by Leo Morris I have a new phrase to add to your vocabulary and self-help guide: the Quilhot bid. It comes from Russ Quilhot, who hosted the weekly afternoon card games a group of us old codgers participated in. I played bridge with him Wednesday before last. On Thursday he died. It was one of those abrupt and unwelcome events that encourage us to put everything else in perspective. I am tempted to say he…

The Lost Art of Defenestration SOME OF US are getting a handle on how the Legislature works: Somewhere in the continuous rounds of lunches and dinner parties, the leadership is told by the most activated lobbyists that a certain set of issues is to be given priority this session. All else must jockey for a place on crowded committee calendars. OK, that’s the way political rooms have worked since the reign of the Tudors. What is…

by Mark Franke One enjoyment I get out of life is to engage someone in a conversation over a topic I know absolutely nothing about. If my interlocutor can make his point in grammatically correct and non-exclamatory sentences, I will listen and question him up to and past the point my wife gets embarrassed. A case in point. My wife is from Terre Haute and most of her family still resides there. It wouldn’t be…

Fred Glynn, a longtime member of the foundation and participant in our seminars, announces he has filed in the GOP primary election to represent the new 32nd Indiana House District. Glynn says his campaign will focus on government spending, education and support for law enforcement.  The candidate has been married to his wife Beth for 18 years. They are the parents of a teenage daughter and are members of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. A loan officer,…

by Leo Morris A white teacher in Chicago was fired recently for using the N-word in class. She wasn’t trying to be offensive. She was explaining to her world history class why the former name of the Washington Commanders football team was so offensive and compared it to the N-word, making the mistake of saying the actual word. The teacher of 41 years explained that she was just trying to make things clear for her…

Dr. Eric Schansberg, a founding scholar for this foundation, announces that he has filed in the GOP primary election for U.S. Representative for the 9th District. The primary, to fill an open seat, will be May 3. Schansberg says his campaign will focus on federal government spending, the national debt, inflation, federalism at both the local and national level, and constitutional principles, especially as they apply to the First and Second Amendment.  The candidate earned a Ph.D. in economics…

by Mark Franke “Whither thou goest, I will go.” (Ruth 1:16 KJV) At risk of placing myself outside Scripture, I must confess I can’t always buy into this sentiment. Sure, Ruth spoke these words around 3,000 years ago to her mother-in-law. My situation pertains to our current political climate, specifically the Republican and Democrat parties. That must serve to assuage my theological conscience. Where can a classical liberal, one who holds Adam Smith in highest…

“Last week, Biden talked about being tough on crime. This week, the Biden administration announced funds for crack pipe distribution to ‘advance racial equity.’” — Sen. Tom Cotton  $50,000 Indy ‘Peacemakers’ HERE’S THE IDEA: To slow the crime wave in Indianapolis, Mayor Joe Hogsett is repurposing some loose federal dollars to raise an army of 50 “peacemakers.” It is a brilliant plan, but perhaps not in the way you are thinking. These peacemakers join a crime-fighting force of…

A LONGTIME CONTRIBUTOR to the quarterly journal, Jason Arp, is interviewed today on Rob Kendall’s popular Indianapolis talk radio show. Here is a link to the interview. Arp was asked to walk listeners through his new legislative web site, IndianaScorecard.org, an interactive system that allows users to see how legislators rank on 25 or so votes affecting private property. (Trigger warning: Some of you will be surprised at how low your “conservative” legislator scores.) Some tips on how to use the scorecard: …

by Leo Morris Because I am an old man, snow scares me. Sometimes, I think it is downright evil. It weighs down the lines to my house, ready to snap them and plunge me into the cold and dark. If I try to escape, I will find it piled on the porch, ready to grab my feet out from under me, or waiting on the walkway, enticing me to grab a shovel and fall over…