masthead-highres

Monday, January 05, 2009

Land Grab Bill to Be Reintroduced?

Rumor has it that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is re-introducing his massive federal land control bill.

The National Center for Public Policy Research polled African-Americans on the legislation. 52% oppose the legislation while only 37% support it.

As our vice president, David Ridenour, noted when the poll was released:
This is a key test of whether liberal politicians listen to African-Americans who cast 95% of their votes for Barack Obama and accounted for nearly one-quarter of all of President-elect Obama's votes. Black Americans don't want more land locked up if it means restricting energy development and home construction, driving up the price of both. And that's precisely what this bill would do.
The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, an amalgamation of more than 100 bills that would place new restrictions on energy exploration, home construction, and business activity, has been scheduled by Harry Reid (D-NV) for a vote during this week's special lame duck session of the Senate.

The bill would restrict use of millions of additional acres of land, both public and private, through the creation of new National Heritage Areas (a program creating de facto federal zoning), new wilderness area designations, and management practices that would clear the way for special protections for so-called "view scapes," "sound scapes," and even "smell scapes."

The National Center also helped Americans for Tax Reform gather signatures for a coalition letter to the U.S. Senate on this issue that ATR spearheaded, a PDF of which can be found here.
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Thursday, January 01, 2009

I Think They're Smoking Something

An argument is being made that decriminalizing marijuana would create millions of new jobs.
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Mom Was Right: Keep Your Room Clean

If his house had been neat, do you suppose they would have saved his life?
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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Unto You Is Born This Day

Luke 2: 1-14

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

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Friday, December 19, 2008

Paul Weyrich: Someone Who Led the Fight for All We Believe In

Joyce and Paul Weyrich
Joyce and Paul Weyrich in 1992

It was with great sadness that we at the National Center for Public Policy Research learned today of the passing of conservative leader Paul Weyrich.

Paul was never officially affiliated with the National Center, but we learned so much from Paul over the years that when we purchased our national headquarters building in 2004, we named the first floor in his honor.  That should tell you something about the appreciation we have for Paul, as nonprofit organizations usually reserve naming opportunities for major financial donors.  It also will tell you something when I say that we haven't yet named any of the other floors.

I first met Paul in 1982, when I gave him a call at the suggestion of another conservative leader. The National Center for Public Policy Research was brand-new back then, and no one had ever heard of it.  Paul was about 39 and already prominent; I was 22 and utterly anonymous.  He was out when I called, but he called me back within an hour.  He had no idea who I was, but he still called me back himself.  Many would have had an underling do it.

That week I started attending the coalition meetings run by Paul's Coalitions for America.  That's where Paul's genius for leadership really showed.  Those meetings were the center of the conservative movement.  In the pre-Internet days; these meetings were by far the main information-sharing mechanism for many dozens of influential organizations and elected officials, but there was a lot more to them than that. Information about a problem or goal on a public policy issue would be shared by one of typically 5-8 guest speakers per meeting.  The speaker would make one or more specific action requests (and woe to the speaker who came without action requests).  Then the organization representatives assembled would volunteer to help (and woe to us if enough of us didn't).  And then Paul typically would add his two cents: he'd name other things that could be done; other people who could help; offer to call legislators or others on the speaker's behalf to move roadblocks, or whatever else might be needed.  On the fly, he'd design a complete victory strategy and recruit a team to get the victory accomplished.

Oh, and did I mention that the whole thing would be done in ten minutes or less?  That was the rule.  Speakers had five minutes to convince everyone about the seriousness of their issue and what help they needed to prevail or, well, Paul would help.  And when he did, let me tell you, you'd be able to hear him in the back.

The news media typically describes Paul as the founder of the Heritage Foundation, as the CEO of the Free Congress Foundation, and as the major Religious Right figure who coined the phrase "Moral Majority."  All true, but can you imagine the impact of Paul's meetings, week-in, week-out, held from the 1970s and continuing today?  And the impact made, then and for years after, by the conservatives who sat in his meetings and learned how Washington works?  How it really works?

Another thing about Paul that set him apart from many is that he was no toady.  If you were a prominent elected official and you squished out or made lame excuses, Paul let you have it, no matter how many years of seniority you might have or how famous your name might be.  (In fact, the more power you had, the harder he might be on you, because he expected more from those who ought to know better.)  Typical Washington behavior is to toady-up to power (part of the reason so many of our legislators are so bad).  Not Paul's style at all.

I remember a meeting Paul attended in the White House back in 1983.  We had assembled a half-dozen prominent Congressmen and Senators and a group of heads of conservative organizations to urge then-President Reagan to stay stalwart against the nuclear freeze (the left-wing suicidal lunacy of the day) and to use his presidential bully pulpit more often to condemn the proposed freeze.  We all talked about our meeting strategy before the President came in, mutually agreeing that we would speak strongly and forcefully, firmly and specifically listing examples of opportunities we thought the Reagan Administration was failing to take that could help bring the American people to its side on these critical defense issues.  It was also agreed that the most prominent people in the room, the well-known defense-hawk Congressmen and Senators, would take the lead.  The rest of us would back them up.

But when President Reagan came in, a funny thing happened.  In Reagan's presence, most of the Congressmen and Senators morphed into wimps.  The heartfelt concerns they had for how the Reagan White House was conducting public outreach on defense issues were not spoken of.  In their place were platitudes of praise.  Despite being Congressmen and Senators (and well above average ones at that), they were too intimidated by the President's presence to be constructively critical.

Do you suppose the same thing happened to Paul?  (You won't suppose so if you are among those who knew him.)  In tone and demeanor, he was every bit as respectful to the President as were the elected officials, but when Paul talked, the President understood what was on the table.  Paul wasn't the only one of us to speak, but his firm approach carried the day.  Had we left it to the elected officials, the meeting would have been little more than a photo op.

I was present in only a very minute fraction of all the meetings Paul attended with powerful people over the years, but I believe his willingness to be frank when needed about the real issues (the hoary cliche', 'speak truth to power,' for once, fits) would have given many others who otherwise might have been intimidated into silence the courage to speak.  Only the Lord knows how much good has been done.

I suppose you could almost call Paul a populist leader, not in the sense that he was led by public opinion (Paul was led by principles and merits), or ever motivated by anti-intellectualism, but in the sense that he held everyone to the same equal standard regardless of lofty position or lack of it: You'd better pitch in and stick to your conservative principles, or you'd hear about it, whether you were a Senator or you were an intern.  But if you did do those things, you could get as much praise as an intern as you would as a Senator (maybe more).

I posted at the top of this post a picture of Paul with his wife, Joyce, I took at a party in 1992. I think it captures Paul's vibrancy and personality more than stock photos.  You could not do what he did, and he did a lot, without being constantly active and working very, very hard.

Many of the anecdotes I've heard and read about Paul today are only about conservatism.  I bet here's one you aren't seeing in many places: Paul could make up bad -- and I mean really bad -- puns better than anyone.

Paul also was there for friends.  There are many people who were much closer to Paul than I was, but on one occasion some years back when I was going through a rough patch, Paul called and told me that if I was ever having a sleepless night, and needed somebody to talk to, even if it was 2 or 3 in the morning, I could call him and he'd talk with me for as long as it took to make me feel better.  To demonstrate he really meant it, he then sent me a hand-written note in the mail with the same message.  

I never called him in the middle of the night, but there were many times I remembered him making the offer.  I can only imagine how many times he made a similar offer to others, but I bet he helped many.   Journalists covering Paul's passing are telling us Paul coined the phrase "moral majority," and so he did, but which of these things is a greater epitaph?

Not counting the Christmas card we received from Paul and his wife today, the last time David and I heard from Paul was yesterday.  He sent us a handwritten note thanking us for something he needn't have thanked us for at all.  Most of the note was personal, but it included this one paragraph about policy:
Guys, the Obama Administration will be difficult for us as Obama tolerates no opposition.  We must win the so-called 'Fairness Doctrine' fight.  If not we can kiss goodbye to any revival in 2010 and 2012.  I know you will help.
That was Paul.  Even gone, he leads us.

