Recent Articles
Hans von Spakovsky
January 25, 2014
Obama Keeps Repeating This Same False Claim About Citizens United Decision
The Daily Signal
At almost the same time that protesters mad about the Citizens Uniteddecision were disrupting the start of the Supreme Court’s session on Wednesday, the White House issued a “Statement from the President” condemning the decision on its fifth anniversary. And once again, President Obama repeated the same false claim about “foreign corporations” that he made in his State of the Union speech back in 2010. This White House seems to believe that if you think up a good political attack theme, stick with it no matter what the truth is.
January 23, 2014
Driver’s Licenses for DREAMers?
The Daily Signal
On Thursday, a federal district court struck down an Arizona policy barring “DREAMers” from getting state drivers’ licenses.
Supporters of President’s Obama immigration policies and his latest plan to provide “deferred action” (i.e., amnesty) for up to five million illegal aliens should not take too much comfort in this ruling, however, because the judge made it clear that a simple change in Arizona law might allow the state to do what it wants to do – and more.
January 21, 2014
How You Can Be Legally Guilty of Racial Discrimination When You Didn’t Intend to Discriminate
The Daily Signal
Can you be liable for racial discrimination even if you lacked the intent to discriminate? The Obama administration would say “yes,” under its favorite dubious legal theory, known as “disparate impact.”
Today, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., a challenge to the distribution of Section 8 low-income housing tax credits to developers in Dallas by the Texas housing agency.
January 18, 2014
Does Fair Housing Act Only Prevent Intentional Discrimination? Supreme Court to Hear Arguments
The Daily Signal
On Jan. 21, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case involving the Obama administration’s favorite dubious legal theory, “disparate impact.” Then again, maybe it won’t — because the administration or some of its more radical allies in the civil-rights movement might snatch the case out of the court’s hands by engineering an eleventh-hour settlement. After all, they’ve done it twice before, thereby depriving the justices of the opportunity to strike down this misbegotten theory.
January 16, 2014
This Is the First Lawsuit Filed Alleging White Voters’ Voting Rights Are Being Diluted
The Daily Signal
The Equal Voting Rights Institute filed an historic lawsuit on Jan. 15 in Texas on behalf of white Dallas voters alleging that Dallas County commissioners are diluting their voting rights.
Although there have been many lawsuits filed on behalf of black, Hispanic, Asian and Indian voters making such vote dilution claims since the Voting Rights Act was passed 50 years ago, this is the first time such a suit has been filed on behalf of white voters, or “Anglos” (non-Hispanic whites) as they are referred to in the federal challenge.
January 15, 2014
Should a Judicial Candidate Be Able to Request Campaign Contributions?
The Daily Signal
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in its first campaign finance case since it threw out the aggregate limit on campaign contributions to federal candidates last year in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission.
But this latest case involves the rules pertaining to state elections in Florida, not federal elections, and a ban on contribution solicitations imposed by the state bar association on candidates for judicial office.
January 12, 2014
How the Supreme Court Reacted to This Town Allowing Politicians Bigger Signs Than Churches
The Daily Signal
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, a challenge by a church to a town ordinance regulating signs.
Like most other towns in America, Gilbert, Ariz., regulates when, where and how many signs may be displayed. Temporary noncommercial signs are classified by their content, and each category has its own set of regulations.
January 9, 2014
Pennsylvania Grand Jury Recommends Criminal Charges Against State Attorney General
The Daily Signal
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that a statewide grand jury has recommended criminal charges be filed against Pennsylvania Attorney General (and voter ID opponent) Kathleen Kane for perjury and contempt of court over the leaking of secret grand jury information.
December 31, 2014
25 States Continue Their Battle Against Obama’s Immigration Executive Actions
The Daily Signal
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen of the Southern District of Texas has scheduled a hearing for Jan. 9 on the request for an injunction filed by 25 states against President Obama’s immigration amnesty plan.
December 30, 2014
What Obama, Eric Holder and the Rest of Us Could Learn from the Magna Carta
The Daily Signal
With the president and Congress out of town, Washington, D.C. is very quiet during the holidays, without the long lines one normally sees at museums and capitol attractions. So it was a good time last week to take my family to see a wonderful exhibit at the Library of Congress, jointly sponsored by the Federalist Society, of one of the only four existing manuscript copies of the 1215 Magna Carta signed by King John at Runnymede.
December 29, 2014
Why a Federal Judge Says Obama’s Immigration Action Is Unconstitutional
The Daily Signal
The U.S. Justice Department and the Obama administration have lost their first battle in the war over the president’s plan to provide “deferred action,” or amnesty, to almost 5 million illegal aliens.
December 25, 2014
What Christmas Means to My Immigrant Family
The Daily Signal
I’m not much of a sentimental guy, but I have to admit I get pretty sentimental at Christmas. It is a special time in my family, not least because of eventful Christmases that my parents, who are no longer with us, experienced in their lives.
December 19, 2014
Two Legislators Indicted for Voter ID Bribes in Case Attorney General Refused to Prosecute
The Daily Signal
A grand jury convened by Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has indicted two Democratic state legislators for accepting bribes in exchange for voting against a voter ID bill, among other legislative actions.
