Search query: virginia

In recent years, few Supreme Court decisions have been as controversial – or as consequential – as the ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010, in which the 5-4 majority held that the First Amendment rights of organizations such as corporations, labor unions, and other associations were violated by provisions of the McCain-Feingold Act from 2002 which regulated their political spending and activities. According to Richard Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Politic

Update, 1/14/16: The Washington Post reported Thursday that a federal judge ruled against the three plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging the GOP loyalty pledge, ruling that the plaintiffs did not provide sufficient enough evidence that voters would suffer "irreparable harm" by taking the pledge. The Hill reported Wednesday that a Virginia school district is now considering closing its schools on March 1 for the state's primary elections. The reason? County officials are concerned that some vot

Reality Check: Powerball and The Government Monopoly on GamblingBen Swann With the Powerball jackpot now nearly $1.5 billion for Wednesday’s drawing, just about everybody is playing. Here’s a question though, how is the Powerball legal in so many states when other forms of gambling, including online gambling, are illegal? Why is the government allowed a monopoly on gambling? This is a Reality Check you won’t see anywhere else. It would be an understatement to use some cliché like, “Powerball

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that three pastors who support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump filed a federal lawsuit against Virginia over a new requirement that GOP primary voters sign a statement at the polls affirming that they are Republicans. Trump condemned the party's decision, calling it a "suicidal mistake." The plaintiffs -- Stephen A. Parson Sr., Bruce L. Waller Sr. and Leon Benjamin -- argue that the so-called loyalty pledge will discourage minority and low-i

Trump Calls Virginia Loyalty Oath A “Suicidal Mistake” Source: Fred Lucas, The Blaze My Take: Of interest particularly if you’ve followed this story. The whole thing seems a bit blown out of proportion as I don’t see this being an oath, as has been charged, but an affirmation of party affiliation. An informative list of how other states do pretty much the same thing -- though differently. 5 Years Later, The Atlantic Reviews California Top-Two Primary Source: Christopher Caen, The Atlantic

In recent news, Ohio state officials told Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley that he could not be on the Democratic primary ballot. The petition to be on the ballot required 1,000 valid signatures from a single county. O’Malley submitted 1,175, but only 772 were considered valid. Both of his fellow Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, are on the ballot. Presidential primaries are often reserved only for partisan candidates, but that does not nec

The spirit of America is strong; the state of our union is fragile. That is my conclusion after 100 days driving 14,128 miles through 34 states as an independent candidate for President of the United States. I met with over 1,000 people individually and in small groups. I mostly stayed away from big cities and college campuses. I had learned on two short campaign trips before this long one that very few Americans understand there are independent candidates running for office so I got in the ha

RUSKIN, FLA. – Doug Hughes, the man most of the country knows for his Washington, D.C. gyrocopter stunt protesting the corrupting influence of money in politics, is taking action in a new way: he plans to run for Congress. His opponent? U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), who serves as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. In an interview for IVN, Hughes claimed that Schultz has “abused her power as head of the DNC” and “enraged progressives” through several recent actions. Most

The fact that Virginia’s Republican Party wants voters to take a Party loyalty oath as a condition of voting in the publicly-funded and administered presidential primary shouldn’t surprise anyone. In Utah, the Republican Party recently closed their previously open primary through a legal challenge. In doing so, the Republicans relied on precedent set by the Democratic Party in the Jones case from California 15 years ago. It's the same precedent that is being argued in Montana, Hawaii, New Mex

The last 15 years since 9/11 has set into American minds a very narrow view of what terrorism means. A fitting standard definition is: Merriam-Webster This definition both fits our current battles with Islamic extremism, yet it also encompasses most historical acts of terrorism. In the New World, terrorism didn't take long to strike and like today it was along a very bitter, very old religious divide -- historically, we know it as the "Plundering Time." Spring was not quite coming as expecte