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Pete Spiliakos is a columnist for First Things.

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Memory And Ignorance

From First Thoughts

On second thought, I’ve decided Perry is getting something of a raw deal (including from me - mea culpa.)  Perry spaced on the name of an agency he wanted to eliminate.  It was pretty ugly on live television, but that is the kind of stuff that happens to people.  Last week I . . . . Continue Reading »

Quick Thoughts

From First Thoughts

1.  This was by far the most worthless debate of the year.  The CNBC crew should be ashamed of themselves.  Especially that guy who was raising his voice whose eyes kept bugging out.  Just because you make cartoon noises doesn’t mean you are asking an effective . . . . Continue Reading »

Ichabod Or The Decline Of Newt

From First Thoughts

Since it looks like Gignrich is in line to make a surge, I think I’ll repost something I wrote about him elsewhere: Let us put aside Gingrich’s marital woes. I want to push back against the idea that Gingrich is, in the present, the “idea factory” for Republicans. Gingrich . . . . Continue Reading »

Rough Draft

From First Thoughts

This is what we need on domestic policy.   The most frustrating thing about this year’s GOP presidential field is the knowledge that there are better potential Republican candidates who, for a variety of reasons (family issues, the electoral calendar), aren’t . . . . Continue Reading »

The Reckless And The Feckless

From First Thoughts

Ross Douthat really nails it.   Many of our governing elites (personified by Jon Corzine) are, for all of their alleged intelligence and sophistication, engines of destruction.  They don’t know what they can’t control and end up producing chaos.  . . . . Continue Reading »

Watching The Debate

From First Thoughts

So I’m watching the Gingrich/Cain debate thing.  I don’t think I’ll make it all the way through.  The Medicare discussion is tough to watch.  Gingrich is doing better, but I’m liking Cain more the more I watch.  Gingrich is trying to dig out from the . . . . Continue Reading »

Grudging Respect

From First Thoughts

I’ve been a little negative (okay, very negative) about the GOP presidential field in recent weeks, so I should give credit where it is due.  Good speech by Romney today.  Taken in outline, the spending cuts and entitlement reforms he talks about are probably big enough to avoid . . . . Continue Reading »

Cliff Clavin Cain

From First Thoughts

So I saw Cain on the Fox Special Report show yesterday.  I’m going to ignore all the stuff about sexual harassment because I don’t know what is true and I figure it will shake out in the next couple of weeks (or even faster.)  I’m more interested in some of Cain’s . . . . Continue Reading »