NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE H ollywood’s cultural influence should not be overlooked in the final days leading up to the election on November 3. With millions of followers on social media, cash to burn on political organizations, and more time on their hands than usual (due to lockdown restrictions on studio productions), entertainment elites have already

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks to union carpenters during a campaign event in Hermantown, Minn., September 18, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) On an issue that could effectively create a revolution, the candidate is mum. President Trump gets a lot of heat for his answers to questions. Much of the criticism is appropriate, some of it

Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., May 5, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/Reuters) Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) on Tuesday hit back at criticism of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, one of two potential nominees to the Supreme Court, connected to her Catholic faith. Barrett is reportedly a member of People of

(anyaberkut/iStock/Getty Images Plus) Some left-wingers aren’t waiting for Judge Amy Barrett to be nominated to the Supreme Court to start attacking her. The attacks over the last few days have been steeped in anti-Catholicism, other types of bigotry, and lazy error. A headline at the left-wing website Refinery29 called her “the Potential RBG Replacement Who

While we did not agree with many of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s views about the Constitution or the judicial function, we never doubted her industry, dedication, gumption, civility, or patriotism. We send our condolences to all who mourn her passing. Justice Ginsburg almost certainly had more fans than any … Read More

The U.S. flag at half mast in front of the U.S. Supreme Court following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Washington, D.C., September 19, 2020. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) Progressives no longer think our institutions and constitutional structures are legitimate. Constitutional revolution is going mainstream. After delivering lectures about political norms for the entirety of

(Jim Young/Reuters) I have previously written up the history (mainly here and here) of Supreme Court nominations in presidential election years, or in lame-duck sessions following a presidential election. To summarize: there have been 29 such vacancies, and presidents made nominations for all of them, in most cases promptly: In 19 cases, the president’s party

U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) It likely won’t happen because Democrats have little to offer. Following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a handful of writers proposed a grand bargain on the Supreme Court. The deal would look something like this: In the Senate, which Republicans control 53-47, at least

(Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) In the Los Angeles Times, Jonah Goldberg wonders why the idea of a “grand bargain” over the vacant Supreme Court seat isn’t “catching on among senators,” despite “gaining steam among eggheads.” Perhaps, he suggests, “such a deal hinges on the ability of politicians to trust other politicians to keep their word and stand

People gather to mourn the death of Justice Ginsburg at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., September 20, 2020. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) Luckily, America is blessed with many highly qualified judges and scholars who fit the bill. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had one of the most influential legal careers of anyone in American history. As the

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks about responses to the coronavirus pandemic at an event in Wilmington, Del., March 12, 2020. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) On Sunday, Joe Biden said he would not emulate President Trump and release a list of potential Supreme Court nominees before he is elected. Biden will not name the figures he is

(Pixabay) America’s proud history is worth defending, and it is worth defending through government and politics. There are fair arguments about how best to go about that task consistently with a duly conservative skepticism about the proper powers of federal and local government, but conservatives should not shy away from conserving the core of our

(tupungato/iStock/Getty Images Plus) Republicans should move now. While we did not agree with many of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s views about the Constitution or the judicial function, we never doubted her industry, dedication, gumption, civility, or patriotism. We send our condolences to all who mourn her passing. Justice Ginsburg almost certainly had more fans than

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg participates in a discussion hosted by the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., September 12, 2019. (Sarah Silbiger/Reuters) There are a lot of bad arguments to be made about why Republicans should not move forward with confirming a new Supreme Court justice. Just a few days after Ruth

Attorney General William Barr testifies on Capitol Hill, July 28, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Reuters) Attorney General Bill Barr gave a speech at Hillsdale College on Wednesday that attracted a lot of attention. Much of that attention was for his ill-considered remark (in a question-and-answer session following the speech) that “Other than slavery, which was a different

(Wikimedia Commons) 1972—In Abele v. Markle, a divided three-judge district court rules that Connecticut’s recently re-enacted abortion law is unconstitutional. Judge Jon O. Newman’s majority opinion is said to have considerably influenced Justice Blackmun’s opinion four months later in Roe v. Wade, and the two opinions do indeed share glaring defects. Newman contends that it

