The "Show-Me" Constitutionalist

There will be no lunch links today to raise awareness of SOPA. Be sure to contact your federal Representative and Senators to let them know how this bill will affect you and the nation as a whole.

How does SOPA affect you?

Lunch Links - 1/17/12

2012-01-17T10:47:00.001-06:00

Good Tuesday morning and here are today's links:

Heritage: South Carolinians Have A Right to Work

Cato: A Dogged Instance on Real Numbers

Cato: Freedom Left and Right

Cato: Soak-the-Rich Taxes Create Happier Nations According to Junk Science Study

EconLog: Ludwig von Mises on Entrepreneurs Under Socialism

EconLog: Saving and Investment: My (Keynesian) Take

The Money Illusion: The Keynesian Bubble

Show Me Daily: Clumsily Lurching Towards Comprehensive School Choice in Missouri?

Joplin Globe: Bureau's tornado map creates Facebook flap

Joplin Globe: School officials question immigration bill

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 1/16/12

2012-01-16T11:31:00.003-06:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a day of remembrance and a day of service. Dr. King had an undeniable influence on the world we live in today through his methods of activism. All of today's leaders could learn lessons from the Reverend, and I wanted to share some of his wisdom along with today's links:

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."

"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."

"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true."

"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him."

Now, on to today's links:

Heritage: Life-Changing Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Heritage: Chart: How Countries Compare on Economic Freedom

Cato: Commerce Clause Issues in the Regulation of Non-Bank Financials

Cato: Obama Proposes New Department of Corporate Welfare

EconLog: Access to Academic Research

EconLog: We Are All Austrians Now?

CafeHayek: Quotation of the Day

Joplin Globe: Joplin senior chosen as runner-up in national scholarship program

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 1/12/12

2012-01-12T11:32:00.002-06:00

Good Thursday morning, here are today's links:

Heritage - Guantanamo Ten Years Later

Heritage: Obama Administration Airbrushes Britain Out of Europe

Cato: Promises Unfulfilled? What's Next, Federal Education Failure?

Cato: How Good Are Government Deficit Forecasts?

Cato: Capital Confusions Over Bain Capital

EconLog: Caplan, Kahneman, Bastiat and the First Amendment

EconLog: What Banks are (not) Doing

EconLog: The Case for a Re-org of the Executive Branch

The Money Illusion: Keynesianism explained?

Fed-Soc Blog: SCOTUS Unanimously Supports Ministerial Exception in Hosanna-Tabor Ruling

Cafe Hayek: Quotation of the Day

Joplin Globe: State plans redesigned I-44 interchange in Joplin

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 1/11/12

2012-01-11T10:04:00.003-06:00

Today's links:

Heritage: Twinkies, Kodak, Bailouts, and the Free Market

Heritage: Court to Decide if Gingrich, Hunstman, Santorum, Perry Will Be on Virginia's Primary Ballot

Cato: RomneyCare Just Got $150 Million More Expensive

EconLog: The Demented Pacifism of Irving Fisher

EconLog: Return to "What Could President Paul Actually Do?"

Fed-Soc Blog: Were Obama's Recess Appointments Constitutional?

The Money Illusion: Nobel Prizes for Alchemy?

Cafe Hayek: Quotation of the Day

News-Leader: Missouri bill would cut income tax, raise cigarette tax

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 1/10/12

2012-01-10T10:37:00.000-06:00

Here are today's links:

Heritage: Iranian Court Sentences American to Death

Heritage: How to Have Your Liberty and Eat It (Safely), Too

Cato: Mitt Romney and Bain Capital Were Right to Utilize So-Called Tax Havens

Cato: EPA Actions Should Be Subject to Judicial Review

EconLog: Eureka! Economic Illiteracy as Mental Substitution

EconLog: Why Foreclosure Prevention is Not Helpful

News-Leader: Schoeller adds staff to Secretary of State campaign

Joplin Globe: Dirt being moved for replacement for medical center

Cafe Hayek: Quotation of the Day

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 1/9/12

2012-01-09T11:08:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year and welcome to my first 2012 edition of lunch links. My new year's resolution? More original content and more regular lunch links!

Heritage: Sackett v. EPA: Supreme Court Takes Up Property Rights Case

Heritage: A Decade After No Child Left Behind, Time for a Right Turn in Education

Cato: Goolsbee's Math is Wrong - More Than 100% of Long-Term Fiscal Challenge is Gov't Spending

Cato: But Don't We Really Need Gov't Research?

EconLog: An Answer to Truman's Prayer?

EconLog: Kahneman, Mental Effort, and the Scary Parole Study

EconLog: Bryan Caplan on Income Inequality

Fed-Soc Blog: ABA President: Law Students, You Should Have Known

Joplin Globe: Richard joins Senate appropriations panel

Cafe Hayek: Quotation of the Day

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown (Now from Columbia, MO!)

Lunch Links - 11/18/11

2011-11-18T10:36:00.001-06:00

An abbreviated lunch links today as I'm preparing for a speaker at the law school.

Heritage: America's $15 Trillion Nightmare

Heritage: Even in Liberal California, School Choice Gets Thumbs Up

Cato: Democracy - Whatever That Is - and Education

Cato: Solyndra: Crooked Politics or Just Bad Economics

EconLog: Will Only the Criminals Have Tans?

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 11/17/11

2011-11-17T10:35:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the long delay in lunch links, this is actually the first day that free time, good health and a reliable internet connection have coincided all week.

The links:

Heritage: The Debate Over China

Heritage: "Right to Work" Headed to New Hampshire, Indiana?

Cato: Cutting Military Spending, Rethinking Grand Strategy

Cato: Five Lessons for America from the European Fiscal Crisis

Cato: Sneaking Race-Based Government Through the Tropical Back Door

EconLog: David Sedaris on TSA

EconLog: Dan Hamermesh: Let's Regulate Labor Markets Even More

Beck-Posner Blog: Structural Unemployment

Show-Me Daily: Good Faith - Bad Result

Joplin Globe: Residents praise court ruling on sexually oriented businesses

Joplin Globe: Bright Futures donations climb

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 11/9/11

2011-11-09T11:19:00.002-06:00

A quick announcement that these will likely be the final links of the week. I'm going to a close friend's wedding this Friday and tomorrow will be a travel day, and I expect to be pretty tied up Friday. That being said, today's links:

Heritage: The Debate Over Iran

Heritage: Offshore Drilling Plan Lacks Something: More Drilling

Heritage: Obama Couldn't Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax

Cato: Ohio's 2-1 Vote Against the Individual Mandate Is a Wholesale Rejection of Obamacare

Cato: The Christmas Tree Tax Is a Microcosm of What's Wrong With Constitutional Law

Cato: Obama on Record: Supports Internet Regulation

EconLog: Identity and Misanthropy

EconLog: The Paltry Effect of Political Correctness

Joplin Globe: Housing projects focus of public hearing

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 11/8/11

2011-11-08T11:19:00.001-06:00

Some delicious links for your lunch time reading:

Heritage: Occupy Wall Street Gets More Violent

Heritage: Dixon Gives Up the Ghost - And It's Admissible

Heritage: Poverty Measure a Gimmick to Equalize Incomes

Cato: Three Libertarians Raise Concerns about the Stop Online Piracy Act

Cato: The Antidumping Lobby's Power to Destroy Jobs

Cato: Cannabis Policy at Cato Unbound

EconLog: Krugman and Bastiat: Confusing the Centuries

EconLog: Mobility and Marriage

Show-Me Daily: TIF is Everyone's Education Problem

Joplin Globe: Council hears public's priorities for recovery

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 11/7/11

2011-11-07T10:19:00.001-06:00

Sad news this morning as former Southwest Missouri Congressman Mel Hancock passed away. Congressman Hancock was a strong advocate for the people of SWMO and a leader in Missouri for smaller government.

Today's links:

STLToday: Editorial: Term limits must end to improve Missouri Legislature

Heritage: Straight Talk for the Super Committee

Heritage: McDonald's CEO: Cut Taxes and Spending to Super Size Job Growth

Heritage: Chart: U.S. Debt on Track to Fuel Economic Crisis Like Greece

Cato: Helping to Explain Greece's Collapse in a Single Picture

Cato: You've Got the Power, Now Use It

Cato: 'Government Efficiency': Trying to Turn Cats into Dogs

Show-Me Daily: A Wild Idea: Kansas City Votes Nov. 8 On Proposed Zoo Tax

Beck-Posner Blog: How the United States Is Like, and Unlike, Greece

EconLog: Henderson's Iron Law of Government Intervention

Joplin Globe: Joplin council to hear public input on tornado recovery

Joplin Globe: Ten for Joplin project moving to inside work

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 11/4/11

2011-11-04T11:03:00.003-05:00

Good news everyone! There has been ample time to compile some lunch links today, here they are:

Heritage: Obama Spins His Wheels; Economy Stuck in First Gear

Heritage: Harvard Students Channel "Occupy" Movement, Protest Economics Class

Heritage: Trade Policies From Down Under: A Good Example for the United States

Cato: The Light Don't Shine on Higher Ed

Cato: Showdown in Ohio on Public Sector Unionism

Cato: More on Nominal Sales and Monetary Policy

EconLib: Euro-TARP

EconLib: A Quote I Will Use Often

Show-Me Daily: St. Charles Collecting Business License Fees It Is Not Authorizes To Collect

Thomas Sowell: Democracy Versus Mob Rule

Joplin Globe: FEMA chief: Joplin scarred, bus has "come a long way"

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 11/3/11

2011-11-03T10:38:00.002-05:00

Good Thursday morning, and a heads up that I will not be blogging tomorrow due to a doctor's appointment. Here are today's links:

Heritage: Debunking Obama's Latest Jobs Myth

Heritage: Podcast: Keynes v. Hayek

Heritage: Is Russia Becoming Iran's Diplomatic Godfather?

Cato: More Government Cost Overruns

Cato: GOP Hypocrisy on Energy Subsidies?

EconLog: I Am Not Alone: Kauffman Econ Bloggers on Educational Signaling

EconLog: Politically Correct Employment

Joplin Globe: Joplin library lost 1,200 to 1,500 books, DVDs in May 22nd storm

Joplin Globe: Our View: Tornado Fatigue

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 11/2/11

2011-11-02T11:11:00.002-05:00

Today's lunch links:

Heritage: Obama's Student Loan Gift to Occupy Wall Street

Heritage: Speaker Boehner Keeps the Faith on Congress' Constitutional Role

Heritage: Appropriations Tracker: Monitoring FY 2012 Spending Bills

Cato: There's No Drug War Exception to the Constitution

Cato: I Told Ya So

Cato: ObamaCare - The Way of the Dodo

EconLog: Poverty, Conscientiousness, and Broken Families

EconLog: The Balanced-Budget Multiplier

Show-Me Daily: What Do Academic Studies Say About Tax Credits

Overlawyered: Booster clubs and bake sales

Joplin Globe: MSSU to offer scholarships to area students

Joplin Globe: MSSU Board of Governors appointees announced

Joplin Globe: Sen. Blunt sponsors amendment for $400 million in added grant money

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 11/1/11

2011-11-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

This year has flown by, and law school is coming down the home stretch. I've got some things I'd like to blog about in the near future, so I'm optimistic about writing more soon, in addition to the lunch links.

