Michael R. Shannon

Embracing Defeat in the Debt Ceiling Debate

You may recall during the failed fight over imposing term limits on members of Congress the Stasis Caucus argued that the country could not afford to deprive itself of the “leadership” and “experience” of veteran legislators.

Persuading Politicians to Do Your Price Fixing

Aaron Duncan probably won’t be the guest of honor at the Virginia Bail Agents Assn. Christmas party. In fact, he might not get an invitation. That’s because Duncan — a stranger to political spin — told the truth regarding a new law regulating bail bondsmen. According to Duncan’s interview in The News & Messenger, here’s how bail bonds worked before the Commonwealth took an interest, … bondsmen charged competitive rates before the July 1 regulation was adopted. This made it difficult for clients to know what to pay beforehand since each bondsman had his own rate, according to Duncan.

Aviation justice and the debt ceiling

In contrast with his recent actions in Libya, Barack Hussein Obama, stalwart class-warrior, has declared non–kinetic action on corporate jet owners and is asking for Congress’ help in promoting the conflict.

What’s legal in court is often a crime

A chill wind is wafting through the criminal defense bar. It appears the federal government has decided there should be consequences for some forms of obstruction of justice.

Richmond Fed: Letting Its Glee Flag Fly

One of the positive benefits of smaller government is the consequent reduction in taxpayer–funded prevarication. The private sector will produce plenty of liars without government help.

Illegal Immigration: Address Supply & Demand

Reversing the tide of illegal immigration is not a one-time operation. After all, Rome wasn’t invaded in a day. Elected officials can’t collar a single undocumented swimmer and expect the public to reward them for a job well done. Successfully discouraging these lawbreakers requires affecting both supply and demand over the long term. The “social justice” crowd focuses on supply when it says we can’t deport an estimated 12 million illegals already here. But why should taxpayers be on the hook for transportation costs? We certainly didn’t pay to import the problem, why should we pay to export the trespassers?

The Gang that Couldn’t Negotiate Straight

It was somewhat disconcerting last week to witness the man our MSM assures us is the essence of cool, calm and collected resorting to the Redneck Philanderer’s defense.

The Return of the Unicorn

Last week an intrepid reporter tracked down a creature long thought to be extinct along these shores. It appeared in the guise of Retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John W. Douglass a man who claimed in an interview that he’s a “conservative Democrat.”

Standards? We don’t need no stinking standards!

If it’s spring, it must be time for another round of stories focused on executives and compensation. Sure enough, the Wall Street Journal reports the median value of “salaries, bonuses and long–term incentive awards” for the jefe’s of 350 large companies rose 11 percent last year, while the median age of their trophy wives declined 10 percent.

Cuccinelli Conducts Free Backbone Seminar

It’s really tempting to write about Osama finally getting his just desserts this week — particularly after I learned that before they tossed his body into the sea it was wrapped in Obama’s real birth certificate — but there have been too many important events on the marriage front that merit our attention.

Gov. McDonnell Demonstrates Resolve

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell provided state and national Republicans with a useful and timely lesson in leadership when he vetoed the redistricting bill last week. Complaints emanating from disgruntled Republican House of Delegates members regarding the veto only serve to highlight their failure to pay attention and exercise leadership on their own behalf.

Budget & Other Deals on Slow Boat to Nowhere

One would think a party that’s supposed to be a tool of greedy capitalists under the control of Daddy Warbucks would be capable of analyzing a budget. But evidently Republican leadership is no better at dealing with monetary matters than your average foreclosure participant.

Contracts Are Made to Be Broken

Conservatives and Tea party voters now know the discount rate on Boehner–led Republican promises is in the neighborhood of 62 percent. This means if Speaker Boehner promises to cut $100 billion from an Obama spending spree while running for office in November, you are going to get no more than $38 billion when he’s actually in power in April.

Virginia Tech’s Teflon President

Last week Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell missed a golden opportunity to re–establish accountability in higher education. The US Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid levied the maximum allowable fine for Virginia Tech’s failure to issue a timely warning to students before the Tech shooter took an additional 30 lives in Norris Hall.

Government Shutdowns Are as Risky as Nuclear Shutdowns

It’s poetic justice that Democrats, who are almost uniformly opposed to payday lenders, find themselves caught a bit short in Washington, DC. For those unfamiliar with the term, payday lenders are willing to loan short–term money so borrowers can get over a financial rough spot between now and the next payday.

Political Cartography for Dummies

One of the methods Egypt’s former strongman, Hosni Mubarak, employed to stay in power — aside from torture, summary executions and defriending on Facebook — was denying the opposition access to the ballot. If you were a threat to either win the election or allow voters to express dissatisfaction with the regime, your name was not listed.

Can You Hold It ‘til We Get Home?

It’s beginning to look like Governor Flomax — the man who closed the highway rest stops in Virginia — will enter the race for our open US Senate seat. Former governor Tim Kaine is much sought after as a candidate due to his most notable accomplishment, which came on November 8, 2005, when he won the election. And not because he was the scourge of car–trip families all along the Eastern seaboard.

The French Fry’s Revenge

I really don’t understand how DC commuters continue to resist the allure of mass transit. There’s the serene quiet found as you stand at the base of one of Metro’s frozen escalators and gaze in wonder at the glimpse of daylight far in the distance.

A Newton for Our Time

Last week a man who personally performed or supervised 75,000 abortions — including two on his own girlfriends — died. He helped found NARAL, the most largest abortion lobby in the US. And before a “progressive” Supreme Court legalized infanticide, he used loopholes and subterfuge to perform abortions that were marginally legal.

What Do You Do When the Government Revolts?

Fresh off his success destabilizing the government in Egypt, President Obama is now taking aim at domestic tyrants — beginning with Republican Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin.