by Patrick J. Buchanan – November 27, 2002

That 70 percent fall in the NASDAQ and 25 percent decline in the Dow, and the recession and unemployment they produced, have begun to cause major collateral damage to municipal and state budgets.

The Empire State and the Big Apple are staring at a combined deficit of $15 billion, “a crisis of historic proportions,” says the Washington Post. Rudy Guiliani’s successor, Michael Bloomberg, has watched his popularity plummet to 41 percent, as he proposes raising property taxes 18 percent, piling $3 billion in income taxes on commuters, raising subway fares a third and putting tolls on the Brooklyn Bridge.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – November 25, 2002

Since that fateful day Dwight Eisenhower named Earl Warren chief justice, the U.S. Supreme Court has been engineering a social revolution.

Seizing legislative power, the court legalized pornography, declared abortion a constitutional right, abolished the death penalty for a generation and prohibited a once-Christian people from paying public homage to their God. Yet, Americans have not rebelled.

Why not? Because they were raised to believe the court was the final judge of what the Constitution says, and to defy it is to dishonor the Founding Fathers. Andy Jackson would have hanged judges like Warren, Brennan, Blackmun and Douglas as high as Haman.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – November 20, 2002

Not one in 10 million Americans will ever be a member of Augusta National Golf Club. Not one in 100,000 will ever shoot a round of golf at the course Ike and Bobby Jones made famous.

Yet, millions are hoping Augusta chairman “Hootie” Johnson does not surrender to those demanding he admit women to his club.

Why are we rooting for Hootie? Are we all just reactionary bigots?

by Patrick J. Buchanan – November 18, 2002

The meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has just ended. Dominant issue: How to cope with the gravest crisis in its history, the scandal caused by hundreds of priests who sexually abused altar boys and teen-agers in their custody and care. The bishops’ statement on the morality of war on Iraq was ignored.

To learn how a respected institution can forfeit its moral authority, one could do worse than conduct a case study of the Catholic Church in America from 1950 to today.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – November 13, 2002

Clinton Rossiter begins his classic study of “The American Presidency” by describing the five constitutional functions of the chief executive, such as commander in chief. He goes on to identify five “non-constitutional functions,” beginning with chief of party.

In this category, George W. Bush just set the gold standard.

In the election of 2002, Bush recruited candidates for both the Senate and House, raised more money – $144 million – than even the greatest buck-raker of them all, Bill Clinton, and invested more time than any president ever. He defined the issues. He put it all on the line. And it paid off. Not since Teddy Roosevelt in 1902 has a GOP president gained House seats in his first off-year election.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – November 11, 2002

When Jim Jeffords crossed the aisle to caucus with Senate Democrats in the spring of 2001, the defection was considered a body blow to President Bush. And as Benedict Arnold was made a British general for his treason to the American cause, Jeffords was rewarded with a committee chair for ratting on the party.

But it turns out Jeffords’ desertion was a godsend. For his vote gave Senate Democrats the single-vote majority they used to sabotage the Bush agenda, which caused their defeat on Nov. 5.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – November 6, 2002

In Y2K, George W. Bush became the first man in more than a century to win the White House with fewer votes than his rival. Since his victory, 1.7 million workers have lost their jobs and a bear market has ravaged the savings accounts and pensions of millions of families.

Thus, Tuesday night should have been a blowout for the Democrats.

Historically, too, a president’s first off-year election produces big losses. Reagan lost 26 House seats in 1982. Clinton lost 52 in 1994. Yet, 24 hours before the polls opened, Republicans were even money to hold the House and retain their 49 seats in the Senate.

by Patrick J. Buchanan – November 4, 2002

A third of a century ago, I regularly made the long drive across Rickenbacker Causeway from Miami to Key Biscayne in the company of one Richard M. Nixon, who loved the island and retreated there any weekend he could get away. His closest friend, Bebe Rebozo, had his home on the bay side. Nixon’s staff stayed on the ocean side of the island in its one large hotel. It was a little slice of paradise.