GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

News from the Swamp: Back to business as usual

As the House and Senate prepare to return to work from the holiday break, Democrat leaders are looking to dredge up some old partisan issues with the White House. Near the top of the agenda are contempt-of-Congress resolutions against Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former counsel Harriet Miers for refusing to appear before Congress to be grilled over the U.S. attorney firings of 2006. This manufactured scandal may still work in DNC fundraising letters, but now that the media has turned its attention to the presidential race, the Democrats are unlikely to pursue the issue with the zeal they exhibited when it was front-page news.

Also in the House, a debate has begun over who should fill the recent Republican vacancy on the House Appropriations Committee. Popular support is behind Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) for his steadfast adherence to fiscal responsibility. His dogged pursuit of lower federal spending and curbing earmarks has made him a living example of the traditional conservative creed of smaller government. Many of his colleagues openly express their wish that more members were like Flake, though they apparently don’t plan to follow his example themselves.

That there is even a debate over placing Flake on Appropriations is absurd because he is so well suited for the job. His presence would be a shining contrast to Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), whose unabashed money-grubbing won him $162 million for his district in 2007, the highest of any House member. Defense contractors in Murtha’s district wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for the generous gifts of taxpayer money he’s given them over the years. Naturally, these same contractors keep Murtha’s campaign war chest well stocked with cash, ensuring his perpetual re-election. As for Flake, we surmise that his failing is that he’s too good. So many Republicans are afflicted with over-spendingitis, we will be surprised if Flake does get the seat.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid wants a one-month delay in implementing changes to the terrorist-surveillance program, because liberals are uncomfortable with the idea of granting immunity to telecommunications companies that assisted the government after the September 11th attacks. Since the Democrats have already given in to many of the White House demands in this area, they don’t want to be perceived by their supporters as complete pushovers, but they don’t have the votes to muscle through a provision removing the immunity grant.

New & notable legislation

The first piece of important business for the newly returned Congress was disposing of President Bush’s veto of H.R. 1585, the Defense Department authorization bill. (You will recall that the President nixed the legislation due to an overlooked provision that could have tagged the new Iraqi government as legally culpable for malign actions of executed despot Saddam Hussein and his regime.) The House on Wednesday passed the revised version, H.R. 4986, by a vote of 369-46, for $696 billion in defense spending. The new iteration allows the President to grant Iraq immunity from civil lawsuits, while also boosting our troops’ pay by 3.5 percent, retroactive to the beginning of the year.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) introduced the Positive Alternatives Act (H.R. 4852), which proposes to allow states the freedom to use dollars from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grants for abortion-alternative service. A fine idea, but we would question the constitutional justification for the expenditure.

Campaign watch: Still no Republican front-runner

Mitt Romney won the primary in his native state of Michigan this week, beating second-place finisher John McCain by nine points and third-place Mike Huckabee by 23. Now the burden is on Huckabee to finish well in South Carolina this weekend in order to stay near the top of the pack. Thus far, we have seen three major contests with three different winners.

What of Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson? Well, Thompson is spending a lot of energy in South Carolina, doing his best to dispel the idea that Huckabee (perish the thought) should be the conservative standard bearer in that state. Giuliani remains in Florida where, for better or worse, he has placed virtually all his chips. While more people seem to be warming to Giuliani’s strategy of delegates over states, he has placed himself in a tough position because expectations for him to win the Sunshine State are so high that even a second-place finish could doom his campaign.

As for Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter, both have vowed to stay in the race, thumbing their noses at the Leftmedia. Hunter, who boasts a lifetime rating of 92 from the American Conservative Union, took a few shots at the “knuckleheads” in the press who excluded him from the New Hampshire and South Carolina debates. Hunter also detailed the reasons why he was staying on, noting, “I think that the issues for this country for the next five years will be largely security issues, and intertwined with those security issues will be whether or not we keep America’s industrial base, what I call the arsenal of democracy—or… move it offshore.”

