Blog Feed: A New Republican

There Is No 1%

Published on 2012-05-08 10:22:00

In a recent interview, the New York Times sat down with businessman Edward Conrad to discuss the merits of the American economic system. Conrad, a former employee at Bain Capital, friend of Mitt Romney, and author of the upcoming book "Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You’ve Been Told About the Economy Is Wrong," came out swinging with a powerful defense of the United States' capitalist economy and the so-called 1%. Conrad must be given credit for both a sound economic defense of the A [..] > read more

@FutureChallenges: The Annual Bertelsmann Conference: Making a Comeback

Published on 2012-05-02 16:10:00

I attended the annual Bertelsmann Foundation conference—Making a Comeback: A Return to Jobs and Growth—which discussed the economy, jobs, and the political state of Washington, D.C. and Europe. Check the following links for my coverage, all posted at FutureChallenges. Here's a link to a general review of the event, including descriptions of some of the more interesting discussions and panelists. One of the panels had a lengthy discussion on risks to the international system. This interesti [..] > read more

An Interview with Zbigniew Brzezinski

Published on 2012-04-04 11:32:00

I chatted with former National Security Adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, about his new book, Strategic Vision, and the state of the international system, Iran, China, and America's leadership role. For a full text of the conversation, the full interview can be found at the SAIS Review blog. SAIS Review: What do you envision will be the impact of the domestic political partisanship in the United States on U.S. foreign policy over the next decade? > read more

Mandate This Too!

Published on 2012-03-12 08:53:00

The Wall Street Journal offers a brilliant, satirical letter to the Obama administration on other healthcare essentials that the government ought to mandate coverage for. Here's a sampling of the letter: Dear President Obama, Can you believe the nerve of employers? Many of them still seem to think that they should be allowed to determine the benefits they offer. I guess they haven't read your 2,000-page health law. It's the government's job now. That's a good thing, too. Employers for too lo [..] > read more

Representing All Americans

Published on 2012-03-07 10:16:00

A unfortunate tenet on the left and on some segments of the right, is to accept that the government can justly represent just a small slice of the electorate; one's supporters, or base, interest groups, and political allies. But the reality is that for there to be any true level of justice in our political system, our leaders must truly represent all Americans. They must design policies and laws with this fundamental principle at the forefront of their minds; because, while as a political system [..] > read more

Rush Limbaugh Proves Why the Government Should Leave Us Alone

Published on 2012-03-04 09:34:00

Rush Limbaugh has provided us with yet another reason why government should stay out of making decisions for individuals. In a recent flap over contraception, Limbaugh referred to Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke as a "slut" because of her desire to speak to a congressional committee on the merits of contraception (she was not allowed to). Limbaugh crossed a line—thankfully, after demurring, he apologized. But the problem is not so much what he said—although shameful is the only way to d [..] > read more

The Privilege of Being American

Published on 2012-02-29 08:55:00

In today's Wall Street Journal, Lawrence Lindsey, a former Federal Reserve governor and adviser to George W. Bush, wrote an interesting op-ed, refuting Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner's argument that it is a privilege to be an American and thus, by extension, the richest should pay more taxes. Lindsey's argument is worthy of reprinting in-part. Last week Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said that the "most fortunate Americans" should pay more in taxes for the "privilege of being an Americ [..] > read more

A Fair Compromise?

Published on 2012-02-11 09:23:00

The Obama administration seems to think it has a winning formula in its ill-handled contraception fiasco. Having previously refused to exempt religiously-affiliated organizations from providing contraception through their insurance programs, Obama claims to have accommodated these organizations with a new ruling. The new compromise purportedly exempts religiously-affiliated organizations, but not their insurance providers. Specifically, these institutions no longer need to provide healthcare pla [..] > read more

He "Deserves" a Second Term?

