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
Tag: news
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
Constitution 101: Senate Composition and Vacancy Clauses
From Southwest Ledger Section III of Article I of the Constitution is all about the Senate. When reading the original Section III before modern amendments, right away one might notice some differences in the Senate today from when the Founders created it, and I have found that most Americans are surprised. Article I, Section III, … Continue reading Constitution 101: Senate Composition and Vacancy Clauses
2024: A Year of Political Whirlwinds, Conflicts, and Transitions of Power
From Southwest Ledger As we come to the close of 2024, it is worth looking back over this year at some of the highs and lows. Being an election year, and a historical one at that, with only the second time a president has served two nonsequential terms, it is probably not a surprise that … Continue reading 2024: A Year of Political Whirlwinds, Conflicts, and Transitions of Power
Constitution 101: House Vacancy, Impeachment Clauses
From Southwest Ledger Article I, Section II of the U.S. Constitution is all about the House of Representatives. While the first three clauses attract most the attention and discuss the setup of the House, the last two clauses are equally important and deal with vacancies in the House and that body’s role in impeachment. It … Continue reading Constitution 101: House Vacancy, Impeachment Clauses
WITH THE FIGHT OF THE YEAR, WE ALL LOST
From Southwest Ledger Coming off a divisive election, the highly anticipated fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul could have been the perfect opportunity to unite us once again. The event brought in young people who seem to worship anyone who can make videos on TikTok while also drawing in the older crowd who wanted … Continue reading WITH THE FIGHT OF THE YEAR, WE ALL LOST
Tyranny of the Majority
From Southwest Ledger Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has announced that State Question 832 will be included on the June 16, 2026, ballot. This will be a difficult question for Oklahomans as, if passed, it will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029. Proponents for the initiative argue that wages have fallen … Continue reading Tyranny of the Majority
Trump, Harrison and Presidential Do-Overs
From Southwest Ledger It’s not often in life that we get a do-over, and in politics it’s even rarer. Most of the time, once a candidate is associated with defeat, they are never considered for office again. What is even rarer is a president losing reelection and getting a second shot. In fact, that has … Continue reading Trump, Harrison and Presidential Do-Overs
Off-the-cuff: unscripted comments that sank presidential campaigns
From the Southwest Ledger At the time of writing this column, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is currently leading in most polls to win the Presidency of the United States. With only three weeks before the election, the worst thing that could happen for the Harris campaign is a snide, off-the-cuff remark that could sway voters … Continue reading Off-the-cuff: unscripted comments that sank presidential campaigns
Historically Speaking 