Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone. I assume you all have spent the day like me, dividing your time between watching 1776 and reading Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. I did not intend to spend the holiday reading this, but I have not been able to find a source I felt I could trust. Mostly what I … Continue reading Happy 4th of July →

Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth

From Southwest Ledger Last week after learning about America’s bombing of Iran, two debates emerged: Did we do the right thing? And did President Trump have the legal authority to attack Iran without congressional authority or input? The first question is difficult to answer, and we probably will not know until everything has played out. … Continue reading Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth →

Army’s 250th Anniversary Celebration Overshadowed by ‘No Kings’ Protests

From Southwest Ledger I was disappointed June 14 as I saw several social media posts celebrating the low turnout at the military parade honoring of the 250th anniversary of the United States Army in Washington, D.C. Closer to home, Lawton/Fort Sill canceled their anniversary celebrations to ensure public safety following protests nationwide. I understand that … Continue reading Army’s 250th Anniversary Celebration Overshadowed by ‘No Kings’ Protests →

Constitution 101: Election and Assembly Clauses

From Southwest Ledger As we have seen over the past few months, there has been a lot of debate as to who is eligible to vote and where the power belongs. However, in federal elections, it is up to the states to make these rules. While most people are familiar with the first three sections … Continue reading Constitution 101: Election and Assembly Clauses →

Constitution 101: Senate Leadership Clauses

From Southwest Ledger Have you ever considered what the vice president does all day? My guess is probably not, but the framers of Constitution did. When they got to the point where they considered a vice president, his only role was as a backup president — a spare, so to speak.Originally, he had no actual … Continue reading Constitution 101: Senate Leadership Clauses →

DOGE Underscores Gradual Power Shift Between Legislative, Executive Branches

From Southwest Ledger This may be the most difficult column I have ever written. When it comes to the Department of Government Efficiency, I really have no idea what’s going on. How is that for an opener? What makes me feel better is I don’t think anyone else really has an idea of what is … Continue reading DOGE Underscores Gradual Power Shift Between Legislative, Executive Branches →

Controversy over Cabinet Secretary Choices is Nothing New in American History

From Southwest Ledger Amongst the many perceived controversies of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president are some of his choices for cabinet secretaries. Of the 15 secretary positions, so far 11 have been confirmed by the Senate including controversial nominees like Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense and Robert Kennedy Jr. for Health and … Continue reading Controversy over Cabinet Secretary Choices is Nothing New in American History →

Pardoning Proves Power of Presidency

From Southwest Ledger December 2024 and January 2025 may possibly go down in history as one of the most politically significant moments in recent history. In December then-President Joe Biden broke a record by issuing pardons or commuted sentences of more than 1,500 people. Several of his pardons were preemptive ones for family members and … Continue reading Pardoning Proves Power of Presidency →

Constitution 101: Senate Qualifications Clause

From Southwest Ledger As our Founding Fathers were discussing the creation of the Senate, or upper house in Congress, they had to consider qualifications for members to hold such important positions. What they determined constitutes Article I, Section III, Clause III, of the Constitution or what is known as the Senate Qualification Clause. This clause … Continue reading Constitution 101: Senate Qualifications Clause →

Birthright citizenship among barrage of challenging executive orders

From Southwest Ledger I have spent more class time discussing the barrage of executive orders and pardons from both the outgoing and incoming presidents this week. As a federal judge has blocked President Trump’s executive order to change birthright citizenship, that topic seems to be the best place to begin. I should mention that I … Continue reading Birthright citizenship among barrage of challenging executive orders →