Heritage: The Truth About Public School Teacher Pay

Heritage: DHS's Deportation Claims Questioned

Heritage: Welfare Dependence Keeps Growing

Cato: American Education, From Camelot to Obamaville

Cato: Sequestration Is a Small Step in Right Direction, Not Something to Be Feared

Cato: Want to Stick It to the Rich? Get Rid of Fannie and Freddie

Cafe Hayek: Krugman, Keynes and War

EconLog: Pre-Tax and Post-Tax Candy on Halloween

Fed-Soc Blog: Is the Government Criminalizing Good-Faith Business Conduct?

Overlawyered: Update: ousted Congressman sues opponents for "loss of livelihood"

Joplin Globe: Student loan reform affects local students

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/28/11

2011-10-28T11:06:00.001-05:00

Good Friday morning and get ready for the weekend! The links:

Heritage: Should American Carry the UN?

Heritage: What is America? Hamilton and Reagan Got It

Heritage: A Leaner, but Not Meaner, Military

Cato: How Much Ivory Does This Tower Need? What We Spend On, and Get From, Higher Education

Cato: Congress Surrenders the War Powers: Libya, the United Nations, and the Constitution

Daniel J. Mitchell: Four Reasons Why Keynesian "Stimulus" Doesn't Work

Fed-Soc Blog: Can a Waiting Period Reduce "Unnecessary Divorce"?

Show-Me Daily: What Will the Neighbors Think?

Show-Me Daily: It's Not About China, It's About Corporate Welfare

Cafe Hayek: My Challenge to Paul Krugman

EconLog: Freddie, Fannie, and Risky Mortgage Lending

Joplin Globe: Singer Barry Manilow donates truckloads of musical intruments

Joplin Globe: 'Extreme' crew showcases Cunningham Park projects

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links- 10/27/11

2011-10-27T10:53:00.000-05:00

Today's links:

Heritage: What is the America Idea?

Heritage: Year After Obama Lifted Drilling Ban, Pace of Permitting Is Worse

Heritage: Popular Vote or the Electoral College?

Cato: Little Student Loan Relief, and Never for Taxpayers

Cato: 10 Years of Patriot Act

Cato: Financial Regulators Are Not Above the Constitution

American Spectator: "Impossible to Prove" the Stimulus Created Growth and Jobs

American Spectator: Teachers' Union Fat Cats

Townhall: What Have the Wars Done For You?

Townhall: Occupy Wall Street Demands Life Without Hardship

Show-Me Daily: World Series Ticket Scalping

Cafe Hayek: Mark Perry on Income Differences

EconLog: Education: Economic vs. Academic Perspectives

Joplin Globe: National institute seeking tornado interviews

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown:

Lunch Links - 10/26/11

2011-10-26T10:15:00.000-05:00

Good Wednesday morning, and welcome to the middle of the week. Here are today's links:

Heritage: The Serious Risks of the Russian Reset

Heritage: The Conservative's Guide to the "Occupy Wall Street" Protests

Heritage: Over 2,400 Tea Partiers Arrested

Heritage: Immediate Medicare Reforms Could Slash Nation's Debt

Cato: Abolish Central Banks

Cato: Random Thoughts on Obama's New Mortgage Plan

Cato: Clifford Winston on Lawyer Licensure

Townhall: School Competition Rescues Kids

Show-Me Daily: A Victory for Missouri Taxpayers

Show-Me Daily: Unnecessary Taxes

Fed-Soc Blog: John Yoo Lauds Clarence Thomas as the Tea Party Justice

Joplin Globe: Joplin family "incredible excited" about "Extreme Makeover" house

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Also, if you have some extra time, here is a policy analysis from Cato about income inequality from a couple years back. It's an important read when considering the Occupy Wall Street movement:

Lunch Links - 10/25/11

2011-10-25T12:49:00.001-05:00

In case anyone was curious, it's two months until Christmas.

The links:

Heritage: We Can't Wait Either, Mr. President

Heritage: Senate Committee Considers No Child Left Behind Overhaul

Heritage: Senate Finance Republican's Tax Recommendations a Good Start

Cato: Everything You Need To Know About Public School Spending in Less Than 2 1/2 Minutes

Cato: Government, Education, and Freedom

Cato: As You'll See, Student Loans Hurt Us All

Townhall: You Can't Wait? Neither Can We

Townhall: The Media and "Bullying"

Keith Hennessey: The political risks of targeted mortgage subsidies

Joplin Globe: Missouri statewide preservation conference to be held in Joplin

Joplin Globe: "Extreme" houses nearly done; visitors invited to reveals

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/24/11

2011-10-24T11:10:00.002-05:00

Good Monday morning, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It was a rough weekend up here in Tiger Country as Mizzou lost to #3 Okie State, but my alma mater crushed Southwest Baptist State University 68-28, setting many school records in the process.

Without further ado, the links:

Heritage: Solyndra to Auction Assets, But Taxpayers Won't See a Dime

Heritage: Cash for Clunkers Gimmick? Former Obama Adviser Wouldn't Do It Again

Heritage: Big Labor Steps Up Its Material Support for "Occupy" Protests

Cato: Tea Party vs. Occupy Wall Street

Cato: The Downside of Federal Infrastructure Spending

Cato: Europe to Rating Agencies: Shut Up, or Else

Show-Me Daily: Risky Business

Show-Me Daily: The $64 Million Question

Fed-Soc Blog: High Court to Hear Cases on Corporate Liability in International Law

Joplin Globe: Mo. reaches $4.4 trade agreement with China

Joplin Globe: Analysis: Mo. special session reveals GOP rifts

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/20/11

2011-10-20T11:04:00.002-05:00

Welcome back for Thursday's edition of lunch links:

Heritage: The End of Qadhafi

Heritage: Reid Says Private-Sector Employment Is 'Just Fine.'

Heritage: Medicare is in Dire Need of Structural Reform

Cato: American Government Spending: 41% of GDP

Cato: Fannie Mae Loan Limits: The Empire Strikes Back

Cato: Qaddafi's Death Does Not Legitimize U.S. Intervention in Libya

Townhall: Hey, Occupy Wall Street: What, No Anti-Obama Signs?

Show-Me Daily: Hardee's CEO: Payroll tax breaks not enough to spur hiring or investment

Fed-Soc Blog: Richard Epstein Criticizes Justice Stevens' Book Tour "Outbursts"

Joplin Globe: Volunteers converge on show's seven-house build in Joplin

Joplin Globe: Judge orders tornado-scam money returned to state

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/18/11

2011-10-18T10:52:00.002-05:00

Good Tuesday morning! Yesterday's Federalist Society event with Alan Gura was phenomenal. Mr. Gura gave a great speech on second amendment litigation and I got to enjoy coffee with him afterward. It was a fantastic opportunity to gain insight from a great mind in the legal community and someone that believes so strongly in our right to self-defense.

Now, some lunch links:

Heritage: Wall Street is the Wrong Place to Occupy

Heritage: Americans Blame Economic Woes on Washington Before Wall Street

Heritage: Senate Republican Say Fix Social Security, but How?

Cato: Obama-Reid 'Jobs' Bill Soaked in Greece

Cato: Whither Constitutional Authority Statements?

Cato: Ron Paul's 'Plan to Restore America'

Cato: Race-Based Tax Exemptions Are Unconstitutional

Townhall: Obama and Occupy Wall Street Are One

Townhall: Random Thoughts

Library of Economics and Liberty: Free the Nurses--and the Patients

The PolitiMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/17/11

2011-10-17T10:06:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning! Conservatives at Mizzou law have a busy day ahead as our chapter of the Federalist Society hosts Alan Gura, who has argued such landmark second amendment cases as District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago before the Supreme Court. Here are today's links:

Heritage: 1,000 Days Under President Obama

Heritage: Keeping Perspective on Developments in Burma

Heritage: Quality of Light, Quality of Life

Cato: The Laffer Curve Wins Again: Snooki 1 - IRS 0

Cato: The Perils of Overpromising

Cato: The Hoover Myth Marches On

Townhall: Herman Cain: Rocket Fuel For America

Townhall: Rand Paul Schools Senate Establishment

Fed-Soc Blog: NPR Examines Clarence Thomas's Influence on the Court

Joplin Globe: Expansion of Cunningham Park proposed

Joplin Globe: Main Street redevelopment a focus of group

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/12/11

2011-10-12T11:02:00.001-05:00

Good Wednesday morning. A fair warning that this might be the final set of links for the week due to a very busy schedule for the next couple of days.

Heritage: Obama's Failure to Confront the Iranian Threat

Heritage: The Postal Crisis Easily Explained: How to Avoid a Taxpayer Bailout

Heritage: Court Considers Case of Student Expelled from Counseling Program for Unwillingness to Affirm Homosexual Relationships

Cato: Beating Back Big (Ed.) Brother

Cato: With Friends Like Sen. Sessions, Free Trade Is in Trouble

Cato: Obama-Lee Summit: Time for New Thinking on the Korean Peninsula

Townhall: Government the Job Killer

Cafe Hayek: Macroeconomic Storytelling

Joplin Globe: Apartment owner ordered to pay, apologize for raising tenants' rent

Joplin Globe: Tornado-affected students awarded scholarships

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/11/11

2011-10-11T10:39:00.000-05:00

Good news everyone! My internet is working so you can read today's scrumptious lunch links:

Heritage: Who Is Responsible for Protecting America?

Heritage: The Future of School Choice

Cato: Tea Party, Meet Occupy Wall Street. OWS, Tea Party.

Cato: Ron Paul's Success

Cato: Questions for Candidates: Yes or No to a National ID?

Cato: Sargent's Sharp Pencil

Pajamas Media: The Moral Dimensions of Illegal Immigration

Economics One: Higher Inflation Is Not the Answer

Townhall: Reverse Racism

Townhall: Obama Is Occupying America

Joplin Globe: Property owners urged to meet demolition deadline

Joplin Globe: State encourages college students to volunteer in Joplin

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

An Open Letter Regarding Mizzou's Wireless Internet Woes

2011-10-10T12:59:00.002-05:00

To Whom It May Concern:

I write to you out of a deep frustration with the internet capabilities of our prestigious University. I'm in my second year of a dual-degree program with the Missouri School of Law and Truman School of Public Affairs. I try to take my schooling very seriously and I often need an internet connection for research, whether it be on LexisNexis or Westlaw or perhaps researching case studies for public policy. I worry that the difficulties with our wireless connection at the University are, however, not being taken very seriously.

While our administration is currently utilizing our great resources seeking a new University President and a new home for athletic facilities, I find myself spending man's most precious resource, time, seeking an internet connection.

I understand that there are difficulties in serving a wonderful and diverse student population and that this year we enjoy our highest enrollment in the history of Mizzou. I also understand that the north node on campus has experienced a switch failure and has faced some maintenance. However, the University's most valuable assets, our students, rely on the internet for studying, research and recreation and something must be done to ensure the University's customers are taken care of. In any industry outside of academia, such a comprehensive and persistent problem would not be tolerated and would have likely resulted in the loss of thousands or even millions of dollars of productivity at this point.

I hope to hear how Mizzou is handling the abysmal wireless internet connection and how things will be resolved soon. I sincerely hope to be able to share good news with my bellicose peers that share in my frustration.