Ron Paul’s call to return government to the size and intent of the Founders rings true for a respectable number of conservative and libertarian voters. However, Paul continues to call for immediate withdrawal from Iraq—a position more akin to the Democrats than to most conservatives, and one that is dangerous for our nation. Thus the jumbled herd of pachyderms rumbles on…

From the Left: With friends like these…

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton tried to be civil to each other this week as they joined John Edwards in warming up for the 26 January South Carolina primary. After trading shots over issues of race and parsing language (a favorite game among liberals), the two front-runners also gathered some significant endorsements. As we noted last week, John Kerry threw his support behind Obama, although we are not sure if that is a gift or a curse. John Edwards, Kerry’s 2004 running mate, seemed to take the snub in stride. After all, it is rumored that in the 2004 race the two did not get along because their egos prevented them from sharing the limelight like traditional running mates.

Meanwhile, Clinton received an endorsement from ex-con Henry Cisneros, former Clinton HUD Secretary, former Mayor of San Antonio and former indicted conspirator. The FBI bagged Cisneros in 1997 for lying about payoffs he made to a longtime mistress. He was pardoned by Bill Clinton in January 2001 and is now returning the favor to Hillary by supporting her candidacy. Cisneros’s ties to the Latino community may be beneficial to her campaign. At the very least, the old gang of Clinton crooks is getting back together. How nostalgic.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Warfront with Jihadistan: Surge in Afghanistan

This week, Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit based in North Carolina and one battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment in 29 Palms, California, were given a pre-deployment warning order for movement to Afghanistan. Speculation has arisen concerning the political and military ramifications of such a deployment, as NATO forces in Afghanistan prepare for an anticipated spring offensive by the Taliban. Such staunch allies as Great Britain, Poland and the Netherlands have stretched their forces and their political capital to maintain current levels of support. Others such as Italy, Spain and Turkey are finding it more difficult to maintain even current troop levels, much less increase support, as the war continues. Turkey finds itself engaged with insurgents from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on its border with Iraq and may be seeking U.S. commitments in that fight before expanding any role in Afghanistan.

Still, there is room for optimism. Marines have a habit of shooting back when attacked and a reputation of aggressively pursuing their enemies. Such offense-minded operations may be just the ticket to throw the Taliban off the offensive and put them back on the run.

Furthermore, Pakistan is warming to the idea of a more active U.S. role in hunting down the Taliban in northwest Pakistan. Perhaps the increased violence in the country, including the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, has convinced the Pakistanis that turning a blind eye to terrorists isn’t such a good idea after all.

Bush’s trip to the Middle East

Road Trip: President Bush visited the Middle East last week, spending time in six countries and meeting with key leaders. Four of those nations—Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—are key to the ongoing effort to contain Iran, while the other two—Israel and Egypt—are critical to any hopes of ever resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The President urged the Persian Gulf nations to remain united in pressuring Iran into compliance with the UN Security Council “before it’s too late.” He also pleaded with Saudi King Abdullah to increase oil production in the face of high prices. That should have the same effect as, oh, pleading with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to open up ANWR.

The big news, however, was the President’s announcement of a new round of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, including JDAM guided-bomb technology. The Saudi deal is on top of $20 billion in arms sales to Persian Gulf nations previously announced by the White House. While the details of the larger deal have not been released, our Persian Gulf friends are likely to receive air-defense upgrades, new fighter aircraft, combatant ships and patrol boats and common data-link systems that should improve their ability to cooperate (with us, we hope) in wartime. The arms deals and the President’s trip to meet personally with regional leaders are part of the DIME spectrum—Diplomatic, Information, Military and Economic influence—that the United States will continue to pursue as a counter-Iran strategy. Of course, it would be nice if the Saudis could cut the flow of jihadis heading to Iraq; Saudi Arabia is the number one source of foreign fighters there.