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Monday, December 15, 2008

The Obama Administration on Science

From Melanie Scarborough:
Carol Browner, the latest Clinton administration retread to be tapped by Barack Obama, will serve in the newly created and still undefined role of White House ‘energy czar.’  If her statements earlier this year are any indication, she also will serve as court jester...
Read it all here.
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Saturday, December 13, 2008

I Wouldn't If I Were Him

Jesse Jackson Jr. says, "I want my name back."
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Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Here's Hoping They Don't Go Into Medicine

Animal welfare activists kill 5,000 chickens.

P.S. I spoke too soon. They may be killing humans already.

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A Way to Help End the Recession

Drilling.

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Monday, December 08, 2008

Marlboro Didn't Sell as a Pinko Brand

Project 21 Senior Fellow Deneen Borelli spoke on the future of the conservative movement at the 2008 Restoration Weekend. FrontPage Magazine has now reprinted a transcript of her remarks, along with those of others from the conference.

From Deneen's remarks:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Restoration Weekend. I am feeling restored! I don't know about you. I'm glad to be here among this distinguished panel, and I think it's very important for us to talk about the future of the conservative movement. And briefly I'm going to describe the reasons I see the recent political defeat and the outline of a strategy that will carry us to victory.

Now, let me state the obvious: we lost, okay? During this past election the conservatives suffered a significant political loss. Not only did Obama win all the states that Kerry and Gore won, he also won the traditional red states like Virginia and North Carolina. Obama won by an electoral landslide, with momentum that carried him with a good number of Senate and House seats. In summary, using a football analogy, it was a rout, and we got rolled!

So, where do conservatives go from here? Let's start with the good news. I don't believe the election was a referendum on conservative principles. How could it be when John McCain was the candidate? While McCain is a true American hero, he's not a conservative. We remember legislation like McCain-Feingold, McCain-Lieberman – I think you know where I'm going with this.

Similarly Obama's victory was not a referendum for liberalism. Obama won simply because the majority of the America people were mad at the Bush Administration. And, boy, are they going to get the change that they never seen before in their lives!

Now, one major problem is that too many Republican politicians have abandoned the conservative principle of limited government. From a marketing perspective, some of our Republican politicians have muddled the message of the conservative brand.

Since I have more experience in marketing than politics, I view our challenges chiefly from a marketing perspective. To summarize, brand management failed, the conservative market share dropped, and the competition forged ahead.

Now, the conservative brand has been mismanaged from our sales force, Republican elected officials. Over the last eight years we've seen an explosion in spending: the expansion of government under Bush's watch, Ted Stevens from Alaska, the "bridge to nowhere"….

Going back to marketing basics, the success of any brand depends on whether the product or service can successfully deliver on its core attributes, consistency, quality, and also deliver as a feel good for a person to relate to that product.

So, tell me something, how many of you were proud to wear the McCain button? How many of you are happy to get those RNC donation letters in the mail still? Not too many. The bottom line is this, the future of the conservative movement depends on communicating the brand's key attributes: limited government, national security, and low taxes.

Now, by adhering to these themes through policies and actions, the conservative movement can generate political momentum to win elections. Now, given this fractured state, the conservative brand needs to be reinvented.

First, we need to demand that our Republican politicians communicate these core values. Knowing that once elected, that some officials tend to go to the dark side, and so we need to establish a mechanism for them to enforce these values.

Our conservative leaders need to be reminded that actions have consequences. To ensure compliance we need to establish a grassroots effort of quality control, sticking with the marketing theme.

Individuals can blog, write letters, attend townhall meetings, and report on what our elected officials are doing and saying. And, believe me, elected officials tend to have e-mail alerts that let them know that their name is in the press. They don't like negative press. So if an elected official claims to be conservative, and they don't live-up to their words, they should be recalled, just like a defective product.

The conservative movement must also reach new demographics, something that has been mentioned already by some of our panelists. Now, Obama got 67% of the Hispanic vote. He also got 95% of the black vote. Now, this is where an extension of the brand is necessary. Copying the way consumer products are marketed to different groups, the advertising of conservative values need to be tailored to reach new demographic audiences.

