Law & Disorder I always find it funny that people view New Year’s Eve as an arbitrary dividing marker that doesn’t really change anything. Maybe for some, the years do seem to blend together. For me, the past few years have been defined by large events. Three years ago, 2014 was graduation, the bar, my … More Where We Are Going In 2017
That’s a loaded question isn’t it? If someone asked me how aware I am I’d probably respond with “of course I’m aware, I’m a journalist, it is literally my job to be aware.” Simply asking that question almost comes off as an insult. Nonetheless it’s a powerful question and one worth asking. It’s also far … More How Aware Are You?
Typically I try and keep my politics/policy writing as formal and unbiased as possible. The last thing we need in this political environment is another partisan hack. Yes, there are people and policies at the federal and state levels that I utterly despise and there are people and policies that I think are brilliant and … More Extraordinary Times
Quick update for those looking for today’s regularly scheduled Empire of Liberty update. At the moment Oklahoma is in the middle of its state bill filing period and there is a ton of other major political news coming from across the country this week. Due to this I’m currently swamped until at least early Friday … More Empire of Liberty/Traveling Politico Update
In some ways Dallas has become the quintessential “Texas” city. Its name evokes images of cowboys, oil barons, football, southern socialites, Indians, the old west, and the sun belt all converging in one highway crossed hodgepodge where the post oaks meet the plains in the middle of North Texas. Comparatively, Houston is its own city. … More Deep Dallas
Excerpt from Dr. Victoria Vermaak’s “The Founding Of An Empire”, University of Serrano Press, 2010. While the Treaty of Paris finally gave the United States peace, and its official independence, it did not settle many of the issues still facing the new country. The governmental structures were in serious doubt. Thousands of loyalists remained in … More Empire of Liberty: A Rocky Start
Excerpt from Douglas Oswald’s “Annotated History of the American Revolution”, University of Michigan Press, 1932. The surrender of General Howe in New York and the alliance between the French, Spanish and the Americans forced a shift in British war policy. The Admiralty and Ministry of War made the decision as early as October of 1778 … More Empire of Liberty: The Lion Is Humbled
Tuesday marked the official start of the 56th Oklahoma Legislature with a half day known as “organizational day”. This constitutionally provided meeting begins at noon and will be the first legislative action for roughly 45 new representatives and senators. This meeting occurs a month before the official opening of a new legislative session every other year … More Let the (Legislative) Games Begin
Late Monday night the House Rules Committee voted to absorb the independent Office of Congressional Ethics into the House Committee on Ethics, effectively eliminating the Office’s independent status. The move came about when the Rules Committee voted in favor of an amendment by Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte to the larger Rules bill that is typically … More Let’s Get Ethical
As the year draws to a close the news cycle continues to be dominated by the transition of power to Donald Trump. While intense questions surround his social media accounts, cabinet picks and the general tone of his supporters, the big question now is this: “what will the national tone look like coming out of … More Trump 2017: What To Expect From An Unexpected President
