Article One, Section 9, clause 2 of the United States Constitution decrees, “The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.” This protection against unlawful arrest and detention is derived from English common law first documented in … Read more
This post addresses the difference between spinning the news and yellow journalism. Spin is defined as “news and information that is manipulated or slanted to affect its interpretation and influence public opinion.” (www.dictionary.com) For example, presidential campaign surrogates, suggesting a $917 billion business loss in one year qualifies as “genius,” are the poster boys/girls for spin. … Read more
The issue of whether money equals speech came to the forefront in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) in which the Supreme Court ruled government could not restrict independent political expenditures. The ruling applied to for-profit corporations, labor unions, non-profit corporations and other associations. While many people believe Justice Anthony Kennedy’s majority … Read more
As America prepares to watch the first of the presidential debates, the media has spent most of the last three days discussing strategies and how the expectations for each candidate will affect public perception of who wins and loses. Not that anyone should be surprised by this. But it does suggest the media has learned … Read more
Many of you will remember the picture on the right of NBC News political director Tim Russert and his now-famous, low-tech white board. Early in the evening, Russert predicted the 2000 election would hinge on the outcome in Florida. And after weeks of recounts and legal challenges, everyone was congratulating Russert for his foresight. There’s … Read more