Best Regards,

Lunch Links - 10/10/11

2011-10-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

Happy one year anniversary to Daniel and Stephanie Lynch, neither of which I believe read the blog, but oh well.

Here are today's links:

Heritage: Free Trade Agreements Are a Win For Prosperity

Heritage: Chart: Cutting All Defense Spending Would Not Solve Debt Crisis

Heritage: Huge Chavez, Occupy Wall Street, and Double Standards

Cato: 'Health-Care Executive's Medicare Fraud Scheme Included Lobbying Washington

Cato: Afghanistan: 10 Years and No End in Sight

Cato: Will Republicans Choose Sequester Savings or a Supercommittee Surrender

Fed-Soc Blog: Justice Dept. Asks 11th Circuit to Halt Alabama's Immigration Law

Show-Me Daily: Aerotropolis and the Climate for Substantive Tax Credit Reform

Joplin Globe: Local delegation splits on economic development measure

Joplin Globe: Home of Hope targeted for $100,000 prize

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/6/11

2011-10-06T10:24:00.004-05:00

The links:

Heritage: Steve Jobs and American Exceptionalism

Heritage: A Plan to Limit Dishonesty in Congress

Cato: The Eternal Recurrence of Eminent Domain Abuse

Cato: To Spur Technology Innovation, Stop Pulling on the Rope

Cato: Ignore Reality, Sell Jobs Plan

Fed-Soc Blog: DOJ Asks High Court to End Ministerial Exception in Employment Law

Hoover Institution: Washington Wants a Say Over Your Minister

Hoover Institution: Stimulus Has Been a Washington Job Killer

The Becker-Posner Blog: Too Many Government Workers?

Joplin Globe: Nixon pledges state's help in replanting Joplin's trees

Joplin Globe: Thief grabs JHS band's donated Gator

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/5/11

2011-10-05T11:31:00.002-05:00

The links:

Heritage: Reid Uses Procedural Maneuver to Block Vote on Obama's Jobs Bill

Heritage: Is the Post Office Doomed?

Heritage: Is Religious Freedom Just for Churches?

Cato: Making and Taking

Cato: Four Thoughts on the Anwar Al-Awlaki Assassination

Cato: Will GPS Tracking Render the Fourth Amendment Quaint?

Townhall: The "Hunger" Hoax

Townhall: Government Makes Us Poor

Joplin Globe: Our View: Limited Leaders

AP: McCaskill not at Obama fundraiser in Mo.

FedSoc Blog: Big Judgment Awarded Against EPA for Malicious Prosecution

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/4/11

2011-10-04T10:02:00.001-05:00

Closing in on the middle of the week, here are your Tuesday links:

Heritage: Come Clean and Cut Funding

Heritage: U.S. Taxpayers Paying Big for New United Nations Building

Heritage: Young Women Are More Conservative Than You Think

Cato: Entitlements vs. Liberty

Cato: Gov. Christie, Bill Kristol, and the Future of the GOP

Cato: Heritage Scholar Urges States: Don't Implement Obamacare Exchanges, Send Back Grants

Townhall: "Stop Whining?"

Townhall: Petty, Radical Obama Blasts GOP for Smallness and Extremism

The Hill: McCaskill won't be in Missouri Tuesday for President Obama's visit

St. Louis Beacon: Montee tosses her hat into ring for Lt. Governor

KC Prime Buzz: That didn't take long, Kander rolls up 50K in contributions for statewide race

Joplin Globe: Habitat groundbreaking starts 34th Joplin home

PoliticMo: Brunner launches first ad in Senate race

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 10/3/11

2011-10-03T10:39:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning! Here are today's links:

Cato: Awlaki and Due Process

Cato: Competitiveness: Let Markets Lead the Way

Cato: New Video Shows the Ware on Poverty Is a Failure

Heritage: Ready for a Debit Card Tax?

Heritage: Gibson Guitar Plays the Overcriminalization Blues

Heritage: For Proponents of More Federal Criminal Legislation, Ignorance of the Law Is Bliss

Townhall: Is Herman Cain a Contender?

Show-Me Daily: A Race to the Bottom

Joplin Globe: Republican caucus-goers will give presidential nod

Joplin Globe: Group seeks Missouri minimum-wage increase

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/29/11

2011-09-29T11:58:00.000-05:00

A little late for lunch links, but they're still just as tasty:

Heritage: Obamacare's Soaring Price Tag

Heritage: No Drilling, No Jobs, No Money

Heritage: Google Makes a Pitch for Free Market

Cato: Obamacare Legal News Gone Wild

Cato: Tim Geithner: The Forrest Gump of World Finance

Cato: Obama and Civil Liberties

Townhall: Supreme Court Might Kill Obamacare Before Election - If Obama's Lucky

Keith Hennessey: Three Silly Stimulus Arguments

Show-Me Daily: A Sign of Hope?

The PolitiMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/28/11

2011-09-28T09:45:00.002-05:00

Heritage: Time for Action on Pakistan

Heritage: FEMA Funding: What Did Harry Reid Know and When Did He Know It?

Heritage: Want Congressional Harmony? Try Free Trade Agreements

Cato: Stalking the Secret Patriot Act

Cato: Principal of the United States Returns

Cato: Term Limits and Popular Government

Townhall: Politics vs. Economics

Townhall: Governments Don't Create Prosperity

Show-Me Daily: Just How Many Mamteks Are There?

Missouri News Horizon: New U.S. Courthouse dedicated for former senator, governor

Joplin Globe: School board approves construction timeline

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/27/11

2011-09-27T10:18:00.001-05:00

Before we start today's lunch links, my puppy, Barley, is going to need a little help in Mizzou Law's cutest pet contest. Here is the link to her picture, which you'll have to like after you become friends with MU Law SALDF (they're the ones putting on the contest).

Now that you've voted for my dog, here are today's lunch links:

Heritage: How Harry Reid Manufactured a Crisis Over Disaster Aid

Heritage: Restoring Personal Responsibility in Welfare

Heritage: New Study Shows Obamacare's Impact on Ohio Coverage and Premiums

Cato: Explaining the Perverse Impact of Double-Taxation With a Chart

Cato: A 'Soviet-Style Power Grab,' to Squelch Bad Press for Obamacare

Cato: The Encyclopedic Unconstitutionality of the Individual Mandate

Townhall.com: Superman vs. Warm Body

Townhall.com: Obama's Rehabilitation Tour, or "I Promise I'm a Leftist"

Joplin Globe: School board to flesh out tentative rebuilding timeline

The Chart: Down, but not out

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/26/11

2011-09-26T11:46:00.001-05:00

Good Monday morning and here is your daily dose of lunch links:

Heritage: Obama Circumvents Congress on Education Policy

Heritage: The Supreme Court's Next Blockbuster Term

Heritage: EPA's Ozone Standards Will Strangle Economic Recovery

Cato: Public Schools Eat Too Much At Government Trough

Cato: The President Can't Increase Congress's Power Simply by Signing a Treaty

Cato: Eight Questions for Protectionists

Cato: English Fluency? Correct Pronunciation? Why Would Teachers Need Those?

Fed-Soc Blog: Justice Kagan's First Year in Review

Townhall.com: Still Looking for a Candidate to Replace Obama

Missourinet: Session continues at low ebb

Joplin Globe: Put Politics Aside

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/23/11

2011-09-23T11:18:00.002-05:00

Get ready for the weekend, here are Friday's lunch links:

Heritage: The Latest Obamacare Implosion

Heritage: President Obama Mistakes Bi-Partisan Distaste for NCLB for a Mandate to Rewrite

Heritage: 'Buffett Rule' Tanks in California, Harmful to Tech Startups

Cato: What is Judicial Activism?

Cato: Obama's Double-Secret Violation of the Constitution

Cato: Eyes Wide Shut to Trade Policies That Would Encourage Domestic Investment and Hiring

Townhall.com: Obama's Hope and Change Promise Reconsidered

Post-Dispatch: Roy Blunt mulling Senate leadership bid

Missouri News Horizon: State Audit Finds Patrol Mergers Cost Money

Keith Hennessey: Good CEOs plan ahead

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/22/11

2011-09-22T11:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks for checking in, here are Thursday's lunch links:

Heritage: Obama Falling Short on Israel

Heritage: Too Many Cooks in the Homeland Security Kitchen

Heritage: Obamacare: Forgotten, But Not Gone?

Cato: Rating Congress on Transparency

Cato: The Federal Reserve, the "Twist", Inflation, QE3, and Pushing on a String

Cato: Warren Buffett's Tax Story is Bogus

Keith Hennessey: A Fundamental Fiscal Deception

Townhall.com: Hang Together or Hang Alone

Joplin Globe: Missouri AG Koster issues findings on loan to fund 9/11 concert

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/21/11

2011-09-21T09:54:00.001-05:00

Good Wednesday morning, and welcome to the middle of the week. Here are today's lunch links:

Heritage: The Obama Investigations

Heritage: Why Hugo Chaves Will Not Be Missed at the United Nations

Heritage: Solyndra Execs Renege, Will Take the Fifth at Oversight Hearing

Cato: Private Insurance is More Effective than Medicare - By Far

Cato: "The Difference Between Governments Where There Is Responsibility, and Where There Is None."

Cato: Sweet Commerce in South Asia

Townhall.com: Tyranny of the Typical

Townhall.com: Unsound Bites

Townhall.com: Exciting Schools

Missouri News Horizon: Weather Service says Joplin residents 'desensitized' to sirens before May tornado

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/20/11

2011-09-20T09:47:00.000-05:00

Good Tuesday morning and here are your daily lunch links:

Cato: Do the Rich Avoid Taxes?

Cato: Unions Can't Force Non-Members to Pay for Political Advocacy

Cato: One Simple Reason (and Two Easy Steps) to Show Why Obama's Soak-the-Rich Tax Hikes Won't Work

Heritage: $1.5 Trillion in New Taxes

Heritage: 'Green Jobs' Proponents Continue to Tout Solyndra Program as Success

Heritage: Senators' No Child Left Behind 'Fix' Is on Washington's Terms

Townhall.com: The Lecturer-in-Chief Has Forfeited His Moral Authority

PoliticMo: Blunt back Romney

Show-Me Daily: The Boston Tea Party and... Targeted Tax Credits?

Joplin Globe: Gov. Nixon pledges funds for demolition costs

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/19/11

2011-09-19T09:08:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, I hope everyone enjoyed Mizzou's 69-0 trouncing of Western Illinois. Here are today's lunch links:

Heritage: Obama's War on Job Creators

Heritage: Visa Overstays: Moving Forward with US Security and Public Diplomacy

Heritage: Heritage Responds to Obama's Debt Reduction and Tax Proposal

Cato: Job-Killing Politicians, Modern Military Hawks, and Hapless Central Banks

Cato: America Debates the Constitution

Cato: Let the Market Cut Medicare?

Cato: CPAs Celebrate as Obama Proposes to Create a Turbo-Charged Alternative Minimum Tax

Show-Me Daily: SLU and Mizzou Economists Weigh in on Aerotropolis Job Estimates

N.Y. Times: The Autoworkers' Have and Have-Nots

AP: Obama to propose $1.5 trillion in new tax revenue

Joplin Globe: Area communities fighting to save their post offices

Joplin Globe: Gov. Nixon will speak to Joplin City Council

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/16/11

2011-09-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

Good Friday morning and happy Constitution Day! Here are today's lunch links:

Heritage: Solyndra Scandal Ends Green Jobs Myth

Heritage: How Think Tanks Are Reshaping Journalism

Heritage: Will the Next Generation of Fighters Fly?