Now, unfortunately, many blacks voted for Obama because of his race and not his policies. Now, tragically, Obama's policies will propagate government dependency in urban communities. His overall message is, "Ask not what you can do for your country, but ask what your country can do for you," the opposite of John Kennedy's message.

With all the problems in urban communities -- failing schools, single parent households, unemployment, drugs, gangs, big government cannot solve these problems. So to chip away at Obama's overwhelming popularity, the conservative movement needs a top, down and bottom, up approach.

Now, from the top, conservatives need to communicate the conservative message by, let's say, a popular, well-known, trusted black leader. Maybe in the entertainment world, sports world, media world. Oprah Winfrey comes to mind, but we all know where Oprah Winfrey stands. And if she would only say, "School choice is great," can you imagine what a game changer that would be? Someone like Lynn Swann comes to mind.

From the bottom, conservative principles can be communicated through popular mediums which were referenced up here, such as YouTube, videos, music videos. It is a hit means of reaching our younger generation to get them involved, educated and informed about the issues. To this point, there are several popular videos on YouTube right now, where there's a young Black man, a formal liberal mind you, who raps about the message on the conservative movement. If you're interested, you can find it on Macho Sauce Productions, and he's got a really positive message. I'm hoping it's connecting with the younger generation. And we have Joe the Plumber.

So, in conclusion, despite the recent election and the overwhelming support of demographic groups for Obama, anything is possible. I didn't think I would be standing up here talking a year ago, so anything is possible.

But I'd like to leave you with this thought. I wonder how many of you know that the Marlboro brand cigarette was formerly marketed towards women, complete with a pink filter. It had a pink filter to match lipstick. Now, in the '60s the brand was remarketed, totally transformed, with the Marlboro country western theme. Now, ladies, you remember the cowboys – the handsome men, tall, chiseled features. It was the creativity of this vigilant brand management that helped Marlboro maintain its brand identity, its brand loyalty, and the 50% market share that it still has today.

So as we look towards the future of the conservative movement, the brand must be revitalized, and it must be communicated, and we must stay on message with our values: limited government, low taxes, and national security. These are the powerful concepts that can attract newcomers and reinforce brand loyalty.

Thank you.
Marlboro didn't sell as a pinko brand. There's a lesson in that.
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Thursday, December 04, 2008

Will Economic Crisis Make Obama Think Twice About Global Warming Regulation?

Senior Fellow Tom Borelli's latest Townhall.com column examines President-elect Obama's attitude toward global warming regulation.

He asks, "Will the economic crisis make Obama think twice about cap-and-trade?, and answers: "There’s no sign yet that it will."

Read it all here.
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Thursday, November 27, 2008

From Operation Iraqi Freedom: "We Have Done Something Really Good Here"

From Sgt. Joe Roche, writing from Operation Iraqi Freedom:
This is a special day to be an American soldier in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ninety years ago, hopes for freedom and self-determination sprung up all over the Arab world. After centuries of despotic foreign rule by the Ottoman Empire, European powers angling for survival in World War One's vast killing fields made all sorts of false promises to manipulate Arabs as proxies. Betrayals became the norm.

Despite dreams of self-determination after that war, our world was instead brutalized by the most horrific tyrants and genocide ever witnessed. Fascism, Nazism, Imperialism and Communism not only killed tens of millions and enslaved much of Asia and Europe, but other regions such as the Arab Middle East were gravely traumatized. Much of the fascism witnessed in the Arab world and in Islamic fundamentalism from Egypt to Iraq are largely a consequence from the manipulations by and ferocious ideologies of Europe and Asia.

American idealism for liberty and self-determination was felt here after World War One. President Woodrow Wilson dispatched the King-Crane Commission, which was followed by several other American envoys over decades trying to find ways to achieve self-determination. But the Great Powers of that time had other ideas. Hitler courted a lot of Arabs, particularly Islamist leaders in Jerusalem, bringing Muslims to the front lines with German forces outside Stalingrad, and facilitated a pro-Nazi coup in Baghdad in 1941. Though Israel's creation was a moment of great inspiration and achievement, the Arab world naturally felt it was just another in a long series of betrayals and conspiracies against them.

