Last year, after its historic victory, the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives took a commendable step toward curbing congressional enthusiasm for enacting laws that reach beyond those powers prescribed in the Constitution.

Lovers of liberty rejoiced when the news arrived Monday that the Supreme Court had finally ruled that gun ownership is an individual fundamental liberty.

Continuing mandates that ever greater percentages of the new vehicles manufactured must be either hybrids and/or emissions free vehicles can only be considered what economists call the "the Triumph of Hope over Experience." This mindset is damaging to the auto industry and to the taxpayer.

While most analysts see Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court sailing smoothly ahead, beneath the waters lurk troubles not unlike those which faced another nominee (Lani Guinier) by the last Democratic President, Bill Clinton.

Congress has started in earnest its effort to enact President Obama’s promise for universal health care. Many in the mainstream media repeat the meme that this effort will finally ensure quality health care for all Americans, but the truth is that enactment will bring profound changes for the average insured person -- changes that will more likely lower the quality of coverage particularly for those individuals reliant on advanced medicines.

A recent ruling by a three judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowing the ACLU’s lawsuit against “extraordinary rendition” to go forward was reckless and lawless.

For some Americans credit cards are a remarkably useful financial tool which improves their lives and those of their families. For others they are the equivalent of handing a bottle of bourbon to an alcoholic.

The tactics and legal skirting that Anna Nicole Smith’s legal team have employed could dramatically change how all families – billionaires to working class -- build and share wealth.

Many Americans are familiar with the admonition that they should beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. However, it is getting increasingly difficult to tell who the wolves are and who the sheep are.

President Bush’s announcement of the name of the person who would replace Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was eagerly anticipated by many in Washington. Gonzales, caricatured as inept and bumbling by critics of the President, had decided in August that he wouldn’t continue in his designated role as Washington’s whipping boy du jour.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is proving itself once again to be a powerhouse among the circuits. And based on some of the cases that it will decide this year it might actually edge out the D.C. Circuit as the most influential circuit court in the nation.

Late last month the Center for the American Progress released a report entitled “the Structural Imbalance of Talk Radio.” The study purportedly provides a seriously analysis of the partisan programming that exists on talk radio and concludes that it is overwhelming right of center. Notwithstanding the pseudo-scientific nature of this report, it’s clearly more pseudo than science.

More and more it seems that celebrities and their families or close associates are unwilling to embrace basic notions of personal responsibility. Whether it’s the hangers on around the tragic life of Anna Nicole Smith or the family of train wreck Paris Hilton, more and more it appears that the families and friends of celebrities are nothing more than serial enablers.

As many in the media await the results of a DNA test to determine the real father of Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter, Dannielynn, some reports have perpetuated a legal myth. Consider the Associated Press story that pronounced that "Anna Nicole Smith's 6-month-old daughter . . . could inherit millions after the former reality TV star's death last month." This is only partially right. Dannielynn has indeed had a DNA test. But there is little chance that this child will inherit millions.

Mid-term elections typically provide corrections not rejections. For much of the 20th century the party out of the White House gains seats in off year elections.

Ever the optimists, Democrats remain convinced that they are riding a wave to victory in November. If Tuesday's California special election results mean anything, then the wails and screams that ultimately come in the wake of any so-called November tsunami are more likely to come from the Capitol Hill offices of Nancy Pelosi and Rahm Emmanuel than they are from the Republican leadership.

Today it is vital that we adopt a policy that separates those aliens seeking permanent status from those only interested in temporary employment opportunities. Unfortunately, much of the present debate treats the groups as if they are one and the same. By failing to make this distinction, we risk going forward with an updated-but-incoherent program.

Senate Democrats should not join Russ Feingold's efforts to censure President Bush. He is charting a path that is ahistorical and extra-constitutional. In doing so, the senators risk establishing a precedent they would soon regret.

Among many important cases that the Supreme Court will be considering this spring is the Texas redistricting case, LULAC v. Perry.