In a classic episode of Seinfeld, Jerry is accused by his new girlfriend, a police officer, of being a fan of the tacky 1990s soap opera Melrose Place. When Jerry lies and denies it, she suggests putting him on a polygraph to find the truth. In an effort to beat the machine, Jerry seeks the

Now, while everyone is looking towards science to put right all that’s wrong with the world, it is time to call on the Humanities. To be conservative often consists in being a party pooper. It is not that we enjoy being naysayers, it is just that the world insists on conspiring against all that is good

In a classic episode of Seinfeld, Jerry is accused by his new girlfriend, a police officer, of being a fan of the tacky 1990s soap opera Melrose Place. When Jerry lies and denies it, she suggests putting him on a polygraph to find the truth. In an effort to beat the machine, Jerry seeks the

The Trump era has brought its own unique vocabulary: Never Trump, anti-anti-Trump, Deep State, QAnon, “The Resistance,” Podbros, Trump Derangement Syndrome, and of course, MAGA, to name just a few. But by far the most useless phrase to emerge over the last few years is “Orange Man Bad.” If you follow … Read More

Supreme Court justices settle in for their group portrait, November 30, 2018. (Jim Young/Reuters) Joe Biden and Lindsey Graham have both flip-flopped on the appropriateness of confirming a new Supreme Court justice during a presidential election year. While pushing for the confirmation of 2016 Obama-appointee Merrick Garland, then-vice president Biden, who had served as chairman

(Michał Chodyra/Getty Images) 1994—D.C. Circuit chief judge Abner J. Mikva resigns from the court in order to pursue what for him might be a less political position—White House Counsel to President Clinton. A member of Congress when appointed to the D.C. Circuit by President Carter in 1979, Mikva transported his policymaking to the bench. As

The Trump era has brought its own unique vocabulary: Never Trump, anti-anti-Trump, Deep State, QAnon, “The Resistance,” Podbros, Trump Derangement Syndrome, and of course, MAGA, to name just a few. But by far the most useless phrase to emerge over the last few years is “Orange Man Bad.” If you follow … Read More

The Trump era has brought its own unique vocabulary: Never Trump, anti-anti-Trump, Deep State, QAnon, “The Resistance,” Podbros, Trump Derangement Syndrome, and of course, MAGA, to name just a few. But by far the most useless phrase to emerge over the last few years is “Orange Man Bad.” If you follow … Read More

Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., November 30, 2018. (Jim Young/Reuters) Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away Friday at age 87 from complications related to metastatic pancreatic cancer, the Court announced. “Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature,” said Chief Justice John Roberts.

President Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., September 18, 2020. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) President Trump and Vice President Pence criticized the CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a Friday phone call following the group’s endorsement about two dozen House Democrats, Axios reported. The lobbying group drew criticism from donors and members

Toward the end of his presidency, George H. W. Bush was caricatured as a wimp — a strange thing for a genuine war hero. But politics is funny that way: First, they tried to paint Bush as a war criminal (strafing Japanese lifeboats) and, when homicidal maniac didn’t work out, he became the nation’s sissy-in-chief,

(Pixabay) New York City police arrested a group of protesters on Thursday evening during a demonstration against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the allegation that doctors have performed unwanted hysterectomies at the borders. Eight protesters were arrested as a group of 50 to 60 made their way from Foley Square to World Trade Center,

Writing in The Atlantic recently, the sober-minded commentator Shadi Hamid says, “I struggle to imagine how, beyond utter shock, millions of Democrats will process a Trump victory.” For Democrats, having failed to cope with the 2016 election, and believing the polls that show a solid Joe Biden lead, another … Read More

Cuties (Netflix/via IMDb) Representative Jim Banks (R., Ind.) requested that Attorney General William Barr prosecute streaming service Netflix for “child pornography,” in a letter signed by 33 House Republican colleagues and shared with National Review. Banks’s letter follows Netflix’s debut of the film Cuties, which depicts a group of eleven-year-old girls who join a dance