Bush administration says sonar tests OK

Last week, we reported that a Federal District Court ruled that the Navy must make sure that sea mammals are not in the area when testing new active-sonar equipment. This week, the Bush administration took action, exempting the Navy from the Coastal Zone Management Act, which environmentalists and the federal judge had used to stop the Navy. The White House rightly declared naval activities to be “essential to national security” and that compliance with such a ridiculous law “would undermine the Navy’s ability to conduct realistic training exercises that are necessary to ensure the combat effectiveness of carrier and expeditionary strike groups.” Of course, environmentalists didn’t need another reason to hate President Bush. The New York Times reports, “The sonar in question generates underwater sound using extreme pressure, something marine biologists say can disorient and injure animals, resulting in bleeding, disruption of mating and feeding, and in some cases, death.” Might we suggest that an enemy submarine could cause disorientation, bleeding and death—in humans—if the Navy is not prepared.

Department of Military Readiness: Guns and booze

So, you joined the military when you were 18. After Basic, you had a good operational understanding of how to handle an M-16 and its Mark 203 grenade launcher, how to use your sidearm and knife, and handle yourself in hand-to-hand combat. Eight additional years of service have provided you a lot of specialized training and exposure to combat environs that most Americans cannot imagine. You are back home this week on rotation and ran into another enlisted man at a local pub. You bought him a shot and, according to the newswires, you were promptly arrested for “contributing to the delinquency of a minor” because your pal is just short of 21.

OK, we don’t advocate alcohol use under age (or at any age for that matter), but if buying a drink for an enlisted man constitutes contributing to the delinquency of a minor, what does sending him off to war constitute? Give ‘em a break.

Profiles of valor: National Guard CWO Herring

On 23 December 2006, then-Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Herring of the North Carolina National Guard was leading a five-vehicle patrol in Tahrir, Iraq, when the convoy was attacked by three jihadis with machine guns. The gunner in Herring’s Humvee easily dispatched the enemy fighters only to immediately be confronted with 20 more pouring over a wall 30 feet away. The gunner took aim and killed many insurgents, but the driver was soon hit in the thigh by enemy fire as another group of insurgents was now attacking from the other direction. Herring left the vehicle, fired and killed two jihadis and then ran to assist the wounded driver. Despite being knocked to the ground by the impact of a rocket-propelled grenade, Herring helped to move the driver into the rear seat for further medical treatment. He then drove the Humvee and led the convoy down side streets and back to safety. Not a single member of the convoy was lost, in large part thanks to Herring’s actions, for which he received the Silver Star. Of the incident, the decorated Virginia law-enforcement officer said, “I think that we spent about 400,000 minutes in Iraq, and you get recognized for something that took three minutes. I want to reiterate I wasn’t the only hero out there. All those guys out there are heroes to me. They did things that warrant the same award in my opinion.”

REAL ID delayed again… but not long enough

In a small victory for federalism, the Department of Homeland Security has been forced to extend the deadline for state-level implementation of the REAL ID Act to 2011. The deadline had already been extended once due to opposition from several states, and this second extension has been attributed to more of the same. To date, 17 states have passed resolutions condemning the REAL ID Act and the national identification database that it seeks to create. We particularly like the resolution of the Utah Legislature, which says, “The use of identification-based security cannot be justified as part of a ‘layered’ security system if the costs of the identification ‘layer’ —in dollars, lost privacy, and lost liberty—are greater than the security identification provides… [T]he REAL ID Act is determined by the Utah State House of Representatives to be in opposition to the Jeffersonian principles of individual liberty, free markets and limited government.” Enough said.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Income Redistribution: Embedded taxes

Last week, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney cleverly declared Michigan to be in a “one-state recession.” While we understand his reasoning, we are shocked that nobody in the mainstream media asked the question, “Why is Michigan experiencing such significant job loss?” We will concede that these are difficult times for the automotive industry and that a combination of declining sales and increased automation is reducing the number of workers required to produce a car. However, the failure to look at Michigan’s tax and regulatory structure compared to other states is indicative of the lack of basic economic knowledge in the media. Taxes are a barrier to capital formation and new business creation. When given the choice between two competing locations with comparable labor availability, an entrepreneur will seek to maximize his potential profits by minimizing his expenses, and high-tax states like Michigan will lose every time.

