‘Politics’ Archives
Senator DeMint: More Spending Is a Threat to America
Reaching the debt ceiling should be a warning bell to Congress that our debt has reached scorching levels. But all Washington politicians want to do is shut off the alarm instead of put out the fire. The alarms are ringing loudly, and with more frequency, in response to new and expanded entitlement programs, bailouts and Big Government takeovers. Congress has voted to raise the debt ceiling every year since 2002 — and twice in 2008 and 2009. Raising the debt ceiling yet again without a plan to cut spending would be like putting out a fire with gasoline instead of water. Doing so would allow the government to continue borrowing more to spend more. It’s time to extinguish this idea. The only way to finally stop increasing the debt is to stop borrowing and [...]
Illinois appeals court: Rahm Emanuel Not Eligible to Run for Chicago Mayor
An Illinois appeals court panel has ruled that Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff, does not qualify to run for mayor of Chicago in next month’s election. The ruling, which was announced on Monday, comes as a significant and unexpected setback for Mr. Emanuel, who has been a front-runner both in polls and in fund-raising in the race to replace Richard M. Daley, the city’s longest-serving mayor, who will retire this spring. The question of Mr. Emanuel’s residency — and whether he had lived in Chicago long enough to appear on the city’s ballot — had been a matter of debate since Mr. Emanuel departed the White House last fall to run for mayor. Read the Rest Rahm Emanuel Not Eligible to Run for Chicago Mayor, Court Says - NYTimes.com.
Op-Ed – Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s Dumbest Decision
Imagine for a moment that you were ticketed for speeding by the state police. Suppose that you lied to the cop about why you were driving so fast. Suppose that you lied to the cop about why you were driving so fast. Then imagine that a group of special-interest lawyers contacted you and told you they wanted to appeal your ticket to the Supreme Court, and they gave you a legal pseudonym to hide your identity. Now imagine that the Court ruled that the ancient Romans had no speed limit on the Appian Way, that the Germans have no speed limits on the autobahn, and that speed limits are a violation of the Constitution and must be struck down. Sound crazy? Well, the hypothetical scenario above pretty much describes the logic used by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade. Actually, [...]
Obama holds State dinner for Chinese Leader while Nobel Peace Prize winner sits in Jail
President Barack Obama’s red-carpet treatment of visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao has failed to sweep away growing alarm over China’s no-holds-barred push for military and economic dominance, with one leading conservative expert charging Wednesday that the president’s over-the-top coddling of the Chinese amounts to “appeasement.” “Cooperation between our countries is good for the world,” Obama declared during a Wednesday afternoon White House news conference featuring both leaders. Hu was greeting at the White House by Vice President Biden and treated to the honor of a 21-gun salute on the White House South Lawn. Later he will be the guest of honor at a state dinner. Obama described the relationship between America and the rising Chinese superpower as one [...]
Social Security Is in Far Worse Shape Than You Think, Already in the Red
For years, politicians and policymakers have reassured the American public that the Social Security system, which sends monthly checks out to 53 million beneficiaries, is safely solvent -- and will be for decades to come. But federal spending and income data from the Treasury Department reveal that the Social Security program is already deep in the red, with outlays exceeding payroll tax revenues by $76 billion in 2010 alone. This stunning shortfall calls into question the rosy fiscal forecasts made by the Social Security Administration (SSA) about the program's future solvency. The annual report of the Social Security Trustees, published in August 2010, forecast that the primary Social Security program, the Old Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund (OASI), would not [...]