Ed Crane writes today in the Los Angeles Times that “Limited-government conservatives have been undermined by big-government neoconservatives,” and that “it is difficult to find noninterventionists in either party.”

The Democrats demonstrate a disdain for capitalism, free trade and the validity of contracts. They cheer the restriction of certain types of speech on campus and in federal law….Lately, the Democrats have been popularly associated with principled opposition to waging war in far-flung corners of the globe. But evidence on the…

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A statement from New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo this morning announces the launch of an antitrust lawsuit against chipmaker Intel. Intel supposedly is “bribing” and “coercing” computer manufacturers like Dell, HP into using its chips.

Intel gives them money and rebates to use Intel chips. Think about that; they don’t have to pay as much, and get paid themselves, to use Intel chips rather than AMD ones.

I like it when I get rebates and cash, myself, but I’m just crazy.

Let’s…

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Why didn’t the Federal Communications Commission impose net neutrality a decade ago? We don’t need all this multimedia and advanced services. They finally caught on yesterday and realized the Net is fine the way it is and doesn’t need to improve anymore, hence “neutrality” in 2009 rather than, say, 1996.

OK seriously, read our critique of yesterday’s FCC vote to impose what is “not neutrality” by any stretch of the imagination.

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Step aside Tony Robbins? Well, apart from it being on a topic that’s not properly the business of the federal government, President Obama’s “no excuses” back-to-school message to students was a welcome one about achievement, work and responsibility–and the lessons of failure. When kids hear that they can achieve great things without an elite background, and see examples besides, it’s always an uplift.

The best bit:

[A]t the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you…

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Dan Rather actually made the following two contradictory statements in the same speech:

I personally encourage the president to establish a White House commission on public media.

and then:

A truly free and independent press is the red beating heart of democracy and freedom.

He’s right that the free press is a “watchdog on power.” But that’s not compatible with the idea that, as reported, “the government make an effort to ensure the survival of the free press.” A press funded, promoted,…

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Wi-Fi allergies, Botox taxes, taxes on soft drinks, no-texting-while-driving. And free trade causes obesity. You still might be so stupid that governemnt needs to protect you from the giant cartoon camel. And the central bank is here to help.

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I think that about sums it up.

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Federal Communcations Commission broadband coordinator Blair Levin, charged with coming up with a “U.S. National Broadband Plan,” by February, says the 8,500 pages of comments (surely he’s read them all) received so far exhibit “sloppiness” and “”lack of seriousness and purpose,” and contain “very little in the 8,500-something pages that moves the ball forward.” Perhaps he has something better in mind. Here at CEI we filed initial comments, then again in the reply comment phase, for which the deadline was…

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I’ve been listening to some of President Obama’s press conference tonight, and ran across an interesting blog, called Doctors On Strike. It’s great for some laughs, but the undertone is serious. It’s not a good idea to make the lives of medical professionals a living hell. Who do politicians think they are, really? I mean, honestly?

What kind of doctors would the Obama administration’s system create? Who will go into medicine in years hence? I’ll certainly advise my children, should they…

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Hank Cox over at the Shopfloor blog at the National Association of Manufacturers reports that we’ve lost the marketing wizard behind WD-40, John Barry…

In his latest movie, “Gran Torino,” Clint Eastwood advises a young man of foreign extraction that you can fix anything around the house with duct tape. Well, actually you can fix anything around the house with duct tape — and a can of WD-40.

We almost missed the obituary two weeks ago of John S. Barry, the man…

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More restraint is in order when it comes to the Obama administrations intent to escalate “antitrust” enforcement against business and enterprise in America.

A skeptical interpretation of antitrust’s realities—up to and including recent campaigns targeting Intel, Google, XM-Sirius; and earlier campaigns against Microsoft and the AOL Time Warner merger, as well as rejected mergers like Echostar/DirecTV—is that antitrust often advances the well being of various species of political predators rather than consumers.

Antitrust is a form of economic regulation. And…

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Alexander Hamilton and the doctrine of discretionary powers triumphed during the Constitution’s ratification debates (cemented by the “necessary and proper” clause), and over time that’s bestowed upon us a central government that does pretty well what it pleases. Today that means unbounded spending and “stimulus,” proposed “cap and tax” on the precious energy we need, and, most immediately, demands for centrally managed health care. So much for the “silken bands of mild government” envisioned during the U.S. colonial era.

NY…

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The Senate hold on Sunstein’s appointment to head OMB’s OIRA has been lifted, so he’s likely to be confirmed. Republicans think his favorable attitude toward cost-benefit analysis for regulation is a good thing; some liberals don’t like the appointment for that very reason.

In Sunstein’s latest book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, he makes the case that people often make bad decisions, and a slight “nudge” (from whom? government, which doesn’t make bad decisions, just look around you!) can…

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Officials say they need budget savings and are even thinking of commercializing them.

I thought big projects like these were “stimulus” and that we were supposed to be building even more to grow the economy.

See ya at Sheetz.

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If politicians want to destroy health care this badly, why not just ban it? You’d best hope doctors of the future aren’t people who’d put up with this.

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Newt Gingrich’s new “Strategy Memo: Time for a Real Stimulus Bill” is helpful on highlighting tax cuts that could stimulate business’ capacity for job and wealth creation–but it needs a vastly more developed vision of limited government than it contains.

When I first read the piece today I didn’t’ think he had any government spending cuts or reductions in scope of govt at all, then noticed some welcome liberalization of offshore drilling, and some privatization. But apart from that, the…

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Gene Healy’s column in Examiner today chronicles the alarming statism and collectivism of today’s youth and tomorrow’s voters.

The generation born from the late 1970s to the early ’90s has been called “Gen Y,” “GenNext,” and “the Millennials.” Its name is Legion. But whatever name they go by, and despite their image as web-savvy individualists, when it comes to politics, young voters are as collectivist as they come.

In May, the Center for American Progress released a lengthy survey of polling data…

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“Meet Bronze!” “Bronze is Your Friend!” “Bronze is Brilliant; User-Friendly; and Multi-Purpose!” “Stone is Dead, Prepare for the Age of Bronze!”

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Not many details have appeared, but the Atlantic reports on a speech given by the administration’s Melissa Hathaway in McLean, VA:

In her speech, Hathaway did not say much about the administration’s policy changes, although published reporters indicate that Obama plans to create a powerful national cybersecurity directorate that would work through the Department of Homeland Security, establish a national cybersecurity recovery plan and resolve longstanding conflicts between agencies.

I remain suspicious of collectivizing and centralizing risk in governmental bodies, and of…

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In FCC v. Fox today, the Supreme Court upheld regulation of “fleeting expletives” on broadcast television. What should be “fleeting” is the nearly century old FCC itself, but it’s desperately sought things to occupy itself in the 21st Century, and here’s another success. They insist they’re protecting my children.

As Adam Thierer at the Progress and Freedom Foundation put it:

While the Court decided this case on purely procedural grounds, its failure to address the constitutional issues at stake will leave the…

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