Past: CIA analyst, House senior policy advisor, USAR officer. Present: Think tank guy, dog dad. Always: Author, writer, researcher, Bill of Rights defender, 21st century Anti-Federalist.
2024 election
The current political climate makes amending the Constitution impractical, dangerous, or both. Even so, legal and structural changes to our existing, vulnerable governing institutions are possible. All that's required is the will to make it happen.
2024 election
Our failure to roll back 9/11-driven executive power grabs and "coup proof" our government against internal authoritarian political threats may come back to haunt us, and soon.
TSA
The institutional threats to our constitutional rights left unaddressed by the federal legislature are major, long standing, and perfectly exploitable by a would-be authoritarian like Trump.
FBI
It was a secret, and unconstitutional, assault on the First Amendment protected activities of the persons and entities involved, a state-sponsored form of "divide and conquer" aimed not at the Soviet Union, but a segment of the far left public in America.
2024 election
The DNC party platform reflects a pre-Trump era mindset, ignoring the need to eliminate legal and institutional vulnerabilities that leave us at risk of another "MAGA movement" coup attempt. Kamala Harris must act to "coup proof" the institutions of the Republic.
Al Qaeda
The most recent revelations in the 9/11 families' court action against the Saudi government provide the most powerful public evidence yet that at least some Saudi government officials in D.C. and Los Angeles played a direct role in facilitating the 9/11 attacks.
Border Patrol
Marshall and Brennan were certain that the majority's ruling in the case would ultimately lead to Fourth Amendment rights violations at scale at these internal checkpoints. History has proven them right.
2024 election
A University of Arizona sociologist provides a provocative but selective and ideologically tinged look at how police in four Texas law enforcement agencies are trained and fielded and what it tells us about the viability of police reform efforts.
2024 election
In light of the mortal threat Trump poses to the Republic, Democrats must now unite behind the person best positioned to beat him: Vice President Kamala Harris.
2024 election
President Biden now faces the single greatest crisis of his presidency less than four months before what's likely to be the most contentious national election in decades. Given Trump's stated intentions for another term in office, it's hard to imagine how the stakes could be higher.
2024 election
Two events in the space of five days altered the contours of the fall national election and the stakes for the survival of the Republic in 2025 and beyond. To avert catastrophe, anti-Trump forces must shift their focus from the presidency to Congress.
Freedom of Information Act
Enacted on Independence Day 1966, the venerable open government law is hated by federal bureaucrats who waste no opportunity trying to find new ways to thwart its use. While still a valuable government oversight tool, FOIA needs rejuvenation if it is to remain viable.