The New Republic

In early February, at the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon, Liz Cheney gave her fellow Wyoming Republicans a pep talk. Despite President Obama’s reelection, she was bullish on the party’s prospects. The American people would eventually figure out how liberal he is, Cheney said, and come back to the GOP. But this was no time to play nice. “The gloves, in many ways, have come off,” she said. “If there was ever a time to go along to get along, this ain’t it.” READ MORE >>

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke just wrapped up his much-anticipated speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And exactly what he signaled remains the subject of some disagreement, at least for the moment. READ MORE >>

The battle over new coal terminals in the Pacific Northwest hasn’t really focused on the amount of coal already moving down the Columbia River basin by train from Wyoming and then up the coast to British Columbia (via Seattle) for export to China. This post from the excellent Sightline Daily puts it into perspective. READ MORE >>

Tom Jensen on the Republican primary threat: READ MORE >>

Good Citizen of the Week: Mo Vaughn READ MORE >>

Psychologists say that people genuinely do not form their opinions on issues by sorting through arguments and arriving at a conclusion. Instead, they arrive at a conclusion and then formulate reasons to justify their decision. You see this dynamic all the time, but it seems especially obvious when you examine the arguments of defenders of the electoral college. Rick Hertzberg takes apart a defense of the electoral college offered up at a Cato debate by Tara Ross: READ MORE >>

Over the past year or so the nebulous movement known as the Tea Party has co-opted many of the symbols of the founding fathers to fight against (among other things) taxation without representation. However, on Tax Day it is important to remember the one group of present-day citizens who know what “taxation without representation” really means: residents of the District of Columbia READ MORE >>

Washington—The word "partisanship" is typically accompanied by the word "mindless." That's not simply insulting to partisans; it's also untrue. If we learn nothing else in 2010, can we please finally acknowledge that our partisan divisions are about authentic principles that lead to very different approaches to governing? READ MORE >>

Who won? It's the exact same question people asked in 2008, after each of the presidential debates. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. What's "winning"--scoring more debate points, making fewer gaffes, or simply appealing to more voters? And aren't all those judgments pretty subjective anyway? But if Thursday's event didn't produce a winner, it was clarifying. READ MORE >>

Who won? It's the exact same question people asked in 2008, after each of the presidential debates. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. What's "winning"--scoring more debate points, making fewer gaffes, or simply appealing to more voters? And aren't all those judgments pretty subjective anyway? But if Thursday's event didn't produce a winner, it was clarifying. (Click here to read more.) READ MORE >>