Category: Columns

The Rise of the Champagne Socialists: Democratic Leaders Join Socialists in Criticizing Capitalism

Below is my column on Fox.com about the growing condemnation of capitalism in the Democratic Party as establishment figures such as Gov. Gavin Newsom pander to the extreme left of their party. It is a rising mantra among those who ignore the economic foundations of liberty in our Republic, a connection expressly made by the Framers in their embrace of Adam Smith at the time of our founding. Like a game of musical chairs, champagne socialists are rushing to find a seat before the music stops in the coming elections. Ironically, only in the United States are socialist figures in the top percent of earners and own multiple homes from Bernie Sanders to Abdul El-Sayed. As Yakov Smirnoff would say, “What a country!”

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Democrats Dismiss Our Constitutional Traditions as ‘Nostalgia’

Below is my column in The Hill on the latest spin from the left to convince Americans to abandon core constitutional institutions and values as part of a radical agenda in the upcoming elections. Those who defend our traditions, on the 250th anniversary of our Republic, are now being accused of being “nostalgic” rather than progressive. It is a nostalgia that will take on a truly tragic element if professors, pundits and politicians are successful in this effort.

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“Start Spreadin’ the News”: New York Losing Billions as Millionaires Flee the Big Apple

Below is my column in the New York Post on the sharp decline in millionaires in New York, costing the state billions as many flee. The exodus has been building for years but may now be accelerating. As Mayor Mamdani holds another press conference promising to end the “violence of evictions,” businesses are reading the writing on the wall. Rather than work to make the state more attractive to wealthy residents and businesses, Democrats are seeking to diminish the appeal of two-tax states. They want to tap into a long-barred area of taxation: the wealth rather than just the income of citizens. By passing a national wealth tax, Democrats will reduce the benefit of fleeing high-tax states like California and New York.

Here is the column:

Continue reading ““Start Spreadin’ the News”: New York Losing Billions as Millionaires Flee the Big Apple”

Ro Khanna Launches Bid as Class Warrior with Expanded Wealth Tax Pledge

Below is my column in the California Post and New York Post on Rep. Ro Khanna confirming that the Billionaire Tax is really not a Billionaire Tax, but rather should be used to target the wealth of others. It is the latest manifestation of the class warfare being unleashed before the midterm elections.

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“Well Regulated” But Not Well Read: James Talarico Makes Curious Claim on Second Amendment

A virtual cottage industry has emerged among people finding James Talarico clips espousing everything from declaring his campaign meat-free to there being six genders to God being non-binary. One recently uncovered video from a meet-and-greet, however, attracted my interest and deepened my concerns about Talarico. It shows Talarico explaining why sweeping gun control laws do not violate the Second Amendment. The reason, he declared, is that the Second Amendment expressly embraces gun controls by referring to the right as “well regulated.” Continue reading ““Well Regulated” But Not Well Read: James Talarico Makes Curious Claim on Second Amendment”

The Fall of Josh Shapiro: Pennsylvania Governor Collapses on the Political Waterfront

Below is my column in Fox.com on the recent decision of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to join the ranks of Democrats calling for packing the Supreme Court. It is a disappointing moment for many of us who hoped that Shapiro could offer a moderate voice in the upcoming elections, resisting the rise of socialists and communists in his party. Instead, he proved to be just another politician thinking of the next election rather than the next generation. Continue reading “The Fall of Josh Shapiro: Pennsylvania Governor Collapses on the Political Waterfront”

No, The Framers Would Have Hated the Billionaire Tax

Below is my column in the Wall Street Journal on the bizarre claim of Gov. Gavin Newsom and others that the Framers would have supported wealth taxes, including the proposed Billionaire’s Tax. It is a claim that seeks to mask the economically unwise with the historically unfounded. The Framers sought to protect property from legislative redistributive impulses. James Madison wrote that the bicameral system, and particularly the Senate, “ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority.” That does not sound like an ally of Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna.

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“What Then Is This American?”: America Celebrates 250 Years as a Free People

Below is my column in The Hill on our 250th Anniversary. Most of us will be celebrating with fireworks and cookouts today. Yet, some will celebrate not with fanfare but fury today. Rep. Al Green was asked whether he was proud to be an American on this holiday on the steps of the Capitol. He responded, “I am very proud to tell you that impeachment is an option to remove a reckless, ruthless, lawless president. I’m proud that it exists.” Well, at least he is celebrating something. For the rest of us, we celebrate a unique Republic that has brought prosperity and freedom to generations of Americans. Happy Fourth of July to all of the patriots across our political spectrum. E pluribus unum.

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The 28th Amendment: Will Trump v. Barbara Be the Final Word on Birthright Citizenship?

Below is my column on Fox.com on the birthright citizenship case. Republicans in Congress have already submitted legislation for both a new constitutional amendment and specific bars on birth tourism. The legislation will obviously move more quickly and, if challenged, could give the Court another opportunity to address the issue.  However, the most direct way of addressing the issue remains a 28th Amendment.

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A New Deal for Presidents? Supreme Court Overturns Humphrey’s Executor and Reaffirms Executive Power

Below is my column in the New York Post on the historic ruling in Trump v. Slaughter, reinforcing the authority of presidents in managing the executive branch. After more than 90 years, Humphrey’s Executor is dead and Trump’s legacy is established on the expansion of presidential powers. The other winner is President Franklin D. Roosevelt who was right all along: he had the right to fire William E. Humphrey (right) as a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission in 1933.

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‘You’re Next!’: Democrats Discover the Mob has a Mind of its Own

Below is my column in The Hill on the Democratic establishment struggling to fend off attacks from the far left in their party. After years of fueling the mob, leaders from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are finding that the mob has its own ideas about revolutionary change that do not include them.

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Going “All In”: The Supreme Court Delivers Major Wins for the Administration on Immigration Enforcement

Below is my column on Fox.com on the two immigration decisions yesterday from the Supreme Court. One of the cases turned on a Clintonesque debate of what the meaning of “in” is. In the end, however, the Court went “all in” with executive authority over immigration policy.

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“F… Around and Find Out”: Philly D.A. Krasner’s Campaign Slogan Comes Back to Haunt Him

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Below is my column in The Hill on the scathing rebuke of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner by the state Supreme Court. Krasner ran for reelection on the slogan “F–k Around and Find Out.” He just found out…

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Post-Platner Democrats Must Ask: ‘Are We the baddies?’

Below is my column in The Hill on the Democratic establishment and media rallying around Graham Platner. As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has repeatedly stressed, Platner is needed for them to retake power. The allegations of domestic abuse, the Nazi tattoo, and other controversies are secondary to that single overwhelming goal. The question is, when they take power by any means necessary, what will they be other than the majority?

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Res ipsa loquitur – The thing itself speaks