacob G. Hornberger February 1, 2001

THE POMP AND ceremony surrounding George W. Bush’s nomination of new department heads is now complete. The discussion and debate now center on the qualifications of each of the new nominees. But who is asking the crucial question: Rather than appointing the best-qualified people to run the various departments, why not simply abolish the departments themselves? After all, wasn’t this ...

Why Not Abolish the Nonessentials?

by Jacob G. Hornberger January 1, 2001

The pomp and ceremony surrounding George W. Bush’s nomination of new department heads is now complete. The discussion and debate now center around the qualifications of each of the new nominees. But who is asking the crucial question: Rather than appointing the best-qualified people to run the various ...

An Echo, Not a Choice

by Sheldon Richman August 1, 2000

Must the Republicans' abandon every semblance of principle in order to save us from a Gore presidency? In the minds of the GOP leaders, the answer seems to be yes. Apparently, a decision has been made that victory is so essential that the party will say anything to avoid offending anyone. ...

What is a Conservative?

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 1, 2000

The race for the Republican presidential nomination reflected the extent to which conservatives have abandoned their own principles. The two leading Republican contenders, George W. Bush and John McCain, waged a fierce fight over who is the true conservative and the real government reformer. But what does conservatism have to ...

Letter #3 to Conservatives

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 1999

Dear Conservatives: There you go again! You're once again trying to use public schooling to require students to submit to religious indoctrination. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Can't you simply leave well enough alone? After all, look at all the damage you have already done to students with public schooling ...

Letter #1 to Conservatives

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 1999

Dear Conservatives, Since you have chosen to enter this web site, you have acknowledged that you suffer from the dread disease known as hypocrisitus. This is a good sign. Admission and confession are important first steps in the treatment of this dreadful disease. We cannot help you if ...

Group of Odd People

by Sheldon Richman September 1, 1999

What a sorry lot the GOP is. The frontrunner, Gov. George W. Bush, bases his campaign on the slogan "prosperity with a purpose." Pardon me? I have no idea what that means, but I don't like the sound of it. A president of the United States, and the irants ...

Justice, Not Compassion

by Sheldon Richman September 1, 1999

If the 2000 presidential race continues as it has begun, we might all best take a long nap and wake up when it's over. It might be so insipid that we could all suffer a terminal case of boredom. How many of us are looking forward to a year and a ...

Loving the Poor and Compassionate Conservatism

by Jacob G. Hornberger April 1, 1999

One of the biggest con jobs in American political history has been that which the Democratic Party has perpetrated on the American people. To justify the existence of the socialistic welfare state, along with the $1.7 trillion in taxation needed to fund it, Democrats proclaim, "We love the poor, the ...

The Failure of the Republican Revolution

by James Bovard February 1, 1999

In a 1996 presidential debate, Republican nominee Bob Dole declared, "The president wants to increase spending 20 percent over the next six years. I want to increase spending 14 percent. That's how simple it is.... We're talking about six points over six years." This was the pathetic choice the Republicans ...

What Republican Revolution?

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 1, 1998

The dictionary defines "revolution" as a complete change in something. Thus, when Republicans called the 1994 election results a Republican revolution, everyone naturally assumed that there was going to be a complete change in the nature of government in America. In the euphoria of the '94 election results, Republicans said ...