The Eastern New Mexico News - Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

I have been writing in favor of gridlocks for some time, at least as a second-best option to the one where the government is in the hands of an administration committed to limited powers. I wasn’t thrilled with the outcome last...

I have been writing in favor of gridlocks for some time, at least as a second-best option to the one where the government is in the hands of an administration committed to limited powers. I wasn’t thrilled with the outcome last... Full story

When working out what should guide public institutions and policies, those who chime in have advanced various proposals and they have often been divided into two groups. Members of one of these advance certain basic principles...

It may have been Will Rogers or Mark Twain. I cannot now recall which of the two great American humorists it was who said all politicians are criminals. But it makes no difference because when something is true, its source is not...

At this time when most people are clamoring for economic revival, the major debate centers around how it could be achieved. One side, mainly the current administration and its supporters in the academy, believe in some variety of... Full story

At this time when most people are clamoring for economic revival, the major debate centers around how it could be achieved. One side, mainly the current administration and its supporters in the academy, believe in some variety of...

It bothers me to no end that millions of Americans simply don’t get just how dangerous this current administration’s views are, especially about the nature of our basic rights. I suppose I should not be surprised, given the...

For most of human history, it used to be standard practice for parents to insist their children live by principles the parents have found to be sound. They also insisted children adopt all sorts of practices of dress, play, work,...

Do I search for hypocrisies among my adversaries? Only when it is too obvious to miss. And what if anything is wrong with hypocrisy? So what if you are a liar but make a big deal about condemning lying in your neighbor? Why is...

Do I search for hypocrisies among my adversaries? Only when it is too obvious to miss. And what if anything is wrong with hypocrisy? So what if you are a liar but make a big deal about condemning lying in your neighbor? Why is... Full story

Of course, I am just a fan of Mose Allison, he’s not really my main hero but now and then I get enthusiastic about his work and nearly idolize him. Mose Allison is a jazz pianist, composer and perhaps the coolest cat on the jazz... Full story

My favorite place to live in America is California. But don’t get me wrong — one size does not fit all. And how wonderful that is, that people differ so much that they could be quite happy living in very different places....

The president of the AAUP — American Association of University Professors — issued a lengthy declaration warning the membership against getting involved with BP, the giant oil company whose operations have gone awry in... Full story

Many moons ago I directed a conference on government regulation, out of which the book edited by me and the late M. Bruce Johnson, “Rights and Regulation,” was created. In this book some of those who supported government...

Many moons ago I directed a conference on government regulation, out of which the book edited by me and the late M. Bruce Johnson, “Rights and Regulation,” was created. In this book some of those who supported government... Full story

In his heartfelt eulogy for his mother, Jean Biden, Vice President Joe Biden quoted some words from her, very approvingly. These included the idea that “Everyone is your equal, and everyone is equal to you.” Furthermore, in... Full story

In his heartfelt eulogy for his mother, Jean Biden, Vice President Joe Biden quoted some words from her, very approvingly. These included the idea that “Everyone is your equal, and everyone is equal to you.” Furthermore, in...

It looks like the way the Right despises ACORN, the Left does the Tea Party. It may not even be so much about their political stances, although that is part of it for sure. It is sad, though, that supporters of Obama had no...

It looks like the way the Right despises ACORN, the Left does the Tea Party. It may not even be so much about their political stances, although that is part of it for sure. It is sad, though, that supporters of Obama had no...

Everyone who is awake discriminates — it is what people do with their minds. The kind of discrimination that’s objectionable is when people use irrelevant attributes of others to classify them — like their race when... Full story

Everyone who is awake discriminates — it is what people do with their minds. The kind of discrimination that’s objectionable is when people use irrelevant attributes of others to classify them — like their race when... Full story

On Sunday, The New York Times Magazine ran what amounts to a puff piece about Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein, President Obama’s longtime friend, former colleague, and current regulation czar. It was penned by Benjamin...

On Sunday, The New York Times Magazine ran what amounts to a puff piece about Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein, President Obama’s longtime friend, former colleague, and current regulation czar. It was penned by Benjamin...

Is this stuff with Greece and, soon, with Portugal, Spain and Italy, and the rest of us all that surprising? Has it not been clear for ages that when people draw their support from a common pool, the resources will soon vanish?...

So Bill Gates sold me some software when he was still in that business. He was then immensely rich, compared to me. How unfair, you say? But Bill took his gains from this trade and used it to feed starving African children, while...