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John Livingston

Great Politics, Poor Government

In 1964 Dobie Grey came out with his hit song called I’M IN WITH THE IN CROWD. The opening line goes: “I’m in with the in crowd, I know what the in crowd knows.” I know who is in the “In crowd” in the Idaho Republican Party. The heart and soul of our party is […]

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John Livingston

Fear and The Hole in Our Hearts

I love the picture painted by Blaisé Pascal of THE HOLE IN OUR HEARTS. A great scientist, theologian, and philosopher this word picture helps explain the need of man for God. “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now […]

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John Livingston

Rent Seeking just another form of Corruption

I have received many e-mails and read the posts on articles I have written regarding my charges of corruption in Idaho Politics. Corruption doesn’t have to be illegal, but the longer it is allowed to occur, the less transparency there is in government, and the more likely it is to become illegal. Conservatives need to […]

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John Livingston

Faith and Families

My wife is a great debater. She was on several debate teams in high school, and I have been told she was formidable then, and I can attest to the fact that she is formidable in debate today. She always seems to have the facts in hand. She never asserts more than she can prove. […]

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John Livingston

It’s Your Choice Faith, Family & Freedom or Benevolent Corruption

Mr. Bundy has an almost impossible task before him in trying to become Governor. He cannot pull off this campaign by himself. The media will continue to create a narrative about who he is and what he stands for that will have to be addressed throughout the campaign. Until I got to meet and talk […]

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John Livingston

Vainglory

I learned a new word today. VAINGLORY. It was used by Karl Rove in describing Beto O’Rourke’s opportunistic use of the Uvalde shootings to further his own campaign for Governor of Texas. Here is one definition: “Extravagant pride or boastfulness; tendency to exalt oneself or one’s own performances unduly; inflated and pretentious vanity; vain pomp […]

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John Livingston

Family and Freedom Gratitude and Thanksgiving

I read with deep respect the Memorial Day Post from the Ammon Bundy campaign about the life and passing of Lt. Lincoln Bundy who died during the Normandy invasion after having been shot down in his P-51 Mustang and captured and taken to a German concentration camp where he was finally executed. The story was […]

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John Livingston

Our Medicaid System is Riddled with Fraud and Deceit

Where are the grown-ups? Where are our leaders? In 2020, early in the Covid Political Pandemic, Congress increased the Federal Governments Medicaid “match”. As one of the conditions for receiving these extra monies, States cannot disenroll Medicaid beneficiaries who become ineligible. Only those that die, leave a State or request to be disenrolled are dropped […]

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John Livingston

Time for Some Common Sense

“I would rather be governed by the first 2,000 people in the telephone directory than by the Harvard University faculty,” William Buckley famously said. It looks as if his worst fear is being realized. Or by Congress or by many of our State legislators and Governors—especially in Blue States and inner cities. Is Idaho a “Blue […]

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John Livingston

Why We Can’t Afford Healthcare

The day I retired I was honored to receive a phone call from Governor Otter asking me to serve on the new Idaho Health Insurance Exchange Board. I was not in favor of the Exchange, but I saw an opportunity moving forward to possibly “privatize the exchange” and put it in the hands of health […]

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John Livingston

We Have Only Ourselves to Blame – Part 2

As I pointed out in my two previous articles about political organizations and process, Idaho conservatives have been fighting and occasionally winning individual battles. We can overcome the political powers that be in our State only with great talent. We have been fighting the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry (IACI) led system by putting […]

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John Livingston

Conservative Political Philosophy

My purpose for writing has always been to explain to first my family and many of my friends—especially in the medical community the logic and predicate for my political philosophy. In past columns, I have quoted Paul Ryan as saying, “My Christian Catholic faith informs every aspect of my life” Even though I became disenchanted with […]

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