Cato: Does the PPACA's Mandate 'Carry into Execution' the Commerce Clause?

Cato: Dangerous Lessons in Islamaphobia at the FBI

Cato: How to Spot Failure

Townhall.com: Attackwatch.com if the Administration's Latest Propaganda Arm

Townhall.com: Looking for Love

Columbia Tribune: Osceola urges Kansas to drop Jayhawk name

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/15/11

2011-09-15T11:07:00.000-05:00

Thanks for tuning in, here are Thursday's lunch links:

Heritage: The Tale of Two Job Plans

Heritage: Education Unions: Made Simple

Heritage: Faith-Based Organization Addresses Poverty "From the Inside Out"

Cato: Property Rights Are Not Second-Class Rights

Cato: For Jobs, Look to Microeconomics

Cato: Is It Too Late for Another Candidate?

Politico: Crowell floats flouting primary rules

Washington University Student Life: Student opinions mixed of SU decision to fund Gore speech ($92k to College Dems)

Show-Me Institute: The State Constitutional Question: Are the Aerotropolis Tax Credits Even Legal?

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/14/11

2011-09-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

This is the Constitutionalist's 99th post and Wednesday's versions of lunch links:

Heritage: Confronting Terror the Best Way We Can

Heritage: Another Loss for Obamacare

Cato: Attack on US Embassy Highlights Need to Exit Afghanistan

Cato: Bathtubs, Terrorists, and Overreaction

Cato: Dramatic Increase in Poverty Rate: One Small Step for Obama, One Giant Step for the So-Called War on Poverty

Townhall.com: Too Much Higher Education

Townhall.com: Ponzi! Ponzi! Ponzi!

AP: Joplin seeks approval for redevelopment district

Missourinet: Aerotropolis falls out of Eco Devo bill

Engage: The Journal of the Federalist Society's Practice Groups: Ramifications of Repealing the 17th Amendments

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/13/11

2011-09-13T11:10:00.001-05:00

Some great reads for your Tuesday lunch hour:

Cato: Social Security Demagoguery from Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann: Economically Wrong, Politically Wrong

Cato: Jobs Bill Only Makes Political Sense

Cato: Overregulation, Swing States and D.C. Cynicism

Cato: Ackermann and Dimon 1; Benanke and Geithner 0

Heritage: Surprising Facts About America's Poor

Heritage: Texas Coal Company Lays Off 500, Sues to Block EPA Regulation

Heritage: Simple Steps for Super Committee Transparency

Joplin Globe: Attorney general to review use of fund money for concert loan

Politico: Crossroads takes flight with "Air Claire"

News-Leader: Blunt cosponsors bill to halt federal regulations

Townhall.com: Memo to GOP: Social Security Demagoguery Is the Province of Liberals

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/12/11

2011-09-12T10:13:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning and welcome to today's edition of lunch links:

Heritage: Preserve the Constitution, Now More Than Ever

Heritage: Chart of the Week: How Social Security Contributes to Spending Crisis

Heritage: Illegal Immigration: Fixing the Entire System

Cato: President Obama's $447 Billion Tax Increase

Cato: You Can't Patent Thoughts

Cato: Adam Gopnik Fails the Ideological Turing Test

Cato: Capital Gains Taxes: Washington Post Omissions

Joplin Globe: Memorial service challenges community to look beyond 9/11 and May 22

Townhall.com: Tim Pawlenty Endorses Mitt Romney

Townhall.com: Of Course Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

9/11/01, America Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

It's been ten years since America was attacked by terrorists, since that time we've found our spirit, witnessed the resilience of our neighbors, and learned what it means to be an American.

Everyone will always remember where they were on that cool September morning. For me, I was in a Spanish II class in 8th grade when the first tower was struck. I remember the principal, Mr. Spurgeon, coming over the intercom and telling the teachers to check their e-mail. Nothing was mentioned until the end of class when Mr. Benson, the Spanish teacher, told us that our homeroom teachers would have something to tell us. I made my way down the hall and into my homeroom teacher's classroom. Not long after we'd been in the classroom, the second tower struck. For a room full of 14 and 13 year olds, none of us really could grasp the gravity of the situation. I remember standing, watching the TV and playing with a football; waiting for someone on the television to tell us what was really happening. As the day went on, students were shuffled down their normal schedule, some teachers suspended what ever was on the agenda for the day for news coverage, while others tried to keep some sort of structure in class, most doing the latter. I'll never forget the busride home that afternoon and passing gas stations that had people lined up all the way to the streets, I think that was the first moment of how I saw 9/11 affecting the entire nation. When I walked through my front door at home, I saw a poster of lower Manhattan that had been hanging in my room sitting on the table of my front room. This put everything more in perspective. The falling of WTC towers not only would change the landscape of the New York skyline, but also the landscape of the American spirit.

From @ThinkProgress, last night's view of the NYC skyline with the Freedom Tower under construction and shrouded in red, white and blue

Many urge people to remember how they felt on 9/12. The day that America came together, the day that we showed the world that America would not stand idly by as freedom was attacked. For weeks, we learned about the heroes that were involved in search and recovery at Ground Zero, those that paid the ultimate price so that others might be able go home to their families, and the bravery of those that took down flight 93 over a field in Pennsylvania.

I find it also important to remember how life was on 9/10. To defeat terrorism, the people of America cannot let others affect the way that we live our lives, and we should implore our government to do the same. I'm often reminded of the infamous Benjamin Franklin quote: "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

The American people cannot allow our government to pass acts such as the Patriot Act to infringe on our essential freedoms and has been resulted in warrants 1,618 for times drugs, 122 times for fraud and merely 15 times for terrorism. We cannot let our government use the TSA to invade the privacy of passengers in the name of safety. We cannot let the memory of those lost on 9/11 be invoked to take away liberty and freedom.

On this 10 year anniversary of 9/11 let's remember those that gave they're all so we can be free, and not let their passing be in vain. Honor those affected by September 11th by continuing to live the American Dream.

Lunch Links - 9/9/11

2011-09-09T10:51:00.002-05:00

Some Friday lunch links for everyone:

Heritage: More "Stimulus" from President Obama

Heritage: President Obama's Stimulus Speech - The Sequel

Heritage: Reaction Roundup: Heritage Responds to Obama's Jobs Speech

Cato: One Expensive New Job Forward, Two Existing Jobs Back

Cato: Obama's Economic Policy: From Tragedy to Farce

Cato: For Jobs, Cut the Corporate Tax Rate

Cato: Fourth Circuit Dismisses Virginia's Obamacare Suit; Time for Supreme Court to Act

Townhall.com: Social Security: Admitting You Have a Problem Is the First Step

Show-Me Daily: How New Argument for Tax Breaks in Kansas City: Abate My Taxes, Or I Just Might Build a Quicktrip

Joplin Globe: Tulsa, local Habitat groups team up for Ten for Joplin

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Republican Debate Reactions

2011-09-08T11:53:00.001-05:00

Like many red-blooded conservatives and political junkies, I spent last evening watching the Republican debate held at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.

Who won?

I think that most people could probably agree that Rick Perry held his own and can maintain his frontrunner status after this debate. This is, in part, due to the fact that the moderators spent a great amount of time giving Perry and Romney a clear majority of the questions, and also because other candidates were taking shots at the Texas Governor to try and bring down his poll numbers.

Perry may have come away with some bruises. Some believe that his stance on Social Security, namely calling it a "scheme" and "monstrous lie" (although this blogger agrees), may come back to bite him as we draw nearer to both the primary and general elections.

At the end of the night, Perry didn't disappoint. And barring unforeseen circumstances, this election seems his to lose.

Who gained the most ground?

Newt Gingrich may have risen from the political dead, again, last night. While most believe that Newt is entirely unelectable due to personal history and political history (seemingly losing a battle to Clinton as Speaker in '90s), last night he showed that he was still relevant. Much like in the first debate, where the former Speaker called out moderators for "gotcha" questions, Newt took the opportunity to call out Brian Williams and Politico's John Harris for attempting to create more in-fighting between the presidential hopefuls to the applause of attendees. At the end of his answer Gingrich said "And if this president had any concern for working Americans, he’d walk in Thursday night and ask us to repeal (Obamacare) because it’s a monstrosity. Every person up here agrees with that."

On local talk radio this morning in Columbia, many callers voiced their belief that they would enjoy seeing Gingrich take on Obama in a one-on-one debate, some even claiming that Gingrich would "eviscerate" the current President.

Jon Huntsman and Herman Cain were also impressive and gained considerable ground in my opinion. They showed that this was more than just a two man race with positive plans and good sound bites for Cain and a message that is more likely to translate to independent voters for Huntsman.

Who lost the most ground?

A drop in Michele Bachmann's numbers translated into a drop in questions asked. There were points where Bachmann was so invisible, it lead some politico's to question whether or not she was there. Already losing ground, a relatively weak showing in the debate leads me to believe that the Congresswoman will continue to fade as the campaign continues.

Also, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney often missed the point with conservatives. For those that can view the current status of Social Security with at least one foot in reality, his attack on Perry may have cast him aside from a conservative base.

Ranking the eight:

1. Perry

2. Romney*

3. Paul

4. Gingrich

5. Bachmann

6. Cain

7. Huntsman

8. Santorum

* The distance between 2 and 3 are huge. Unless someone makes a relatively large move in the polls, this will end up a two-man race quickly.

Lunch Links - 9/8/11

2011-09-08T09:57:00.002-05:00

"If we win one tomorrow, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before" THREE days of lunch links in a row!

Heritage: Five Ways to Create New Jobs in America

Heritage: Want to Help Job Creation? Don't Forget to Repeal Obamacare

Heritage: County Subsidizes $500,000 Homes Under "Affordable Housing" Banner

Cato: Government and Job Creation: Help or Hindrance?

Cato: No Additional Subsidies for State & Local Governments

Cato: Another Judicial Takings Case Reaches the Supreme Court

Cato: Grading the Likely Components of Obama's New Stimulus Plan

News-Leader: Blunt: Obama set 'high bar' with tonight's venue

AP: State Senate panel approves repeal of school internet law

Politico: The Republican presidential debate: Eight takeaways

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/7/11

2011-09-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

For the second day in a row, here are some lunch links:

Heritage: Four Ways Obama Has Blocked Job Growth

Heritage: The China Models

Cato: Yes, the Department of Education Is Unconstitutional

Cato: President Obama vs. the People on Smaller Government

Cato: If You Like Obama's Economic Team, You'll Love Romney's...

Show-Me Institute: A Reminder: Tax Credits Are Not Free Money

Politico: White House on Hoffa: "Can we move on?"

Joplin Globe: Commercial property tax relief added to special session agenda

News-Leader: Senator stalls work as Missouri special session starts

The PoliticMo Daily Rundown

Lunch Links - 9/6/11

2011-09-06T10:11:00.000-05:00

So, over the weekend, I remembered I had a blog. To celebrate, here are today's lunch links:

Heritage: Big Government Rising?

Heritage: Obama to Call for Washington-Built Schools in "Jobs Speech"

Heritage: A Jobless Labor Day

Cato: Olbermann mocks Obama's "Jobs" Plan; Try Blenders, Not More School Spending

Cato: Are Tax Havens Moral or Immoral?