Published on 2012-02-06 11:18:00

If Obama's arrogance and sense of entitlement have not yet come through in his policies and his speeches, he has made it abundantly clear, in a recent interview with NBC's Matt Lauer, that he deserves a second term. When questioned yesterday by Lauer regarding Obama's 2009 statement, "“If I don’t have this done [the economy fixed] in three years, than this is going to be a one-term proposition,” the president responded by stating “I deserve a second term but we're not done.” [..] > read more

@ FutureChallenges: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: It's the Fundamentals

Published on 2012-01-26 11:33:00

My newest article at FutureChallenges has just been published. Linked to the content package, Work in the Developing World, the article, Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: It's the Fundamentals, explores the current economic issues faced by the United States and offers a discussion on a possible way to attack the jobs problem. It is clear, to even the most casual observers of American politics, that one of the most pressing problems of the past several years and a poignant issue in the 2012 election cycle is jo [..] > read more

State of Class Warfare

Published on 2012-01-25 11:10:00

Last night's State of the Union Address was rather dull. The President offered little in the way of anything new. He continued to spin his usual bombast and, while trying to portray himself as a cross-aisle conciliator, continued his divisive rhetoric and class warfare. He even went as far as to acknowledge (and failed to deny) that many might perceive his proposals and language from a polarizing perspective. As the State of the Union Address and Obama's past record both indicate, class warfare [..] > read more

No Black Eyes

Published on 2012-01-24 09:06:00

The Republican primaries are getting ugly. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have been attacking each other with venom in their quest to secure the GOP's nomination. And while last night's debate in Florida had quite a few moments of real issue-based discussion—NBC's moderator, Brian Williams, should be commended for running a respectable and informative debate—a large portion of the debate descended into ad hominem attacks between the two front runners. The termination of all personal attacks [..] > read more

Government Healthcare Interferes in Private Lives

Published on 2012-01-23 10:16:00

Many are outraged at the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) recent decision to force religiously-affiliated organizations to provide reproductive and preventative services without co-pay or deductible, as required under the new Obamacare law. HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius announced that while synagogues and churches would be exempt from the rule, other religiously-affiliated organizations, including non-profits would not be. Religiously-affiliated organizations, however, were prov [..] > read more

Policymaker in Chief

Published on 2012-01-20 13:39:00

The media has been abuzz with Newt Gingrich's push-back against inappropriate questions asked by CNN's John King during last night's Republican primary debate in South Carolina. Responding to opening questions about allegations, made by Gingrich's ex-wife, of a request for an "open relationship," Gingrich refused to play by the standard rules of the game and fired back at the "despicable" line of questioning. Gingrich's response is refreshing. Far too often politicians play by the media's [..] > read more

Newt Undermines GOP Arguments on Capitalism

Published on 2012-01-11 09:52:00

A desperate and angry Newt Gingrich has relinquished his remaining grip on smart primary campaigning and unleashed an all out assault on Mitt Romney's economic record – and, by association, capitalism. Gingrich's attacks on Romney's experience, however, only serve to undermine Gingrich's stance as a responsible, non-negative campaigner and isolate him from the sensible Republican voters whom he needs to court to have any chance at receiving the GOP nomination. However, aside from the damage [..] > read more

Government Questions Employer's Right to Require High School Diploma

Published on 2012-01-03 16:12:00

Once again the government is slowly pushing its tendrils into the private sector. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has recently released a non-binding letter indicating that employers may be in violation of the American Disabilities Act (ADA) if they require a high school diploma as a prerequisite for employment. The letter, which as of now is only an informal expression of the EEOC's position and does not have the force of law, states: [I]f an employer adopts a high school di [..] > read more

UN Embarrasses Itself - Again

Published on 2011-12-22 16:34:00

The United Nations General Assembly (GA) has once again made a fool of itself. In proceedings today, it held a minute of silence as a sign of respect for the death of North Korean dictator (and general madman) Kim Jong-il, who died this past Saturday. The president of the GA, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, called for a twenty-five second ovation, stating: It is my sad duty to pay tribute to the memory of the late Kim Jong-il, Secretary-General of the Workers Party of Korea, Chairman of the Nationa [..] > read more