Ultimately, all taxes on manufactured goods are paid by the same group, the end user, sometimes referred to as the consumer. The consumer does not have an option of passing along the cost and accepting a lower profit. The consumer can only absorb the cost burdens imposed by higher taxes. However, not all taxes are explicit—some are implicit. Take the recently hailed Energy Bill that President Bush signed. Over the next 12 years, combined average fuel efficiency for cars is to be increased by 40 percent. These improvements will not be accomplished sans cost. General Motors, a company with a unique perspective toward cost control to enhance long-term viability, has determined that the average cost of this improvement will be $6,000 per car added to the average base cost of $27,958, an increase of 21 percent. This is most certainly a tax in that it is a cost of compliance that cannot be avoided without foregoing the acquisition of a new car.

So what can we expect from this tax increase? With history as our guide, we know that consumers will defer the acquisition of new cars, likely leading to more job cuts for automakers. Meanwhile, Americans will drive their gas-guzzlers longer, negating any supposed benefit for the environment. But no matter—to a liberal, no sacrifice is too great for someone else to bear.

Economic stimulus or just bigger government?

Adding to the recent spate of proposed economic-stimulus packages, Barack Obama has set forth a $120-billion proposal to lessen the effects of a possible recession. The package provides $250 tax credits for 150 million workers and any Social Security recipients who would not benefit from the tax credits. In addition, it provides tens of billions of dollars for pre-foreclosure counseling, state and local governments that face budget problems and additional unemployment insurance.

Both Republican and Democrat candidates for president have proposed similar stimulus packages. All would possibly help the economy in the short term, and election-year analysis doesn’t usually get past the immediate consequences of the proposals. For the long run, however, the question few seem to be raising is also the most important: Does the stimulus plan mean more or less government? An economic stimulus plan that involves permanently lowering taxes would help the economy for years into the future, much as President Bush’s tax cuts have. Obama’s plan largely fails the more-or-less-government test, as do many of the Republican proposals. For a stronger economy, we need lower taxes, not more spending.

Regulatory Commissars: FDA approved

In an interesting story this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that foods from healthy cloned animals are safe for consumption. The FDA said, “Moral, religious and ethical concerns… have been raised,” but that their risk assessment is “strictly a science-based evaluation.” Cloning itself, of course, has met heavy criticism for many years, but on the other hand, clones have been more closely scrutinized than naturally produced animals, meaning the safety of the food products likely is without question.

However, a day after the FDA made its announcement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requested that farmers observe a “voluntary moratorium” on marketing products from clones “given the emotional nature of this issue.” The offspring of clones have already been on the market for years.

In other FDA news, a policy generally banning the use of experimental and unapproved drugs on terminal patients was upheld when the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the case. The U.S. appeals court in Washington had previously ruled, “There is no fundamental right ‘deeply rooted in this nation’s history and tradition’ of access to experimental drugs for the terminally ill.” We certainly agree with the courts’ decision to avoid finding “rights” in the Constitution, but there is a certain degree of personal responsibility that is being ignored. One might think that terminally ill patients should be at liberty to decide this for themselves.

CULTURE

Roe v. Wade turns 35

On Tuesday, the most tragic Supreme Court fiat in America’s history will turn 35. The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision federalized a legal issue that historically had been individually decided by each state. Seven unelected justices struck down Texas’ abortion law—and by extension, those of the other states—instead of having elected legislators properly decide the matter. The primary issue, of course, remains the right to life affirmed in our Declaration of Independence.

Since Roe, nearly 50 million babies have been denied this foundational right, trumped by the so-called “right to choose.” At the time, however, abortion advocates couched the decision as a privacy issue under the “penumbra” of the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment. Justices Byron White and William Rehnquist, who were the lone dissenters, wrote, “The Court simply fashions and announces a new constitutional right for pregnant mothers, and with scarcely any reason or authority for its action, invests that right with sufficient substance to override most existing state abortion statutes. The upshot is that the people and the legislatures of the 50 States are constitutionally disentitled to weigh the relative importance of the [issue]…” Thus, seven black-robed despots circumvented the will of the people.

Of course, there is hope. The latest survey by the Guttmacher Institute found that there were fewer abortions in 2005 than any year since 1976—1.2 million babies. That number is still about 1.2 million too high, but progress is being made through the continued proclamation of the message of life, incremental regulation of the practice and new technology that reveals far more about what exactly is in the womb than ever before. It’s impossible to look at a 4D ultrasound image of the womb and fail to see a baby human within.