St. Louis Beacon: Police, Facebook and presidential politics all on Missouri's special session agenda

KC Star: Jobs are focus of special Missouri legislative session

The PoliticMo Rundown

Redistributing Blame

2011-08-08T03:30:00.000-05:00

It didn't take long for the left to attempt to vilify the Tea Party in order to save political face in the wreckage of America's Sovereign Credit Rating. MoveOn.org issued the first shot across the bow toward the Tea Party with an attempted Twitter smear campaign through the hashtag #TeaPartyDowngrade.

In addition to the party hackery from MoveOn, David Axelrod, Howard Dean and Senator John Kerry all attempted to pin the blame on the Tea Party. Senate Ka-Billionaire Kerry did so on "Meet the Press" Sunday, stating that the credit adjustment was "without question, (a) tea party downgrade." In "Face the Nation", party hack David Axelrod stated "this is essentially a Tea Party downgrade." Also on "Face the Nation", Howard Dean claimed that "this is a tea party problem."

If you can recall, Democratic "leadership" offered no viable vision, no plan to fix the economy, and no budget for the last 800+ days. Instead, they engaged in demagoguery, class warfare and suggested economy-crippling tax hikes. Where were these efforts for the two years that Democrats controlled nearly every facet of government? Was the left so concerned with shoving Obamacare down the throats of America that no thought was given in how to fund it or the countless other areas of out-of-control spending in the federal government?

It's unsurprising, mundane and obvious that the left would immediately try to polarize those seeking fiscal sanity in Washington. The S&P downgrade is not a reflection of the state of the nation since the 2010 mid-term elections where a wave of fiscal hawks looking to corral Washington's addiction to our tax dollars; it is a reflection of a long-term, bi-partisan policy of irresponsibility.

The short-term-memory-lacking left will certainly be reminded of the will of the American people in the next 15 months as even more tax-and-spend liberals, from the House, Senate and White House, are ousted in favor of those that actually give a damn about America's future and not name-calling, blaming, politicking and demagoguery.

The credit rating and America's future

2011-08-06T01:15:00.001-05:00

Today, the S&P downgraded America's sovereign credit rating from AAA to AA+. This was the first time in history that America's credit rating had been downgraded. Along with the downgrade, S&P offered a press release with the following reasons for the downgrade:

– We have lowered our long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States of America to ‘AA+’ from ‘AAA’ and affirmed the ‘A-1+’ short-term rating.

– We have also removed both the short- and long-term ratings from CreditWatch negative.

– The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government’s medium-term debt dynamics.

– More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating on April 18, 2011.

– Since then, we have changed our view of the difficulties in bridging the gulf between the political parties over fiscal policy, which makes us pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government’s debt dynamics any time soon.

– The outlook on the long-term rating is negative. We could lower the long-term rating to ‘AA’ within the next two years if we see that less reduction in spending than agreed to, higher interest rates, or new fiscal pressures during the period result in a higher general government debt trajectory than we currently assume in our base case.

S&P also went on to outline other reasons for the downgrade including, perhaps most importantly, this gem:

We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and will remain a contentious and fitful process. We also believe that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration agreed to this week falls short of the amount that we believe is necessary to stabilize the general government debt burden by the middle of the decade.

The lowering of the credit rating should serve as a wake-up call to all of those on both sides of isle. Real concessions need to be made in order to restore America's credit and make sure that hard-working people across the nation aren't put out by the childish actions of politicians. It is not the time to put party first, but the time to put America first. I've made it no secret which political ideology I side with, but the weak deal struck by the "leaders" in Washington has the capability to lead to an even more damaging economic situation. Many personal lines of credit are tied to some sort of index rating, while means that the lowering of the US credit rating will mean higher interest rates for you and I.

Furthermore, the immediate actions of Congress should not be so directly tied to the financial rating of the nation. The tentacles of American government should not be so deeply entwined with the American way of life that such a devastating event can occur. No matter what political ideology you follow, there's little doubt that this is NOT the man you want in charge of your economic decisions and credit rating:

Libertarianism v. Conservatism, live debate by Cato

2011-07-21T17:50:00.000-05:00

If folks aren't watching, here's a great live debate by interns at the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundations.

http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=7905

The McConnell Plan, passing the buck

2011-07-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

One of the many Republican plans going around D.C. to solve the debt crisis before the August 2nd deadline is the McConnell Plan. The Senate's fall-back plan has already caught the ire of many House Republicans for it's surrender of powers to the President and it's clever attempt to play politics.

Most accurately, Jacob Sullum of Townhall.com referred to the plan as a "humiliating abdication of legislative responsibility." Sullum explains the McConnell Plan in his story with the following scenario:

"Instead of approving additional borrowing, Congress passes a bill that authorizes the president to initiate a series of three increases in the debt limit. Congress can still vote against each round of new borrowing, but Obama can veto those resolutions of disapproval, meaning a two-thirds majority of each house is required to make them stick. In effect, Plan B allows a minority to approve an increase in the debt limit that would otherwise require a majority."

This plan is, in no way, a fix. McConnell's plan does nothing to fix our deficit crisis, instead it passes the buck so that Republicans can attempt to avoid blame by intentionally surrendering power to the executive branch with the full intention of allowing the Democrats to further ruin the economy.

Imagine a legislature with the ideals of those attending the original Philadelphia Convention. Those that were interested in limiting their own power for the benefit of their constituents. Men that were interested in the future of their young nation, spreading freedom and liberty, and having a place for their children and grandchildren to thrive on their own autonomy. Those running America today are a far cry from those self-less founding fathers that risked everything for a great experiment that has become the greatest nation in the world. We should implore our Senators and Representatives to restore the American way by limiting the powers of government, not giving Barack Obama a blank check.

A sustainable economic plan

2011-07-19T17:49:00.000-05:00

While driving home from Washington D.C. yesterday, I had the opportunity to listen to lots of talk radio and got some wonderful ideas for some blog posts. I'll share more about my trip at another time, but one thing I find it important to write about is the looming default of American credit and talks to corral our spending.

Mark Levin outlined, on my drive home, an important message to Republicans in the deal-making process. While Republicans are attempting to make strides to ensure a brighter American future in negotiations with the President, Levin offers this:

"We all know where the country is headed, we all know what the problem is. We all know that the Tea Party movement is not only right, but it's the only thing saving this nation. So the paradox is, that it's treated as some small, insignificant force, when in fact they are urging the only way out. Another paradox; in order to change Washington, George [Will], you gotta change Washington. Right? And so what the Tea Party movement is trying to do, what the Reagan Revolution is trying to do and what the conservatives in the conservative movement have been hoping and trying to do is to reverse course. You can't reverse course without reversing course. You can't slash spending without slashing spending. In other words, talk is cheap and now it's time to act."

The American people should not be satisfied with a clandestine deal involving a minimal reduction in spending in exchange for an expansion in our already-crippling debt. We need a balanced budget, lower taxes, and a stable economy. We the people are engaged with the political process and will not settle for the selling of our future and a mortgage of our children's future. We want the Republican party to be the people's advocate in Washington, D.C., and we sent that message loud and clear in November of 2010 and we will do so again in November of 2012. But if those for fiscal responsibility haven't found an advocate in D.C. by this upcoming election cycle, we'll send in a new round of even-more-conservative men and women to Capitol Hill.

Obama, who was a Constitutional Law professor at the University of Chicago, has said he will veto the Tea Party-backed plan and balanced budget amendment. For those that aren't familiar with the process, a Constitutional amendment must pass both the House and the Senate by a 2/3 majority and would then need to be ratified by 3/4 of the states. Missing from this process, as a Constitutional Law professor should probably be able to see, is the Office of the President. Even more embarrassing is the fact that there is even a Con Law case that re-states the President's absence from the process, Hollingsworth v. Virginia.

A balanced budget amendment is not out of reach. 49 states, Vermont being the lone hold-out, have a balanced budget policy, and as recently as March of 1995, an amendment to balance the budget passed the House and was just one vote short of passing the Senate. Now is the time for the citizens that believe in saving the economy to contact Congress and urge them to save America's future with this sustainable economic plan.

Today at the Philadelphia Convention (Via the Federalist Society)

2011-07-07T14:09:00.002-05:00

I saw the following on the Federalist Society's facebook page. Thought it was worth sharing:

On July 7, 1787, delegates discussed whether each State should receive one vote in the Second Branch. Roger Sherman supported the clause, arguing that if each State has an equal vote, “there must be always a majority of States as well as a majority of the people on the side of public measures, and the government will have decision and efficacy.” Delegates voted 6-3-2 to retain the provision of equal votes in the Second Branch. Elbridge Gerry asked that they enumerate and define the powers of the general government and said that “the new government would be partly national, partly federal, and that it ought in the first quality to protect individuals; in the second, the States.” On the point of defining powers, James Madison observed, “that it would be impossible to say what powers could be safely and properly vested in the government before it was known, in what manner the States were to be represented in it.” Gouverneur stated his opposition to the conditions of the report, asserting that, “Among the many provisions which had been urged, he had seen none for supporting the dignity and splendor of the American Empire.”

Source: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_707.asp

Independence Day

2011-07-04T19:04:00.000-05:00

Today is the 235th anniversary of freedom. Our founding fathers began a great experiment to find what a republican government run by the principles of liberty and representative democracy could accomplish. Their goal was to preserve the autonomy of our nation's people and of our collective states.

These ideals seem mostly lost in today's society and especially lost on those we've sent to Washington D.C. Now is a good time to reflect on what most inspired our founders to seek a new form of government, and there's no better place to look than the document that was signed on this day; the Declaration of Independence and specifically the wrongs done by the king. You might keep an eye out for a few that might seem like something we're going through right now:

*He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

*He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

*He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

*He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

*He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

*He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

*He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

*He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

*He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

*He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

*He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

*He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

*He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
*For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
*For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
*For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
*For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
*For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
*For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
*For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
*For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
*For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

*He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

*He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

*He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

*He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

*He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

It's not to say that we were facing the same sort of tyranny that our forefathers did, nor do we have to make the same heroic decisions that they did. But it's important to remember that tyranny is not dead, and we as a society must remember how our nation was born and the importance of maintaining our democratic republic so many have fought and dead to preserve.

Missouri Southern, Joplin's University

2011-07-03T21:39:00.001-05:00

For the last month and a half, Joplin has been recovering from one of the deadliest and most devastating tornadoes in history. Luckily, Joplin has leadership and a plan.

Less than a month before the tornado struck, Missouri Southern State University joined with the Red Cross to create a disaster plan and utilize MSSU's campus for in case of a major emergency. At that time, it's like that no one predicted how quickly this plan would have to go into action.

Within moments of the tragedy on May 22nd, MSSU and Red Cross staff and volunteers went into action at the University setting up cots for the shelter and a triage unit at the new health sciences building. For the next month, it was central ops for healthcare, shelter, volunteer coordination and overall logistics. When Joplin was reeling, Southern showed leadership and continues to do so.

Now, I've written before to sing the praises for my alma mater, but this may the most deserved commendation I've offered yet. It's not to say that Joplin would have been lost without the guidance and facilities provided by Missouri Southern, there is no question that Joplin would have been able to handle the disaster no matter what resources they were relegated to. But there is also no question that MSSU has solidified itself even further as an integral part of Southwest Missouri and will forever be Joplin's University.

