It's a far better thing, as well as much easier, for government to act to prevent a disaster, or at least to warn residents loudly and clearly of the potential consequences of their foolish choices.

It does seem slightly odd that the famous Nobel Peace Prize should go to someone who is famous, more or less, for talking loudly.

Larry Craig should resign! But he should not be alone.

Inspecting IDs is a waste of time and money, but it's ideal from the bureaucratic point of view because it doesn't solve the problem.

We now know that Nancy Pelosi's Democrats are a bunch of crooked politicians, just like the ones they replaced last November.

Mr. Washington said, "Government is like fire - an uncertain servant and a fearful master," but he missed the essence. At its core, governance boils down to two questions: "Who says?" and "Who pays?"