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In Minnesota, the recent decision which overturns the congressional affirmation of the provisions of the Voting Rights Act from the 1960s provoked an inappropriate tweet from a democrat in the state legislature, Rep. Ryan Winkler. I find myself torn between respect for the office of Justice of the Supreme Court, and what has appeared to me to be a long series of poor opinions, inaction, and extreme ideological decisions that are consistently harmful to the progress of legislation and efforts to

Credit: Ruggiero Scardigno / Shutterstock.com Who knew the right to remain silent is contingent on expressly invoking that right? The Fifth Amendment protects an individual's right against self-incrimination, allowing one to remain silent as a means to invoke that right. However, you cannot remain silent as a way to invoke the right to remain silent, you must expressly invoke the right to remain silent. Contrary to popular belief, the Supreme Court has held that view for decades since deciding

In American politics, few mainstream figures are as controversial as former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. A Navy SEAL, pro-wrestler, singer, and movie star, the one-time Reform Party candidate can boast of having achieved a great many accomplishments in an assortment of fields, though mastering conventionalism is not one of them. From the moment his campaign “shocked the world” by triumphing over the Democratic and Republican establishment opponents, Ventura opened himself to glowing praise

The Favorable Winds of Pride I've spent most of the morning watching the House of Lords in Great Britain debate same-sex marriage.  The legislation has already passed the House of Commons and is now awaiting approval from the upper chamber.  Today was only the second reading and debate on a proposed amendment.  And just last week, I watched as the Illinois House of Representatives decided not to vote on same-sex marriage, though the deadline for the bill was extended through the summer so it co

In a country as heavily partisan as the United States, it is very rare to find politicians whose allegiance lies outside the Democratic and Republican machines. Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, elected as an independent, represents one of the very few exceptions to this rule; that said, not all voters, or even third party advocates for that matter, are particularly enthused with their gubernatorial incumbent. This sentiment has led Ken Block, a political activist and government watchdog, to

http://www.opencurrency.com/ Last week, the Colorado Senate voted in favor of an important election reform bill, making the state the latest example of a nationwide trend to expand voting access. In 2011 and 2012, a number of state legislatures passed laws implementing new restrictions on voter access, including requiring voter IDs, shortening early voting periods, or making it harder to register to vote. These initiatives, often led by Republican-controlled legislatures, were more or less suc

credit: Real Clear Politics Released by the Associated Press on Friday, an inspector general's report regarding the IRS revealed the agency had improperly targeted conservative-leaning groups that were filed tax-exempt under section 501(c) of the Tax Code. In order to be eligible for preferential tax treatment, a 501(c) organization needs to have limited election involvement, and the 2012 race prompted increased scrutiny on registered groups. According to the AP, organizations with 'Tea Party

credit: Real Clear Politics Released by the Associated Press on Friday, an inspector general's report regarding the IRS revealed the agency had improperly targeted conservative-leaning groups that were filed tax-exempt under section 501(c) of the Tax Code. In order to be eligible for preferential tax treatment, a 501(c) organization needs to have limited election involvement, and the 2012 race prompted increased scrutiny on registered groups. According to the AP, organizations with 'Tea Party

credit: Real Clear Politics Released by the Associated Press on Friday, an inspector general's report regarding the IRS revealed the agency had improperly targeted conservative-leaning groups that were filed tax-exempt under section 501(c) of the Tax Code. In order to be eligible for preferential tax treatment, a 501(c) organization needs to have limited election involvement, and the 2012 race prompted increased scrutiny on registered groups. According to the AP, organizations with 'Tea Party

credit: Real Clear Politics Released by the Associated Press on Friday, an inspector general's report regarding the IRS revealed the agency had improperly targeted conservative-leaning groups that were filed tax-exempt under section 501(c) of the Tax Code. In order to be eligible for preferential tax treatment, a 501(c) organization needs to have limited election involvement, and the 2012 race prompted increased scrutiny on registered groups. According to the AP, organizations with 'Tea Party