Because of the Cold War, the Arab people were left to languish for almost six decades under a series of megalomaniac tyrants, as long as stability was ensured. The Soviet Union's efforts at destabilizing the most vulnerable regions coerced surrender and apathy on the part of those who had once dreamt of self-determination in the Arab Middle East. Iraq became tied to the Soviets and was the recipient of Moscow’s largest foreign military aid during the 1970s. The collapse of the Soviet Union did unleash the virtuous spread of American liberty and self-determination in most parts of the world, but the Arab region remained frozen until Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I was part of the initial push in 2003. I had lived in this region before, and Iraq's suffering under repression and tyranny coerced the entire region to be in a constant state of war, paranoia and extremism.

I knew this would take a long time, but I had hope. As an American sharing our country's experience with democracy to Iraqis, I often reflected on how the United States had to discard our first constitution of 11 years after Shay's Rebellion, and yet the resulting constitution still had the institution of slavery. Women couldn't vote for over a century. We had a huge civil war, the effects of which were still violently playing out in the South in the 1960s.

I got to know many Iraqis. They impressed me greatly. I had known some Iraqis in exile before 2003, and I understood they were a very vibrant and strong people. Surviving the terror of Saddam Hussein's regime in a land tortured by centuries of conflict and turmoil, I knew these people could withstand a lot.

My unit in 2004 trained hundreds of Iraqis who served their military forces. They are some of the bravest people I ever met. Their casualty rates in the face of a horrendous terrorist offensive were 20 times worse than anything we faced, yet they kept showing up.

Over the past several months, I've seen those Iraqis we trained take over command of their country as we pull back. For the first time, self-determination is being expressed. Ninety years of betrayal and false promises are finally being corrected.

This is the achievement of America. Yes, there were scenes of protest in opposition to the treaty, but overall this was the remarkable -- and once unimaginable -- process of Iraqis debating the future of their own country. While most news only reported the protests, there were other large demonstrations in support of the US-Iraqi agreement, such as the 5,000 in Hillah last week.

To behold this is amazing. Some might want to just see the negatives, but I'd point out that our own experience with democracy gives us no basis to expect more from the Iraqis less than six years after being liberated by us. There will be further challenges. Ours is the world’s greatest democracy, but we had a shooting, a clubbing and even a sword used in the US Congress. Even one of our great Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton, was killed in a duel. The birth of democracy is not a smooth process, but it is inspiring to participate in.

This is a proud moment. As an American soldier having been here at the beginning of this mission, and to be here now again at this moment of self-determination coming to fruition, is awesome. Lafayette came to us when we needed help. We’ve come here and finally reversed 90 years of betrayal. This is good, just and honorable. I’m very happy for Iraq and for our military mission. Out of the ashes of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks, we have done something really good here.

-Joe
For more of Joe's writing from the front and elsewhere, please go here. A profile of his life and army service published by Stars and Stripes in 2004 can be found in this post.
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Not Giving Thanks

The Washington Times Inside the Beltway column today is quoting Project 21 Senior Fellow Deneen Borelli from this press release Wednesday.
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See Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie in NYC Panel Discussion on Effects of Obama Victory on Black Youth This Monday

By David Almasi:
Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie will participate in a panel discussion sponsored by The Smith Family Foundation on "Does the Election of Barack Obama Portend the Effective End of American Racism?"

The event will be held on Monday, December 1st at 6:30pm at the Lighthouse Theater (111 East 59th Street Between Park and Lexington Avenue, New York, NY). The event is free and open to the public, but people wishing to attend must RSVP by clicking here.

Joining Mychal on the panel will be Dr. John McWhorter of the Manhattan Institute, Fredrick C. Harris of Columbia University and Elaine Gross of ERASE Racism.

This is how the Smith Family Foundation describes the premise of the panel discussion:
Barack Obama's 2004 Democratic Convention speech made reference to inner city black children with books being mocked by their classmates for "Acting White." Will these smart children now have a new answer, "Acting White? No, I'm acting like the President!" - laying an inspirational foundation for their better educational outcomes and better futures? Or are the problems of inner city children far too entrenched, with failing schools, gang violence and too few male role models, for the election of a President to materially affect their lives?