Lunch Links - 6/15/11

2011-06-15T09:16:00.000-05:00

Wednesday's lunch links:

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - A Showdown over the War in Libya

Heritage: Paul Winfree - Obamacare's Premium Subsidies Will Stifle Small Business

Heritage: Rob Bluey - Just How Big Is $1 Trillion?

Cato: Roger Pilon - Magna Carta Day

Cato: Trevor Burrus - Justice Thomas and That Which Is Not Seen

Cato: Andrew J. Coulson - Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds State Law Curtailing Collective Bargaining Powers

Missourinet: Jessica Machetta - MU ag professor: flood-damaged delta farmland a huge economic loss

Joplin Globe: Wally Kennedy - Joplin home put back together in seven days

Townhall: Guy Benson - "Ally" Watch: Pakistan Detains Five CIA Informants

Townhall: John Stossel - The Money Hole

Lunch Links - 6/14/11

2011-06-14T11:48:00.000-05:00

Today's lunch links:

Heritage: Marion Smith - Flag Day 2011: It's a Flag Worth Flying

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Unemployment Is No Laughing Matter

Heritage: Nicolas Loris - Obama's Green Policies Will Turn the Lights Out on Job Creation

Cato: David Boaz - President Obama and the Auto Industry

Cato: Julian Sanchez - FBI's New Guidelines Further Loosen Constraints on Monitoring

Cato: Justin Logan - Overcommitted in Afghanistan

Cato: Daniel J. Mitchell - Corrupt Obamacare Waiver Process Is Like a Scence from Atlas Shrugged

Cato: Andrew J. Coulson - Ranking the Carter School Networks

MissouriNet: Brent Martin - Floodwaters breach levees, heighten worry downstream

Joplin Globe: Our View - Leave Joplin out of it

Lunch Links - 6/13/11

2011-06-13T10:10:00.003-05:00

Welcome back! I hope everyone has had a good weekend. Here are today's lunch links:

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Send Education Dollars and Decision-Making Back Home

Heritage: David Azerrad - Beyond the American Dream: Those Amazing Americans!

Heritage: James Sherk - U.S. Chamber and AFL-CIO Join Forces to Lobby for Spending Spree

Heritage: David Weinberger - Texas-Sized Job Growth

Cato: David Boaz - Marriage and the Courts

Cato: Walter Olson - A Case that "Should Never Have Been Prosecuted"

Cato: Trevor Burrus - "Repitition of Constitutional Error Does No Produce Constitutional Truth"

Cato: Mark A. Calabria - On Government Spending and Job Creation

Joplin Globe: Alexandra Nicolas - Red Cross downsizing, closing shelter at MSSU

Joplin Globe: Susan Redden - Disaster funding bill faces hurdles

PoliticMO: Eli Yokley - FEMA trailers rolling toward Joplin, clean-up moving forward

Politico: Marin Cogan - Farm subsidies test GOP frosh

AP: David Lieb - Nixon faces veto choice on Mo. voting laws

Washington Missourian - Evin Fritschle - Communities Preparing for River Flooding

Lunch Links - 6/9/11

2011-06-09T08:35:00.000-05:00

I'm heading back home for the weekend soon, so you might not hear from me for a couple days. Tomorrow is my mother's birthday, so if you see her, she's 49. Don't tell her I told you that.

Here are today's lunch links:

Heritage: Rob Bluey - Huge Oil Discovery in Gulf of Mexico Underscores Importance of Exploration

Heritage: Rob Bluey - Why Isn't the National Debt a Sexy Story?

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Video: JPMorgan's Dimon Takes on Fed Chairman Benanke

Heritage: Owen Graham - Will the United State Be Prepared?

Cato: Ilya Shapiro - The Obamacare Lawsuit: from the Courtroom in Atlanta

Cato: Malou Innocent - Senate Report Slams Nation-Building Efforts in Afghanistan

Cato: David Rittgers - Department of Education SWAT Raid for Unpaid Student Loans

Townhall: Michael Barone - Free Market, Not Government Policy, Drives Energy Boom

Townhall: Larry Elder - Breitbart 1, Weiner 0

PoliticMo: Eli Yokley - VIDEO: House delegation tours, works in Joplin

Joplin Globe: Wally Kennedy - Joplin school officials weigh offer of MoDOT building

Lunch Links - 6/8/11

2011-06-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

As I try to get back on something that resembles a "normal" schedule, I'll try to do lunch links again. Here are the ones for today:

Heritage: Rory Cooper - General Motors CEO Wants Higher Gas Prices

Heritage: Rob Bluey - Federal Government's Debt, Unfunded Obligations Grew Rapidly Last Year

Heritage: James Gattuso - The Views of the Obama Administration on Regulatory Reform

Heritage: Jack Spencer - Nuclear Power and the Energy Roadmap for America's Future

Cato: Caleb O. Brown - The Constitutional Case for Marriage Equality

Cato: Andrew J. Coulson - New Cato Study: Philanthropists are Replicating Charter Schools.. At Random

KY3: Linda Russell - Joplin tornado recovery center offers help from 13 state departments

Missouri News Horizon: Tim Sampson - More Than 40 Scams Reported In Joplin Tornado Aftermath

Real Clear Politics: David Harsanyi - Let's Not Forget About Obamacare

Townhall: John Stossel - The Cancer of Regulation

Quick update and Weekend Reading: Federalists #52 and 53

2011-06-03T11:42:00.000-05:00

This weekend is going to be very busy for me. I got everything sorted out with my auto insurance provider and I'll finally be able to replace my truck in the next couple of days. This means, bittersweetly, that I'll probably be returning to Columbia soon after. It's with a heavy heart that I leave Joplin in a time of such great need, but I've already missed two weeks of my summer class and I'll return as soon as those are over. I hope to be able to work with Hearts & Hammers or Habitat for Humanity to help Joplin in the rebuilding process and try to get displaced families back into new, permanent homes. This will be a long and arduous process, but I plan to take part as much as I can between the end of the summer session and the beginning of the fall semester.

Since I won't be able to blog for the remainder of the weekend, I'll leave you with some weekend reading. This is only the second installment, but I think it's a good opportunity for readers of my blog to understand what shapes my views and what things I hold dear. Since I've spent lots of time trying to go toe-to-toe with a couple Congressman, I figured it would be an appropriate time to direct readers to Federalist Papers #52 and #53, both authored by James Madison. I hope you learn a little and enjoy!

How the GOP should have handled the Joplin tornado: a political perspective

2011-06-02T12:10:00.000-05:00

Many families here in Joplin are still sifting through the pieces of their life and trying to become adjusted to the new "normal" that has come to be. And for many, it may seem to soon to take a political perspective on what happened here in Southwest Missouri. I, however, am political by nature, and I think it would be dishonest of me to abstain from writing what has been at the forefront of my head for the past couple of days.

For GOP leadership it was a good opportunity to either keep their mouths shut or show a little a heart. The American people are not an unempathetic bunch. We care about our neighbors (even kansans crossed the border to help out Missourians), and we want to see one another thrive and we will not stand for those that refuse to offer a helping hand to our fellow Americans. Eric Cantor didn't have to say anything about the Tornado that ripped through Joplin, but when he did, it should have been about extending a hand to those that have lost everything and helping them rebuild their lives.

For Billy Long, he should have continued the tune he sang right after the tornado struck. Billy immediately said he had talked to FEMA, commended the job of FEMA, and was on the scene. However, as soon as one of his party leaders stuffed his foot firmly in his mouth, Billy clammed up. Congressman Long chose not to stand up for his constituents when that was all he needed to do, and I hope my neighbors will remember that this next election cycle.

Republican ideology does not call for the abandonment of humanity. While conservatives like me think that rolling back entitlements to help reign in out-of-control government spending is a necessity, it's not a party platform to let people starve in the streets. The most ardent constitutional conservatives know that providing for the general welfare of the United States and regulating interstate commerce are enumerated in the Constitution and that an institution such as FEMA, while possibly ineffective in some cases, is certainly "necessary and proper" to the general welfare of the people in situations such as the one here in Joplin. Even those that may disagree with a FEMA-friendly position, cannot possibly excuse sending $6,000,000 to Pakistan and turning our backs on fellow Americans.

Despite the opportunities to help our fellow man possible, some on my side of the aisle decided to make nation-wide headlines (and here) by making this a political issue. They decided, at this crossroads of clarity in GOP ideology, to take the un-sustainable, heartless role. I hope more Republicans will join me in saying that conservativism and compassion are not antonyms, and sustainable political ideology lays with helping our neighbors in times of absolute need in a constitutionally sound manner.

Governor's office confirms no unaccounted for in Joplin, 124 confirmed and identified deceased.

2011-06-01T15:41:00.000-05:00

At noon today, Governor Nixon's office released that everyone was accounted for in connection with the Joplin tornado and 124 were confirmed deceased and identified.

The list can be found in PDF form at the link: here

Maybe Eric Cantor should tour Joplin

2011-06-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

The one thing I've noticed as I've spent time looking at the damage in my home town as I and my neighbors try to help pick up the pieces, is the stark contrast between the images I see on television and the images that will forever be emblazoned in my memory.

As I read somewhere on Twitter, and you'll have to forgive me for not remembering the source, "a picture is worth a thousand words, but seeing what has happened to Joplin in person will leave you speechless." There is no picture that can do proper justice to the scene here in Southwest Missouri.

I believe that this may be why Eric Cantor originally came out holding Joplin hostage for more budget cuts. Nothing can convey the heartache and loss felt by those affected by this devastating tornado. That's why I think it would be beneficial for Congressman Cantor to see Joplin with his own eyes. To view the damage caused on May 22nd and to see the American spirit that has overtaken our city, would surely help Mr. Cantor see the light.

While Joplin's Congressman (or more accurately Springfield's Congressman) has been AWOL on the issue, I'd like to personally invite Congressman Cantor to view the tornado devastated city of Joplin, to see the needs of our community, to see how the federal government has helped in an appropriate manner in my hometown, and to see how "necessary and proper" disaster assistance is in situations such as these.

The rebuilding effort in Joplin, Missouri

2011-05-31T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Memorial Day weekend gave those in Joplin and the surrounding area an opportunity to spend an extra day helping our neighbors.

The Joplin R-8 Superintendent C.J. Huff announced that Joplin's Bright Futures program, a volunteer organization set up to ensure success of Joplin students, has also set up RebuildJoplin.org, which would allow more giving opportunities around the community as well as an avenue for volunteers to aid in the rebuilding process.

Missouri Southern State University also announced that the Foundation at the University has set up the Tornado Emergency Relief Fund to help answer the outpouring of generosity from alumni and community members. The school has also set up a way for those interested in donate on-line at the above link.

While the relief and rebuilding process continues, for many with homes, cars and place of employment intact, it's back to work. It's eerie to think of things being "back to normal", for many, the idea of "normal" will never be the same. As everyone attempts to return to the lives their used to, please try to keep Joplin's families in your thoughts and prayers.

Stories of Heroism from Joplin, Missouri

2011-05-30T10:37:00.002-05:00

On this Memorial Day, a day to remember those who have lost their lives protecting our great nation, we may also remember some other heroes. Heroes, that just over a week ago, gave up their lives so that others may live. President Obama mentioned a couple of stories in his address at last night's memorial service in Joplin and I want give everyone the opportunity to read about those and the other men and women that made the ultimate sacrifice.