Technology Isn't The Problem

Published on 2011-06-22 09:01:00

Russell Roberts, professor of economics at George Mason University and research fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, writes a strong critique in the Wall Street Journal of Obama's foolish attacks on technology. He quotes Obam > read more

Huntsman Has Some Potential

Published on 2011-06-21 22:25:00

Former Utah governor and ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman has formally announced his candidacy for president. He joins a thick field in the GOP primaries, most directly competing with Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty for the moderate and esta > read more

Time to Fix the Economy: The Debt Limit and Spending

Published on 2011-06-01 10:16:00

Yesterday's vote on raising the debt limit was, as expected, voted down by the vast majority of the House of Representatives. While Democrats, including Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (who voted against the bill), are hurling accusations of politica > read more

The Weekend Interview with Wolfowitz

Published on 2011-05-07 07:18:00

This week's Weekend Interview in the Wall Street Journal is an interesting and recommended read. The WSJ sits down with Paul Wolfowitz, often deemed one of the architects of the Iraq War and the neocon movement. Wolfowitz discusses his th > read more

What's Next? The Questions Surrounding Bin Laden's Death

Published on 2011-05-02 17:18:00

A much expanded version of the today's blog post, "What's Next? Bin Laden's Death," has now been published at Futurechallenges.org, under the name "What's Next? The Questions Surrounding bin Laden's Death." Please click the preceding link > read more

What's Next? Bin Laden's Death

Published on 2011-05-02 09:19:00

Presidents Obama and Bush and their respective security and intelligence teams deserve a hearty round of applause for the death of Osama bin Laden last night. After nearly a decade of intelligence gathering and a successful special ops operation, the > read more

Osama bin Laden is Dead!

Published on 2011-05-01 21:53:00

12:02: bin Laden was in a city, Abbottabad, half-way between Peshawar and Islamabad in an urban area that is a Pakistani government center. -------- 11:41: Obama emphasizes this is not a war against Islam and that operation was coord > read more

Shame on the America

Published on 2011-04-27 17:21:00

Hopefully, today’s release of Obama’s long-form birth certificate, will finally quiet the Birther movement. The Birthers – a rabble that questions Obama’s eligibility to serve as president, due to doubts about his birthplace – have been a p > read more

The Psychology of Obama

Published on 2011-04-27 07:54:00

Dana Milbank writes in today's Washington Post on the ramifications of Obama's cerebral nature. Without taking a stance on whether this is good or bad, he explores, through consultation with academics, how Obama's seemingly inconsistent po > read more

A Marshall Plan for the Middle East: Part II: The New Vision

Published on 2011-03-28 08:28:00

The followup to A Marshall Plan for the Middle East: Part I: An Old Approach Reborn is now available on FutureChallenges. The second half, The New Vision, builds on the earlier call to reconcile Western security needs with demo > read more

Time to Support Obama

Published on 2011-03-23 17:22:00

As the far-left has assumed its normal, although currently somewhat subdued, opposition to war, many Republicans have begun to position themselves against the administration’s actions in Libya. Seemingly, much of this opposition on the right comes > read more

A Marshall Plan for the Middle East - Part I

Published on 2011-03-22 09:57:00

My newest article, A Marshall Plan for the Middle East: Part I, on FutureChallenges (a division of the Bertelsmann Foundation) discusses the need to develop a new approach to the current revolutionary fervor in the Middle East and North Af > read more

A Wisconsin Win

Published on 2011-03-09 21:34:00

Wisconsin Democrats' refusal to return from their sojourn in Illinois has proven to be a failed strategy against Republican attempts to put severe limits on the practice of collective bargaining for public sector unions. Earlier this eveni > read more

Bush was Right

Published on 2011-03-09 07:25:00

As argued over a year ago, military tribunals in Guantanamo Bay are necessary for the security of America. The Obama Administration, which had previously wanted to try terrorist mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad in federal court, now has switch > read more

It is the Entitlements, Stupid!

