A challenge to republicans: give up the socialism, or stop pretending to oppose it.

The counterterrorism strategy published by the Obama Administration in June was not exactly a hard-hitting document, turning counterterrorism into a law enforcement issue and generally containing few details and little new thinking. When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the subject on September 9, the subject took on more life. As a Senator from New York, she had spent time at Ground Zero and met with the victims and their families, which made her grasp of the subject at least instinctive and immediate. Yet the great and unacknowledged irony in … More

Let’s take a closer look at how the Obama Administration demonstrates “efficiency” and “economy” in actual practice. Fair warning: It ain’t pretty. New rules (supposedly) intended to maximize the services of government contractors require such firms to give first preference in hiring to the workers of the company that lost the contract. That is, when a government contract is awarded to a different firm, this new contractor must first offer employment to the workers of the previous contractor before hiring anyone else. As delineated in the Federal Register of August … More

The White House on Tuesday announced “final plans” to reduce “unreasonable” regulations that hinder economic growth and job creation. That President Obama even acknowledges there are costly consequences to government dictates is progress of sorts, and any reduction in red tape is most welcome. But the anticipated savings from the proposed reforms are swamped by the torrent of new regulatory burdens unleashed by this Administration. Regulatory officials estimate that the proposed changes, if enacted, could save businesses more than $2 billion a year. Many involve streamlining reporting procedures, while others … More

When President Obama was inaugurated, he swore an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  Article II, Section 3 directs the President to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”  Unfortunately, in what has become an all too common occurrence in this administration, Obama is once again bending that oath to the breaking point by specifically not taking care that immigration laws passed by Congress are faithfully executed. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday that it would halt all deportation proceedings against … More

Driving the conversation: Americans’ approval of President Obama’s handling of the economy hit a new low yesterday. According to polling company Gallup, 71 percent of adults disapprove of the president’s economic performance. Just over a quarter of respondents said they were happy with his economic record. The last time Gallup asked the question was in May. At the time, 31 percent approved of Obama’s economic performance, while 60 percent disapproved. The decline is likely to feed an ongoing debate at the White House over whether the president should actually push … More

As both sides of the debate remember all too well, the final passage of Obamacare last year hinged on a many-layered debate on abortion funding in the final bill. The balance of power on the final vote in the House of Representatives rested with a small group of pro-life Democrats, led by former Representative Bart Stupak (D–MI), who abandoned their support for a comprehensive restriction on abortion funding. Instead, the “Stupak 7” settled for a presidential executive order that purported to fill the gaps in the legislation that allow various … More

Wisconsinites are headed to the polls to cast their votes in the Wisconsin recall elections. The recall campaigns — against six Republicans today and against two Democratic state senators next week — have gained national attention. They stem from the fierce standoff between the Legislature earlier in the year. The unprecedented circumstances in Wisconsin ensure low voter turnout and noncompetitive results won’t be a problem. Numerous politicians are calling for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s resignation following the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+. Congresswoman and presidential … More

For months, Washington has focused on solving its uncontrolled addiction to spending. But while Congress and the White House use one hand to reach into your back pocket to take and spend your hard-earned dollars, they’re using another hand to wreak a different kind of nefarious harm—the proliferation of regulations, rules, and red tape, all of which impose heavy costs on America. In the just-released “Red Tape Rising: A 2011 Mid-Year Report,” The Heritage Foundation’s James Gattuso and Diane Katz explain the pervasiveness of government’s intrusive regulatory hand (that oftentimes … More

Winter has turned to spring and spring has turned to summer, but Congress and the White House are still debating how to handle the limit on our national debt.  In the 1830’s, however, President Andrew Jackson set about an even more daunting task: paying the debt off entirely.  America accomplished that feat in 1835, and to this day it is the only time we have done so. According to the US government, outstanding public debt totaled approximately $80 million (or $1.8 billion in 2010 dollars) by the start of President … More