And will Barack Obama's rise to the highest office in the land change how African-Americans see opportunity, spurring more black entrepreneurs into business and increasing the general belief that success in America is possible? Or does that ignore a historical truth - that enthusiasm for any political candidate is inherently fleeting once the rough and tumble of modern Beltway politics takes its inevitable toll - and that Obama's ability to inspire people might wane, right along with his newness?
This post was written by National Center for Public Policy Research Executive Director David Almasi. To send comments to the author, write him at info@nationalcenter.org. Please state if a letter is not for publication or if you prefer that it be published anonymously.

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie on al Qaeda's Racial Slur and the Continuing Threat of Terrorism with Janet Parshall Monday - Listen Live

By David Almasi:
Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie recently spoke out against al Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri for calling President-elect Barack Obama and Bush Administration Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell "house negroes" in a video posted on Islamist web sites.

Mychal will discuss the topic further and the ongoing threat of terrorism with syndicated talk radio host Janet Parshall on Monday, November at 4:15 pm eastern.

“Janet Parshall's America” can be heard on over 250 stations nationwide (click here to find a local station) and on XM "Family Radio" (channel 170). You can stream the show on the Internet or download a podcast (for a fee) by clicking here.

In the Project 21 press release, Mychal said:
While no fan of Barack Obama, I am a proud American. I find this terrorist's remarks directed at our nation's incoming leader to be highly offensive...

Liberals fail to grasp the reality that Muslim extremists such as al-Zawahiri hate them just as much as they hate the rest of America. At the very least, his crazed diatribe should prove this very point. I hope it jolts the incoming administration into reality. Being President isn't like playing senator or being a community organizer - it is about protecting the American people. That cannot be done without a strong military and the backbone to make decisions that might be unpopular among his friends.
To read the entire press release, click here.
This post was written by National Center for Public Policy Research Executive Director David Almasi. To send comments to the author, write him at info@nationalcenter.org. Please state if a letter is not for publication or if you prefer that it be published anonymously.

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Project 21's Deneen Borelli Joins Discussion on Fox's "Strategy Room" Today - Watch Live Online

From David Almasi:
Project 21 fellow Deneen Borelli will discuss her new column about the perils of unconditional black support for President-elect Barack Obama today as part of the group discussion on the Fox News Channel's on-line "Strategy Room" program on Friday, November 21 between 11:00am and 1:00pm eastern.

To access the live Internet broadcast, click here and then click the "STREAM THIS NOW" headline in the center or the page at the top right of the photo.

In her latest New Visions Commentary - "Black Backing of Barack Should Not Be Unconditional" - Deneen writes:
It is quite possible to be black and be proud - even excited - about Barack Obama's achievement while opposing him politically. This black woman, for instance, did not vote for Obama. Furthermore, I don't believe his policies are sound.

I find it unfortunate that Obama's personal keys to success - hard work and perseverance - are tragically absent from the agenda he espouses. Instead of lauding the virtues of self-reliance and independence, he is pushing massive federal growth and government intrusion.

Collectivism replaces individualism, and government intervention replaces self-preservation...

...Unfortunately, the "We" in Obama's "Yes We Can!" literally means collectivism and a statist government that stifles our liberties.

I'd rather endorse a "Yes I Can!" philosophy. I think those who came before me would agree.
To read all of Deneen's commentary, click here.
To contact author David Almasi directly, write him at dalmasi@nationalcenter.org

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Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Welfare State Expands Access to Health Insurance - Not

We received a notice today from The National Center for Public Policy Research's health insurance carrier, an HMO, to remind us that our January invoice will be two percent higher thanks to a new District of Columbia tax on employers paying the premiums for their employees' HMO memberships, as well as anyone paying out-of-pocket for an HMO membership.

Way to expand health care coverage, DC!
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Capping Greenhouse Gases: Here's Why Not

Husband David has an op-ed in today's Washington Times as well as other papers on what a cap on greenhouse gas emissions would due to our economy.

An excerpt:
When our economic bus is teetering at the edge of a cliff, it's a bad time to throw on some extra weight.