Grace Aquino and her 12 year old son, Malachi, were in Harmony Heights Baptist Church near the corner of 20th and Indiana. As the tornado drew near, Grace shielded her son and the building began falling down around them. First responders came to the scene and heard Malachi yelling for help, they found him in his mother's arms. Grace Aquino saved her son by bearing the load of the building that had fallen on top of them.

Christopher Lucas was the manager of Pizza Hut near the corner of 20th and Rangeline. As the storm worsened, he sent his 4 employees and 15 patrons into the walk-in cooler for safety. However, the door to the cooler would not latch. Christopher tied a bungee cord to the door to try to keep it closed and wrapped the other end around his arm. As the tornado passed over, it ripped off the door and sucked Christopher out of the cooler. Christopher Lucas' bravery saved everyone else in that cooler.

Tommy Carpenter and many others were at Wal-Mart on 15th and Rangeline in Joplin at the time of the disaster. The grandmother of a 3-month-old asked Tommy to hold on her grandson because she was unsure she'd be able to. Tommy Carpenter protected the child through the tornado as the store was torn apart.

Dean Wells was an employee at the Home Depot near 20th and Rangeline. Just minutes before the tornado struck, Dean was on the phone with his wife the day before their 42nd wedding anniversary, he told her "I'll call you when everyone is safe." As people drove to the building seeking shelter, Dean stayed and directed them where to go. Dean Well died as the tornado destroyed the building.

Don Lansaw was at home with his wife on May 22nd. Both took refuge in a bathtub and Don protected his wife from debris and the house falling down around them. Don suffered a punctured lung and began to turn blue. His wife of 6 years, Bethany, tried to flag down a pick-up truck but it was too late. Don Lansaw gave his life so that his wife could live.

Streaming video of Joplin, Missouri memorial service

2011-05-29T13:55:00.002-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

An open letter to Eric Cantor

2011-05-27T19:19:00.001-05:00

Representative Cantor,

I read your unfortunate comments regarding the disaster relief money for the tornado devastated town of Joplin, Missouri.

Mr. Cantor, my neighbors are hurting. The death toll, as I write this, stands at 132. Those are sons, daughters, mothers and fathers. Some people were lucky to not have lost their lives and the their loved ones were spared, instead they lost their homes, cars, businesses or pets. These are the people that are in need of some sort of disaster assistance.

This is not the time to use the town of Joplin as a political prop. My neighbors who have gone through hell on Earth and most of whom are the most conservative in this nation do not want to be held as political leverage. Here in Joplin, we want our lives to be back to normal. We know that through our hard work, our city will be even greater than it was before the tornado ravaged our town. We also know that people come first.

I understand the importance of a smaller government and I've stood for conservative ideals here in southwest Missouri by writing and working on political campaigns for years, and I plan to do so for many years in the future. I find your position against the people here in Joplin to be heartless and unfortunate, and most of all philosophically bankrupt. With Congress passing funding for tons of pork projects and unsustainable spending in defense and entitlements, refusing funding for my devastated neighbors is despicable. I'm disappointed in you and any members of my Republican party that stand with you on this issue.

-William Lynch

Joplin Tornado

2011-05-26T01:35:00.001-05:00

For those that don't know, I was in Joplin during the tornado on Sunday. I was on my way out of town and the tornado picked up my truck with my girlfriend and myself in it, but thankfully both of us are okay.

Things have been crazy since this devastating event occurred, and Joplin needs your help. The community involvement so far has been breath-taking, but this will be a long and difficult road to recovery. Please visit HelpJoplin.com or redcross.org to find ways you can donate. You can also call 417-624-4411 to see what items are needed in our area and to be directed to a location that needs volunteers. If you're missing a loved one, you can check redcross.org/safeandwell or call 417-659-5464.

Also, please keep everyone affected by these storms in your prayers. This is a trying time for Joplin, Missouri, but this town is strong, we will come together and Joplin will be rebuilt.

Lunch Links - 5/19/11

2011-05-19T08:41:00.001-05:00

Happy Thursday! Here are the lunch links, hope you don't mind a little fluff to lead off:

Springfield News-Leader: Roseann Moring - Billy Long pumps gas, urges more offshore drilling

Springfield News-Leader - FEMA, SEMA tour damaged properties

Springfield News-Leader: Roaseann Moring - Lawmakers share their accomplishments

Joplin Globe: Wally Kennedy - MoDOT director: Cuts a matter of survival

Joplin Globe: Debby Woodin - Joplin officials scout out funding prospects

Heritage: Rachel Sheffield - Education Department Violates Law, and States Say "No" to National Standards

Heritage: David Weinberger - Paul Ryan's Budget is Good for America

Cato: Ilya Shapiro - If You Liked Obamacare, You'll Love Goodwin Liu

Cato: Neal McCluskey - One-third of College Degrees Wasted?

PoliticMO: Eli Yokley - Akin: 2012 offers choice of "two Americas"

KC Star Prime Buzz: Jason Noble - KC Rep Hughes has ethics problems -- AGAIN

Summer update

2011-05-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

Well finals have ended and as of now, I have only one class a day. That should give me a little extra time to write and also (maybe more importantly) read!

I've been doing a little bit of research on some upcoming blog posts, and hopefully I can roll those out pretty soon. I'd like to have at least one in-depth, research heavy post per week.

Also, while this may sound ludicrous, I'm considering working on writing a book. We'll see. Don't expect anything to get published, though.

Lunch Links - 5/18/11

2011-05-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

Wednesday's lunch links, I hope you enjoy them thoroughly and responsibly:

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - How about a National Obamacare Waiver?

Heritage: Todd Thurman - VIDEO: Rep. Paul Ryan Addresses the Debt Crisis

Heritage: Ray Walser - Chavez, Iran and Missiles: A Dangerous Step

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Pelosi's District Scores Big With Obamacare Waivers

Cato: Andrew J. Coulson - Willie Nelson Endorses Gary Johnson for President

Cato: Tad Dehaven - HUD's 'Wastelands'

Cato: Michael F. Cannon - Sit Down, Mitt, You're Not Helping

Politicmo: Eli Yokley - Akin launches statewide bid

Joplin Globe: Wally Kennedy - Group of towns asking road panel to delay vote on closing three offices

Springfield News-Leader: N-L Staff - Akin in Springfield today touting his run for U.S. Senate

Lunch Links - 5/17/11

2011-05-17T09:14:00.001-05:00

Today's lunch links:

Cato: Roger Pilon - Ron Paul and the General Welfare Clause

Cato: Michael F. Cannon - Pelosi's Constituents Found Out What's in ObamaCare, and They Don't Like It.

Cato: Julian Sanchez - Top NSA Mathematician: "I should apologize to the American people. It's violated everyone's rights."

Cato: Christopher Preble - The President's Next Middle East Speech

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Teaching Obama a Lesson on Education

Heritage: Ryan Messmore - Protecting Ineffective Programs Doesn't Protect the Poor

Heritage: Ericka Andersen - Minimum Wage Reality in America

Townhall: Phyllis Schafly - Patent Act Is Dangerous to U.S. Security

Townhall: David Limbaugh - Obamacare Based on Fraudulent Premise

Joplin Globe: Our View - Important Appointments (MSSU)

Lunch Links - 5/16/11

2011-05-16T10:33:00.001-05:00

As Elton John said in his 1974 album "Caribou": The Blog is Back... well, I might be paraphrasing, but here are today's lunch links:

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Myth-busting the Debt Limit

Heritage: Thomas Capone - Making Health Insurance More Accessible

Heritage: Bob Moffit - Medicare's Deteriorating Financial Condition

Cato: John Samples - What the Tea Party Hath Wrought?

Cato: Andrew J. Coulson - Vouchers vs. Tax Credit in Pennsylvania

Cato: Daniel J. Mitchell - Could Technical Default Today Save America from Greek-Style Disaster in the Future?

Townhall: Salena Zito - As Goes Jobs, So Goes Ohio

Springfield News-Leader: Malia Rulon - Government reviewing excess property

Joplin Globe: Susan Redden - Rep. Davis Honored by House Speaker

Bloomberg: Julia Hirschfeld Davis - Debt-Ceiling Vote Breeds Flip-Floppers as Lawmakers Eye Deadline

Lunch Links - 5/2/11

2011-05-02T10:42:00.002-05:00

Here are today's super abbreviated lunch links. Enjoy!

Associated Press - President: Bin Ladin killed in U.S. operation

Foreign Policy: Kori Schake - On Osama Bin Ladin

Heritage: Lisa Curtis - Pakistan, the Epicenter of Global Terrorism

Cato: Jim Harper - Can I Have My Airport Back Please?

Blog Redesign

2011-04-30T20:11:00.001-05:00

I have completely shirked all responsibility of reading and decided to re-design the blog. It's a work in progress, so let me know what you think.

I'm also changing the title, since none of the content had very much to do with being a law student and had far more to do with my political leanings.

Again, feedback is appreciated!

Weekend Reading: Civil Disobedience

2011-04-29T16:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks as if I need to learn everything there is to know about Civil Procedure, Property, Contracts and Criminal Law. Due to the fact that I need to, at some point, concentrate on my studies and now, being right before finals, seems like that appropriate time, I will be sparse for the next two weeks.

But fear not! I'll still be tweeting more than I ought to and hopefully, I'll still have time for lunch links.

To hold everyone over, I've decided that everyone should read Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience. All you have to do is click on that link and you'll be immersed in a world of learning far superior to anything you've experienced before. Be sure to have your dictionaries handy, Thoreau was a master of the language.

Also, I think it's a good idea for me to post some good short works on weekends to hold everyone over as I usually take a little break from blogging during said times. So, you can consider this your inaugural edition of "Weekend Reading."

Enjoy!

Lunch Links - 4/29/11

2011-04-29T10:32:00.000-05:00

Here are today's lunch links, sorry to disappoint, but I'm not linking anyone to Royal Wedding coverage.

Heritage: Jennifer Marshall - The Case for a "Greatly Reduced Federal Footprint" in Education

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Kiss Those Plastic Bags Goodbye, Evanston!

Heritage: Kathryn Nix - VIDEO: Hayek and Keynes Duke It Out in Economic Rap

Cato: Roger Pilon - Will Americans Bite the Bullet - and Vote for Individual Choice?

Cato: Ilya Shapiro - Supreme Court Rules That Arbitration Provisions Should Be Enforced

Politico: Darren Sameulsohn - Oil and Obama don't mix

Townhall: Katie Pavlich - Remembering the Important Things

KC Star Opinion: William Lynch - Clarity in State Politics (bragging)

Wall Street Journal: Joe Barrett - Missouri and Army Corps Face Off Over Levee

AP: Jim Suhr - Fed. judge gives corps OK to break Missouri levee

In other news, I think I got a letter to johncombest.com for the third time this month, just bragging... again.

Lunch Links - 4/28/11

2011-04-28T10:06:00.001-05:00

Here are today's lunch links. Please keep all of those families affected by tornadoes in the South in your thoughts and prayers.

