Category: Pete du Pont

Society has become much more transparent due to the advent of inexpensive computer technology, storage devices and the Internet.

Gosh, it pains me to say it, but these are tough times at the IRS, according to Larry Levitan, head of the service's oversight board. He actually used the word "broken" to describe the service. Seems it can't manage adequate enforcement, leading people to assume they can cheat. Since 1992 the agency's staff has been cut, and audits are way down.

I've never done much here on capital punishment because i'm not likely to change anyone's mind on it. That said, i concur with attorney general ashcroft's decision to make timothy mcveigh's execution available on closed circuit tv to the victims' relatives and survivors.

State-sanctioned killing comes to the Netherlands.

Among president Bush's good moves is one that may not have made headlines, but is worthy of mention.

The supreme court has been striking down racial preferences since the Bakke decision in 1978. Yet intellectuals and academics insist promoting diversity is more important to society than considering an individual's merit.

Last week I chastised the Weekly Standard for predicting the end of the world over the Bush administration's handling of the surveillance plane incident. Now, I'd like to say "I told you so."

Less than 100 days into his term, George W. Bush has managed to change the nature of the presidency, surprising conservatives, liberals and the press alike.

I know this will shock hard core environmentalists and so-called consumer activists — but a study of light truck and SUV accidents from 1994 to 1997 found that larger, heavier vehicles are safer for occupants in car accidents.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress reading scores for American fourth-graders came out last week, and the news is abysmal. For eight years reading skills have been virtually static; they are the same as they were in 1992 and 1998 (they were slightly worse in 1994). Indeed, reading scores haven't improved in 20 years, so the overall data are nothing new. But the details are devastating.

Lost amid the news of captured pilots, tax cuts and the start of baseball season, you may have missed the note about the Bush Administration and the ABA. I didn't, and it made my day.

The liberal nashing over House passage of the Death Tax repeal is worth a comment. In fact, even my last defense of the repeal wasn't accurate.

While they usually fight the good fight, my friends at the >Weekly Standard> have sucker-punched President Bush regarding China's detention of the American flyers and their surveillance plane.

Following the winds of public opinion, health reformers in Washington have begun to condemn the abuses of managed care as vigorously as they once promoted its promises. This has led to a shift in focus from attempting to provide insurance for those who lack it, to reforming the insurance that people already have.

There's a lot of bipartisan ballyhoo about a piece of proposed legislation with the antiseptic tag of "the local law enforcement act of 2001." Who could be opposed, the right?

I've hammered the McCain-Feingold campaign reform for its attacks on free speech. Today, my guests take over.

Today and tomorrow, two takes on free speech.

A lot of stock market newcomers are panicking because of the market dip.

In recent weeks, two ideas have gained popularity among those who don't want to see the president's tax cut plan enacted. One idea is for an immediate one-time rebate of a portion of this year's surplus, the other is to add a trigger to any tax rate cut. A quick look at history, however, shows that both ideas would be harmful.

It's been comical watching congressional democrats crawfish on giving you your money back. First, any tax cut was bad. Then, $250 billion was ok. Then $900 billion. Now, seeing that Bush is starting to make inroads into public opinion, it's a tax rebate — a way not to do the right thing, and a bad idea on its own merits.

A new NCPA study shows that restorative justice programs offer something besides jail to control crime. They're based on the principles of victim restoration and offender accountability.

I always enjoy reading memoirs of people who were at the center of a great adventure, and the new autobiography by chris craft – "flight" — fills the bill.

I've talked over the last couple of weeks about the reasons why the Bush tax cut is the right thing to do — even why it ought to be accelerated. There's the moral argument, the economic argument, the fairness argument.

Seeing John McCain at work trying to pass his campaign spending "reform" — I put the word in quotation marks — I'm reminded of the song title, "How can I miss you if you won't go away?"

If the federal government doesn't use projected budget surpluses for tax cuts, spending increases or social security reform, look for a big push to use it to pay down the debt, then start accumulating assets.