In case you hadn’t heard, the current FBI director will complete his service in early September. President Obama will soon nominated James Comey to serve as the director. Comey is a lifelong Republican and former Justice Department official during Bush II’s administration, a fact that has gotten some attention. Most famously, Comey was the acting…
By Example
John Roberts: A Moderate Chief Justice
In my pre-ACA ruling posts, I was critical of Chief Justice Roberts but also still holding out hope that he’d find a way to thread the needle. Now I’m ready to congratulate him on a job well done. Here are what I regard as the highlights of the ACA ruling: A sound principle of judicial…
Judicial Activism
As a follow up to my last piece and the blog entry by James Fallows, I’d like to address the balance between ideology and deference in the Supreme Court. Fallows is upset that justices who claimed a fealty to precedent are now going “out of their way … to decree new law contrary to what…
The Need for Bureaucracy
I listened to an interview the other day with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). The interviewer (Ari Shapiro) asked him about a Treasury Department report finding that over-regulation was not killing business. In fact, the most highly regulated industries are experiencing the strongest growth. His response was, “Well, that’s just not what I’m hearing from my…
How to Compromise
I appreciate the Gail Collins/David Brooks exchanges, and this week’s was especially good. They played at a sort of reverse one-upmanship, exchanging concessions of liberal or conservative sacred cows as an example of bipartisanship. Beyond their ideas (which I think are good), the exchange is worth considering for why it is possible. I see at…
Pundits, Part II
In contrast to George F. Will, I continue to enjoy David Brooks. I appreciate his Hamiltonian conservatism and his commitment to moderation in our politics. His latest column is no exception. In contrast to Will’s goal of a political victory, Brooks’s goals is a governance victory. The question he poses to Republicans is not “How…
In Praise of New York Senate Republicans
In the midst of all the discussion of the passage of Same-Sex Marriage legislation in New York, I want to take a moment to congratulate the Republicans for behaving like passionate moderates. First, some praise for those who voted against the bill: This article in the New York Times details the active and effective role…
Commander in Chief
I watched the Republican debate last night and had plenty of thoughts that I won’t share here. But one thing that really stood out to me was the way in which they dodged military-related questions, both those having to do with “don’t ask, don’t tell” and items of foreign policy. Their most common refrain was…
Seeking Moderation in the Muslim World
Much of the Muslim world appears to be undergoing a profound change. For the United States and other Western nations, the questions of the moment are: “Who can we trust? Who should or would be our ally?” For a long time the United States had a pretty clear answer for this question. For all we…
Threading the Moderate Needle on Same Sex Marriage
Attorney General Erik Holder seems to get stuck with the trickiest challenges. Yes, the debt ceiling, economy, and budget are no walks in the park. But as we’ve seen in the past, the two parties are often willing to each take money and walk away. And money comes on a sliding scale, so opponents can…