Unca Darrell

JANUARY 31 / "Lawfare" is a great word

IT DESCRIBES the use of law as a weapon of war. But the word cannot also be applied to domestic politics, as the use of criminal charges to bring down adversaries who cannot be defeated at the ballot box. The chief advocate and practitioner of political lawfare is the left. In Texas, the franchise belongs to Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg and her hard-left predecessors in office. 

Recent victims, nationally, include Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. He was convicted on corruption charges that were later thrown out. Another victim, closer to home, was Texas Representative Tom DeLay. After his career and finances were ruined, all charges were thrown out.

Think what you will of his politics or character, what was done to him in our name was far worse than whatever it is he was supposed to have done. It was an abuse of power. It was profoundly anti-democratic.

Which brings us to . . .

JANUARY 30 / Governor Abbott just said no to . . .

. . . crony capitalism. Good on him.

AUSTIN -- Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday proposed . . .

JANUARY 1 / To help you start the new year with . . .

. . . a big old belly laugh at the expense of . . .

NOVEMBER 10 / The midterms repudiated . . .

. . . BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, his policies and politics, progressivism, hard liberalism, Occupysters, faculty lounges far and wide, community organizers, Hollywood millionaires, obligatory white guilt, collegiate sophomores, fundamental transformers, and all manner of idiots, idiocy, and plain old meanness. It also repudiated . . . 

OCTOBER 29 / Split your ticket on judges but . . .

. . . vote straight Republican on everything else.

Why?

OCTOBER 14 / I'm no fan of Rick Perry

Two problems. First, I don't think he can stand the scutiny when the press (properly) begins to dig into the question of how he wound up so rich while serving in public office.

Second, he takes undue credit for the Texas miracle. Texas is succeeding because Texans are different from other folks -- we still go to church on Sunday and go to work on Monday  -- and because Texas is different from other states -- we keep government on a leash and allow property, contracts, the rule of law, and free market to do what they always do when given half a chance: create jobs (and prosperity) and reduce unemployment (and poverty).

I'm no fan of Rick Perry. But if he keeps talking like he did recently in London, who knows? Listen: 

OCTOBER 9 / Here's the actual Altec control board used . . .

. . . by Norman Petty to record Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day" and other big hits. It offers one-track recording with what appear to be five lines in. Shows what can be done by talented people with crude equipment. You can see the sound board in Clovis, New Mexico, at the Norman and Vi Petty Rock & Roll Museum, a must-stop if you're ever in the area. See more images from the museum here.

 

SEPTEMBER 23 / Ideological blindness + simple . . .

. . . incompetence explains most of what you need to know about . . .

SEPTEMBER 17 / What does the Houston Chronicle editorial board do when . . .

. . . to all appearances it has sworn off referring to Houston and Texas as the laughingstock of the nation? Even the Chronicle apparently figured out that insulting readers is no way to win friends and influence people. But the editors simply cannot resist . . .

SEPTEMBER 8 / Jay Nordlinger on Texas

“TEXAS IS AN EPITHET all around the world, because anti-Americans concentrate their fire on Texas in particular. When I say “anti-Americans,” I mean people of all nationalities, including . . .