Yet government-mandated restrictions on carbon emissions would do precisely that, adding enormous additional weight to an economy already reeling. This additional weight shouldn't just be thrown from the bus -- it should be thrown under it.

Most econometric studies agree that restricting greenhouse-gas emissions would slow our already sluggish economy.

A study by the National Association of Manufacturers projected that emissions caps similar to those rejected earlier this year by the U.S. Senate calling for a 63-percent cut in emissions by 2050, would reduce U.S. gross domestic product by up to $269 billion and cost 850,000 jobs by 2014.

The Heritage Foundation estimated such restrictions would result in cumulative GDP losses of up to $4.8 trillion and employment losses of more than 500,000 a year by 2030.

Other studies suggest smaller economic costs: Duke University's Nicholas Institute estimates a GDP loss of $245 billion by 2030 while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates a GDP drop of $238 billion to $983 billion.

Sharp emissions restrictions would also push the costs of energy and other consumer products higher. According to a study conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the restrictions could raise gasoline prices 29 percent, electricity prices 55 percent and natural-gas prices 15 percent by 2015.

The people most vulnerable to such price increases are the poor. A 2007 report by the Congressional Budget Office examining the costs of cutting carbon emissions just 15 percent noted that customers "would face persistently higher prices for products such as electricity and gasoline. Those price increases would be regressive in that poorer households would bear a larger burden relative to their income than wealthier households would." Indeed, the lowest quintile income group would pay nearly double what the highest quintile income group would, as a proportion of income, pay in increased energy costs.

And it appears that all this economic pain would be an utterly meaningless gesture. Patrick Michaels, former president of the American Association of State Climatologists, who is now with the Cato Institute, says reducing U.S. emissions 63 percent would prevent a mere 0.013 degrees Celsius in warming. With emissions from China, India and other developing nations growing at breakneck speed, even this modest benefit would be completely erased.

Some argue that we should undergo this pain anyway to set an example for others to follow. The European Union tried that and now, apparently, they're throwing in their collective recycled-material towel... Read it all here.

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Anti-Obama Racial Slur Denounced

Project 21's Mychal Massie and Greg Parker are denouncing the offensive racial slur made by al Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri against President-elect Barack Obama.

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Saturday, November 08, 2008

Writing from Operation Iraqi Freedom, A Soldier Comments on the Election

Many of our long-time blog readers will recall the 2004 blog entry "A Soldier Assures Us: Our Progress is Amazing," by my old friend Joe Roche, then on active duty with the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division in Baghdad.

For those who don't recall or weren't readers back then, Joe's essay was published by over two dozen newspapers across the U.S., linked to by Matt Drudge, read aloud on the radio by Rush Limbaugh, Michael Reagan, Kirby Wilbur and many others, was linked to by at least 286 blogs, was quoted by President Bush in his acceptance speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention, and was quoted in a Smithsonian Institution exhibit. Among other things.

Joe spent 14 months in Iraq with the U.S. Army in 2003-2004; then was posted in Europe and the U.S. He left the army, only to recently return, and has once again been deployed abroad, to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Joe is again writing essays I believe will be of interest to this blog's readers. Watch for more of them here in coming days. The first of these I'll post comes from Joe writing from the Mideast the night Barack Obama was elected.

Joe's thoughts:
On the election:

The elegance of America is clear for me to see. I know that being home in the USA the election must appear jarring and messy sometimes. Being overseas, however, is a special way to experience our Republic's moment of decision.

The fascination w/ our election is overwhelming to see among all the other nations and peoples of the world. Over the past months we have heard the usual talk of how our impact on the world is waning and that we are isolated. If you look back, you will find that such notions are always said about our country, especially from foreign press that feels intimidated or jealous of us. We must not apologize for this because it is part of the burden of leadership. Those who seek to emulate the values of justice and progress will celebrate, but those who merely want to take from us that which we have been blessed with will always lament our decline.

I watched as European elites in the press proclaimed that the sub-prime mortgage crisis signaled the end of American economic influence. Yet, those same elites said nothing when the US Federal Reserve pumped hundreds of billions of US taxpayer dollars into the European Central Bank a few weeks ago to keep Europe afloat. Now Hungary, Iceland, Greece, Italy, the Baltics and others are all falling deeply into economic malaise because Europe has a banking, financial and export crisis on its hands that has been triggered because of the financial crisis that hit our country. Asia also is now squirming as the export and credit crises hit them as we slow down to re-tune our economy.