December 9, 2014
The Basics of Libel Law in the Lena Dunham Case
PJ Media
In her memoir Not That Kind of Girl, Lena Dunham claims she was “raped by a Republican” named Barry, the college’s “resident conservative,” when she was a student at Oberlin College. Her story started falling apart when John Nolte of Breitbart conducted a month-long investigation at Oberlin College to try to substantiate her claim. Nolte was unable to do so, and concluded: “Under scrutiny, Dunham’s rape story didn’t just fall apart; it evaporated into pixie dust and blew away.”
December 9, 2014
When It Comes to Defunding Amnesty, Congress Needs to Act Now
The Daily Signal
In the debate surrounding President Barack Obama’s immigration amnesty plan, there is increasing attention over the fact that Obama initiated his amnesty without an executive order. However, this does not alter the appropriate congressional response. Congress needs to act as soon as possible to not only refuse to appropriate new money to fund the administration’s unilateral action, but to specifically ban the use of already-appropriated funds to implement any aspects of the deferred action plan
December 6, 2014
What Obama and Holder Should Have Said About Ferguson Grand Jury Verdict
The Daily Signal
Perhaps the biggest problem with the reaction of President Obama and his attorney general, Eric Holder, to the grand jury verdict in Ferguson is their non-support for the difficult work of the grand jury. That and their support for the mistaken proposition that the administration of justice is unfair, biased, and prejudiced towards “communities of color” undermine our criminal justice system.
December 4, 2014
States Strike the First Blow Against Obama’s Amnesty Plan
The Daily Signal
Seventeen states have sued the federal government in federal court in Texas over President Obama’s plan to “unilaterally suspend the immigration laws as applied to 4 million of the 11 million” illegal aliens in the United States.
The 29-page suit was filed by a who’s-who of state attorneys general and governors, ....
December 3, 2014
The National Interest
Perhaps the biggest problem with the reaction of President Obama and his attorney general, Eric Holder, to the grand jury verdict in Ferguson is their non-support for the difficult work of the grand jury. That and their support for the mistaken proposition that the administration of justice is unfair, biased, and prejudiced towards “communities of color” undermine our criminal justice system.
November 27, 2014
A Thanksgiving Sacrifice to Remember
The Daily Signal
As we sit down to feast with our families this holiday, the blessing might well include a word of thanks to the men and women of our armed forces. While we celebrate our national holiday in the warmth and comfort of homes, they serve at grave peril in faraway places like Afghanistan.
November 19, 2014
Obama’s Unilateral Amnesty Really Will Be Unprecedented – and Unconstitutional
The Daily Signal
According to the Associated Press, as well as House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., President Barack Obama’s plan to provide executive amnesty to more than 5 million illegal immigrants is no different than unilateral actions that were taken by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
However, this claim plays a bit fast and loose with history and fails to explain the significant difference between Obama going against the will of Congress, ...
November 17, 2014
Elections Should Matter: Nominees Shouldn’t Be Approved During the Lame-Duck Session
The Daily Signal
An awful lot of people are confused as to just what is meant by a lame duck Congress. It’s like where some fellows worked for you and their work wasn’t satisfactory and you let ’em out, but after you fired ‘em, you let ‘em stay long enough so they could burn your house down. —Will Rogers
November 13, 2014
Is Loretta Lynch Another Eric Holder? Here’s What We Know About Her Troubling Past
The Daily Signal
The early signs are that Loretta Lynch may share some of the same troubling views as outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder. That makes it even more important the Senate do a thorough review and vetting of her nomination by President Obama to be the new attorney general.
November 13, 2014
The Dangers of Lame Duck Sessions in Congress—Unfair and Undemocratic
Heritage Foundation, Issue Brief
When Congress comes back into session after the November election and before a new Congress begins on January 3, 2015, it will convene what is known as a “lame duck” session. Members of Congress who have been defeated, as well as those who did not seek re-election, will still be able to vote in the lame duck session, despite the fact that they “are no longer accountable to the voters” as Senators Ted Cruz (R–TX) and Mike Lee (R–UT) have said.
November 13, 2014
The Corner, National Review Online
Since Congress has now started its post-election, lame-duck session, who better to comment on the unfairness and danger of having outgoing legislators who are no longer accountable to voters voting on substantive legislation and nominations than homespun philosopher and humorist Will Rogers:
November 10, 2014
Protecting Freedom of the Press in Ferguson from the FAA
The Daily Signal
New information obtained by the Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request indicates that a flight ban in Ferguson, Mo., may have been intended to stop press coverage rather than just protect local law enforcement.
November 7, 2014
The War on Women Didn’t Work and 3 Other Lessons From the Midterm Elections
The Daily Signal
Many pundits and campaign consultants are no doubt analyzing the election results across the country to try to decipher what lessons the Republican wave holds for candidates planning to run in 2016. But there are four easily seen lessons that both of the major political parties should take to heart:
November 6, 2014
Four Lessons From the 2014 Election
PJ Media
Many pundits and campaign consultants are no doubt analyzing the election results across the country to try to decipher what lessons the Republican wave holds for candidates planning to run in 2016. But there are four easily seen lessons that both of the major political parties should take to heart:
November 2, 2104
What Are the Chances Your Vote Won’t Count Because of Voter Fraud?
The Daily Signal
In the past few months, a former police chief in Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to voter fraud in a town-council election. That fraud had flipped the outcome of a primary election.