Abortion is also a deeply personal issue. For those mothers and fathers seeking healing from a tragic loss and the ensuing emotional distress, the peddlers of abortion offer no comfort or understanding. If you or someone you know suffers silently the anguish of abortion, we encourage you to read “Empty Arms”—60 stories of hope and healing from across the nation. (100 percent of the proceeds go to the National Memorial for the Unborn.)

Around the nation: Wind off Nantucket

One of Ted Kennedy’s most hated projects is about to come to fruition: The wind farm in Nantucket Sound off the Massachusetts coast. The U.S. Minerals Management Service declared that the 130 turbines could be built by Cape Wind at a cost of more than $1 billion, to be operational by 2011. The president of Cape Wind, Jim Gordon, said, “Any rational observer will understand that this project is not going to produce a negative environmental impact… This report validates that this is the right project in the right place at the right time.” Well, no one ever accused Ted Kennedy of being a rational observer. On the contrary, Kennedy suffers from NIMBYS—Not In My Back Yard Syndrome—and was vehemently opposed to this environmentally friendly solution for energy because the turbines would be (barely) visible from Kennedy’s Hyannis compound. Pity, that. On the whole, we find the whole fight between Kennedy and one of the Democrats’ most important constituent groups, environmentalists, quite amusing.

Judicial Benchmarks: Blocking Bible distribution

In another victory for the American Civil Liberties [sic] Union, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court ruled that the South Iron School District in Annapolis, Missouri, can no longer allow Gideons International to distribute Bibles in the classroom, or anywhere else in the school. Judge Catherine Perry wrote, “The policy has the principle or primary effect of advancing religion by conveying a message of endorsement to elementary school children.” After four parents sued, the district changed the 30-year-old policy to allow distribution only after school or during lunch break, but the court nixed that too. Ironically, the parents who sued are Christians. So just to recap, Bibles in fifth grade are illegal, but teaching second graders about homosexuality is just fine. The First Amendment has been turned on its head.

’Non Compos Mentis’: Deep-fried radio

A public radio station in Utah is under fire this week after the “Fair Game with Faith Salie” program ran a skit called “Huck and the Eucharist,” which mocked Mike Huckabee’s “family recipe.” The particularly offensive part of the transcript talked about deep-frying the Eucharist, which Catholics consider to be the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. Part of the transcript read, “Try this Huckabee family favorite. Deep-Fried Body of Christ—boring holy wafers no more. Take one Eucharist. Preferably post transubstantiation. Deep-fry in fat, not vegetable oil, ladies, until crispy. Serve piping hot.” Of course, the uproar was immediate and Faith Salie issued an apology several days later, but it should have been obvious that the skit was over the top before being aired. Note also that this was public radio. In other words, this skit was brought to you by the $393 million in taxpayer money that went to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal 2008. As Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, pointed out, “It would have been regarded as positively intolerant if it had been written about blacks, Jews or Muslims.” In that case, no doubt Ms. Salie would be unemployed.

And last…

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” said Hillary Clinton recently as her campaign jet prepared for takeoff, “and welcome aboard the maiden flight of Hill Force One. My name is Hillary and I am so pleased to have most of you on board.” All fun and games, of course, but it didn’t take long for this nightmarish flight attendant to engage in the usual class-warfare rhetoric. “If you look out from the right, you will see an America saddled with tax cuts for the wealthiest and a war without end. If you look out from the left, you will see an America with a strong middle class at home and a strong reputation in the world.” Maybe Hillary failed to notice, but most airlines don’t let their flight attendants fly the plane, and it still isn’t clear what makes her qualified to steer the nation. Furthermore, we imagine that flying with a stewardess like Hillary is scary enough for most readers, but picturing her and a plane full of Leftmedia reporters reminded us of a recent Hollywood release: “Snakes on a Plane.”

Veritas vos Liberabit—Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for The Patriot’s editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm’s way around the world, and for their families—especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)