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John Livingston

Respect Your Opponent, Respect Yourself

Football in Ohio meets the Webster definition of religion: the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers, regarded as creating and governing the universe. Football there is not just a game; it is a cosmos with its own gods, saints, and commandments. There is an old story about a Michigan man who […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

First Thanksgiving Message

Thanksgiving Proclamation [New York, 3 October 1789] By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Op-Ed: So Much to be Thankful For

In 1789, shortly after taking office as the first President of the United States, George Washington issued a proclamation of Thanksgiving: …it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor… Our young […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

The Blame Game

If you’re not part of the solution, you are more than likely part of the problem, and certainly that is the junction that we are at today. I can’t remember a time in the 80 years I have been on this earth where there has been more discourse in America. Last week, I wrote about […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Ending Bureaucratic Excess in Idaho

Reprinted with permission of the Idaho Freedom Foundation It’s no exaggeration to say that Idaho taxpayers spend millions of dollars every single day on wasteful and sometimes unconstitutional state-run programs. The Idaho Freedom Foundation’s (IFF) goal is to find and eliminate as many of these programs as possible. To this end, the IFF has submitted recommendations on […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Repealing Medicaid Expansion Is the Right Move for Idaho

Reprinted with permission of the Idaho Freedom Foundation The term cognitive dissonance is applied to people who hold two conflicting beliefs in their heads at the same time. In no other public policy is this more apparent than how Idaho has handled the topic of Medicaid expansion to able-bodied adults in Idaho. Let’s provide some […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Design is Destiny

We see how Democrat administered cities are in decline. Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York all experience rising crime rates, economic uncertainty, increased homelessness, and other societal maladies that make those cities unattractive to most Americans. What we don’t see are any effective corrective actions to address these problems. If a […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Labrador Letter: Inside the Attorney General’s Office

Dear Friends, For years, even before I became Attorney General, I’ve traveled the state meeting with Idahoans at county fairs, coffee shops, and kitchen tables. One question I am almost always asked now is “What exactly does the Attorney General do?” It’s a fair question. Most people are rightly focused on their jobs, their families, and […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Attorney General Investigators Arrest Gem County Man for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of a Child

[BOISE, ID] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced investigators with his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested an Emmett man on Thursday, November 20th, 2025, for alleged sexual exploitation of a child. Thirty-year-old Kolby Jake Amy has been charged with ten (10) counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material. “This arrest reflects […]

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John Livingston

The Hidden Cost of Rent Seeking

Why It’s Time to Make Corruption a Campaign Issue Adam Smith, in “The Wealth of Nations” (1776), described “economic rent” as income derived from the ownership or control of scarce resources (especially land) rather than from productive labor or innovation. David Ricardo refined this idea with his Law of Rent, showing how landowners profit simply […]

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John Livingston

Weasel Words and the Extended Order

Abraham Lincoln, often regarded as America’s greatest president, and F. A. Hayek, the Nobel laureate economist, lived nearly a century apart but were united by their championing of liberty. Both recognized the progression of Western Civilization—from Ancient Greece and Rome, through Jerusalem, the Magna Carta, the Enlightenment, and the Declaration of Independence. Each deployed language […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

Is our Education System the Cause of Today’s Left/Right Crisis?

While I don’t often think much about conspiracy theories, I believe that this Left/Right rift is becoming more violent by the day. I also believe that the answer to this conundrum lies in our public education system and our left-leaning teachers and professors at our public schools, colleges, and universities. I came across an interesting […]

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