Fox News - Storm Death Toll Rises to 200 in the South

PoliticMO: Eli Yokley - Missouri Legislature moves on redistricting

Politico: Jennifer Epstein - Bernanke punts on jobs, gas

Heritage: Brandon Steward - As Reform Begins in Massachusetts, Union Leaders Call Foul

Heritage: Tina Korbe - Senators Ask White House to Abandon Executive Order Limiting Free Speech

Heritage: Julia Shaw - Individual Mandate for Cabernet Sauvignon?

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Will Leon Panetta Ensure That America Is Defended?

The Washington Post: George Will - A campaign-finance bill that doesn't pass muster

National Review: Michael Tanner - The Other Libertarian: Gary Johnson

Cato: David J. Mitchell - White House to Propose 26 Percent Corporate Tax Rate?!? Look Before You Leap

Lunch Links - 4/27/11

2011-04-27T11:09:00.000-05:00

Here are today's lunch links! Enjoy! Also, for those keeping track, turns out President Obama is an American citizen, we can now concentrate on defeating him on his horrible policies.

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Pictures of a Budgetary Disaster

Heritage: Robert Alt - Obamacare, the Supreme Court, and Recusal

Heritage: Audrey Jones - San Francisco Gives a Tax Break to Keep Twitter in Town

Townhall: John Stossel - Government Creates Poverty

Townhall: Jonah Goldberg - Cooling on Global Warming

Cato: Christopher Preble - Appointment of Panetta and Petraeus Signals More of the Same

Cato: Steve H. Hanke - Obama's Economic Policies Create Misery

Cato: Neal McCluskey - Tight on Standards, Loose Grip on Reality

PoliticMO: Eli Yokley - Martin: McCaskill will use "Harry Reid strategy" for reelect

AP: Judge dismisses MO Lt. Gov.'s health care lawsuit

Lunch Links - 4/26/11

2011-04-26T11:16:00.000-05:00

Here's today's lunch links! A big shake-up in Missouri's 2012 election scenery today:

PoliticMO: Eli Yokley - Wagner sets stage for Congressional run

Politico: David Catanese - Wagner for House forecasts Akin switch to Senate

Politico: David Catanese - Ed Martin ponders switch to House race

Wall Street Journal: Daniel P. Kesller - How Health Reform Punishes Work

Heritage: Kathryn Nix - Obamacare Takes a Double Shot at the Economy and the American Dream

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Does China's Economic Growth Mean an End to U.S. Leadership?

Heritage: James Garafano - WikiLeaks' Release Confirms Gitmo Exists for Good Reason

Cato: Adam Schaeffer - Ensuring that Indiana's New Voucher Program Lives Up to Budgetary Expectations

Cato: Neal McCluskey - Will Indiana School Choice Infringe Liberty?

Townhall: David Limbaugh - Debt Ceiling? It's Time for GOP to Let Chips Fall

Ann Wagner running for Congress

2011-04-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

Fired Up! Missouri broke the story today that Ann Wagner will be running for Congress. The scuttlebutt for a lot of the morning was that Wagner, former ambassador to Luxembourg and candidate for RNC Chair, was going to be on KMOX with Mark Reardon and later on 97.1 with Dana Loesch to announce her intent to run for something.

Unfortunately for well-kept secrets, Wagner's camp launched her campaign website before she made the announcement. The website, annwagner.com, currently is return

ing an HTTP 403 meaning that the webmaster has made the content unavailable to the public. I was lucky enough to catch the website while it was still up and it lists this announcement on the site:

St. Louis - Ann Wagner today announced she has formed an exploratory committee, the first step toward launching a campaign for U.S. Congress. Wagner said she is exploring a possible race for Congress in the likely event Missouri's Second Congressional District becomes an open seat in 2012.

"My concern for the future of our country, our families and my home region is the reason I'm announcing an exploratory committee for U.S. Congress. The 2nd Congressional District is the place where my husband Ray and I grew up, went to school, raised our children, work and go to church. Now the future of the people and the place that we love is being threatened by failed leadership in Washington t

hat is dragging us down a path of ruin.

"With our freedoms and values under siege in Washington, I've been saying 'enough is enough.' The Obama Administration and Washington liberals are taxing too much, spending too much and they are stifling job creation in our home region and across the country as a result.

"Washington's failed job-killing policies have wreaked havoc across our economy and made the recession even worse. Our region has been hit hard with job seekers facing an unemployment rate of almost 9 percent in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties alone. In those same two counties, more than 60,000 Missourians remain unemployed.

"Profligate spending on big government programs like President Obama's failed stimulus

plan have saddled our children and grandchildren with a national debt of more than $14 trillion. Adding insult to injury is Obama's solution to Washington's spending problem, which involves piling more tax hikes on job creators already coping with the government takeover of health care and the threat of Obama's cap-and-trade scheme.

"Although I have worked for over 20 years in politics and public service, this is the first time I've taken a step toward putting my name on the ballot for state or federal office. But the stakes could not be any higher for our country and my commitment to serve our region could not be stronger.

"I will begin this effort by listening to the hard-working people, families and job creators throughout our region. They are the voices I believe I could effectively represent in the Congress with

my conservative values, conservative leadership and conservative vision."

Screen shots appear below. This announcement shows that Akin will almost certainly be running for the U.S. Senate, which now bears a little more consideration and evaluation. Things will certainly be interesting with two St. Louis-area candidates running for the GOP nod against Sarah Steelman.

Lunch Links - 4/25/11

2011-04-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

Here are Monday's lunch links! Enjoy.

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Uncontrolled Spending Is the Real Threat

Heritage: Brian Darling - The Debt Failsafe Trigger Danger

Heritage: Lindsey Burke - Indiana: One Step Closer to the Most Expansive School Choice to Date

Cato: Robert A. Levy - The Case Against President Obama's Health Care Reform: A Primer for Non Lawyers

Cato: David J. Mitchell - Taxing the Rich Is the Cure for Everything!

Cato: David J. Mitchell - Senator Rubio, Representative Posey and other Lawmakers Fighting to Stop Rogue IRS Proposal that Would Drive Investment from U.S. Economy

Cato: "Downsizing The Federal Government" - Dollar-Store New Deal? <--Great article!

Politico: Jonathan Martin - Rand and Ron Paul: The libertarian Kennedys

Southeast Missourian: AP - Lambert to be fully operational by midweek

Joplin Globe letter: Bob Etherton - "Who Does Long Represent?"

The one about Will Lynch and the Missouri redistricting battle

2011-04-24T16:12:00.000-05:00

For quite some time now, Missouri's state legislature has been working on the new Congressional maps based on the 2010 census data. The redistricting has not been without struggle as leadership in both the House and Senate have been bogged down trying to appease members of their own chambers and the egos attempting to pull the strings from Washington D.C.

As the AP reported last week, U.S. House members Akin, Luetkemeyer, and Emerson met with top ranking GOP members of the Missouri legislature. Congresswoman Hartzler joined by phone and Congressman Billy Long was spotted at the State Capitol later in the week. The purpose for all of this is to influence the legislators in getting the new Congressional maps drawn in a way that would optimize their chances at re-election. Aside from being an affront to standards of personal decency and ethics, the meddling of our Congressional delegation also flies in the face of Missouri's Constitution, which clearly states that "the general assembly shall by law divide the state into districts corresponding with the number of representatives to which is it entitled." Our federal delegation should have no further say in the proceedings than any other citizen of the state, and limiting their entanglement may be good for the state as a whole.

Congressmen having to maintain positive professional relationships with legislators from their district could have a positive impact on the entire political dialogue and clean up ugly election rhetoric. With Congressmen at the mercy of their state senators and representatives, we would be less likely to see personal attacks and outright lies during election season as potential candidates may actually have face consequences for what they say. Besides with the economy in the tank and three military conflicts, doesn't Congress have better things to than worry about being re-elected?

Lunch Links - 4/22/11

2011-04-22T09:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Good Friday to all, and here are today's lunch links! Get your fill, I don't believe I'll be doing them over the weekend.

Heritage: Jennifer Marshall - Religious Faith Is Still Good News for America

Heritage: Margot Crouch - Future Seniors and Taxpayers Can Gain from Medicare Reforms

Heritage: David Addington - Don't Raise the Debt Limit Without Getting Spending Under Control

Cato: Jerry Taylor and Peter Van Doren - Are Speculators Gouging us at the Pump?

Cato: Michael F. Cannon - How Russia Makes Universal Coverage Work

Cato: John Samples - Citizen United and Rule by Decree

Townhall: Michelle Malkin - Donald Trump's Eminent-Domain Empire

National Journal: David Wasserman and Julia Edwards - Top 10 Most Endangered Democrats: Russ Carnahan

Politico: David Catanese - Missouri lawmakers still stalled on new map

Missourinet: Bob Priddy - Middle class scholarship program gets Senate boost

The one about Will Lynch and freedom of speech

2011-04-21T19:51:00.001-05:00

Late last night, I was alerted to a page on Wonkette.com, a "D.C. Gossip" site, that poked fun at Sarah Palin's 3-year old Down Syndrome son, Trig. The post called the baby a "prop" and said that since the baby was "retarded", he "isn't really alive" all on the boy's 3rd birthday. Almost immediately, the post received major criticism and national attention, and within 24 hours the post was taken down and the author, Jack Stuef, issued a half-hearted apology.

Freedom of speech is a very important and blessed thing, and I'm not an advocate of censorship. What has happened to Wonkette has nothing to do with either. When you offer to put advertisements on your website, TV Show, NASCAR racecar, or magazine, you open yourself up to a new level of public scrutiny. No longer do the things that you say affect only yourself, but also those that have entrusted you with their name as well. When you decide to engage is such hate speech against a special needs toddler, you should expect backlash for your effort.

I'm proud of companies like Papa John's, Huggies, Ford, Toyota, Betty Crocker and many others for pulling their advertisements from Wonkette's website. At this point, Wonkette no longer has any ads on their website and I don't know what corporation would be willing to join on their hate mongering bandwagon at this point.

Despite this, some crazy liberal monsters are still defending what was written. The bottom line is, no one should be attacking children regardless of capability or celebrity. Whether or not you agree with Sarah Palin's politics, there is no excuse for blindly impugning her capabilities as a mother or vilifying her 3 year old baby.

The entire episode was a pleasant reminder that actions have consequences. You may be able to say whatever you wish without persecution from the government, but the court of public opinion will often call for your head. That was the case here, and for now, people still reap what they sow.

Lunch Links - 4/21/11

2011-04-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

Here's today's lunch links!

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Time to Make Cuts in the Department of Energy

Heritage: Jena McNeill - Napolitano Announces National Terrorism Advisory System

Heritage: Mike Brownfield - Gas Prices Going Up, But President Obama Is Standing Still

Cato: Steve Hanke - The Weak Dollar Problem

Cato: Daniel J. Mitchell - Senator Corker Explains his Plan to Cap Spending and Reduce the Fiscal Burden of the Government

CNBC: Jeff Cox - $6 Gas? Could Happen if Dollar Keeps Getting Weaker

AP: Matthew Lee - U.S. to give Libyan rebels non-lethal aid

Politico: Jake Sherman & Jonathan Allen - GOP escalates debt limit demands

STLToday: Deb Peterson - Supreme Court's Alito to keynote Bar Association law day event

Joplin Globe Op-Ed: William Lynch - Your view: Not an option <-- If you read the blog, you've already read it. I'm just showing off.