Published on 2011-03-01 22:20:00

Unsustainable public entitlements seem to be the most talked about secret in the nation. There does not appear to be a pundit out there who has not addressed the necessity for cuts in or fixes of the entitlement system. Europe has started > read more

Cheeseheads!!!

Published on 2011-02-27 22:00:00

Today on NBC’s Meet the Press, Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) spoke eloquently (see below) about the ongoing debate over collective bargaining that has halted legislation in Wisconsin and seized the nation’s interest over the past few weeks. W > read more

Political Correctness at Its Worst

Published on 2011-02-26 09:51:00

In yet another example of asinine political correctness, US Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) is calling for the removal of the statue "Triumph of Virtue" from a Queens park. According to him and his liberal backers, the statue, which portrays > read more

It Is Not On Purpose: Medved on Obama

Published on 2011-02-14 05:25:00

Michael Medved writes an extremely smart Op-Ed on Obama in today's Wall Street Journal. Building on John Adam's prayer (see below) when moving into the White House, Medved argues that while many president's have had their flaws, none, incl > read more

Egypt Aflame

Published on 2011-02-03 16:37:00

As Egypt descends into greater chaos, the United States is left in the awkward position that generally befalls great powers when their dictator friends are driven from power. The tension between realist foreign policy and liberal democracy promo > read more

The Fate of Mubarak

Published on 2011-01-31 08:31:00

Stephen J. Hadley, former national security advisor to George W. Bush, writes in today's Wall Street Journal about the possible fate of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Given the intense political upheaval in Egypt, Hadley sees Mubarak ending > read more

Race, The Welfare State, and Economics

Published on 2011-01-22 08:53:00

The Wall Street Journal ran a very poignant interview with Walter Williams, a black economist at George Mason University, on the impact of the welfare state, racism, and the growth of government. Mr. Williams most salient point is best summed u > read more

The Power of Lobbies

Published on 2011-01-20 09:58:00

It is a common political pastime to disparage so-called “special interests.” Their association with the Big “You Fill in the Blanks” [Business, Insurance, Auto, Pharma, etc.] and their alleged corrupting influences on politics has made them a > read more

Jeb Bush, the Hispanice Vote, and the Economy

Published on 2011-01-15 11:06:00

Today's Wall Street Journal has a great interview with former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush. He discusses the need to reach out to the Hispanic voters and provides some great suggestions. He also discusses the future of the Republican Party > read more

Tequila for the GOP

Published on 2010-12-27 20:33:00

The newest thing to hit the newspapers is the Tequila Party. No, it’s not some college drinking game, but an incipient grassroots political movement. Modeled after the Tea Party (in structure, not agenda), it aims to mobilize Hispanic voters to pus > read more

Class Warfare and the Social Yard-Stick

Published on 2010-12-15 10:37:00

Class warfare is becoming a full-blown storm on Capitol Hill. It is not really anything new – a time-tested strategy frequently relied upon by the left, but also used by the right. President Obama’s latest deployment was during his announcement o > read more

WikiLeaks and a Middle East Peace on FutureChallenges.org

Published on 2010-12-14 09:40:00

The post, WikiLeaks and a Middle East Peace?, originally written on ANR is now an expanded article on FutureChallenges.org. Check out the Security and Anti-Terrorism section for the full article, now called "WorthyLeaks?: Could > read more

The Budget, Entitlements, and Government

Published on 2010-12-06 22:02:00

In today's Washington Post, Robert Samuelson wrote a poignant editorial on the much needed buget cuts. He argues that government benefits, once lavished upon the electorate, are largely (politically) unremovable, becoming in the eyes of the peo > read more

WikiLeaks and a Middle East Peace?

Published on 2010-11-30 22:23:00

Could the WikiLeaks disclosures, which are causing all sorts of negative fallout for the Obama administration’s foreign policy, actually lead to some foreign policy successes? Regarding most of the leaks the upshot will probably run the gamut from > read more