We have an annual $14 trillion dollar economy, with the second largest foreign economy being below $4.5 trillion, and the next five put together not adding up to ours. We are the only nation in the world with the expeditionary military capability to intervene to maintain not only our own country's direct interests, but also to protect our allies in every continent.

These are not things we took from others. Rather, this was imposed on us by the reckless destruction brought to the world by tyrants over the past century that laid waste to many of the world's great nations. Communism, fascism, tyranny of all forms has cruelly destroyed the well-being of millions. Into the void left after World War Two and then the Cold War, it was America that was left to spread her influence, alone.

The impact has been the most extraordinary growth of liberty, democracy and human rights that the world has ever seen. Nothing like the past decades of American exceptionalism on the world stage has ever been seen in history.

As a soldier, this election has been especially gripping because of the impact it has on our missions. However, our ideals and values and hopes for the rest of the world, and as regards America's unique and special role in the world, does not change. Instead, the elites who criticize us will learn again, as they always do in the months after an election in America, that it is the USA that stands as the best last hope for mankind on earth.

I have watched with my fellow soldiers, missing out on sleep because of the hour difference between home in the US and being in the Middle East, the election results. It is the commentary and fascination foreigners have that has most intrigued me.

The electoral college, an institution that we Americans often criticize, stands elegant again. Rather than having the malaise of coalition governments with small minority single-issue parties dictating the survival of government, as happens in parliaments all over the world, the electoral college ensures that the two-party system of our Republic is solid. I have heard those at home who want it to be otherwise, but as I see in foreign observance of our system, parliamentarism would be a disaster for America.

It may be fine for countries such as Italy, Switzerland, Israel, Germany or Japan to have constantly crippled coalition governments in which deals have to be made with small parties dedicated to one single issue. The problem is that our country's responsibilities simply wouldn't survive such malaise in our leadership. It is good and necessary that we have a system that keeps our country focused on two parties that therefore are dedicated to national interests. In an age of challenges such as we face since 1945, we must have strong leadership that is stable and can make unpopular decisions. The alternative would leave the world vulnerable to the re-emergence of the fury and destructiveness that so bludgeoned the world before. There is no substitute for American leadership.

The process of electing our leaders, without tanks firing at buildings and no assassinations and no militias taking up arms to over throw and terrorize various states may sound normal, but it isn't. Much of the rest of the world lives like that and has seen tanks, bombs and massacres when leadership is changed, overthrown, or otherwise challenged. Not in America. We may not all like what happens in our votes, but we don't resort to violence.

I had laugh when in Italy and France various journalists recently wrote that Vice President Cheney called up us soldiers so that we could fight in the streets of America to maintain power for President Bush after the election. Don't worry. Such ridiculous sentiments have always been expressed by those who have yet to learn from America.

I also feel such a sense of awe and respect from all the foreigners observing our election as they speak with fascination about Virginia, Florida, Ohio, and other places they have never seen. They are watching us, seeing the process, and there is great admiration.

Always remember that the easiest thing to do, and the lazily attractive way to sound intelligent, is to criticize. That is what the elites in foreign lands like to do when talking about us. But notice that after 1945, the world has transformed in ways that are simply remarkable and beyond any precedent in history. Even today as economic experts decry our recession as signaling the end of our influence, their economies are catching pneumonia from our cough, and their banks are being bailed out by American taxpayers.

If you ask why American exceptionalism exists and why it is that America is this great and powerful country, the answer is so simple that you might miss it because too many of us take it for granted. It is an answer that the rest of the world yearns for, and as long as we remain committed to our ideals and principles of our Constitution and our way of life, all humanity will benefit from. The answer is freedom. That is what it is all about, and that is what makes it all be this way.

It is our freedom, economic and political freedom, that is the engine of our growth. All of our prosperity comes from freedom. All of our influence and gravitas comes from freedom. Freedom is the one and central factor that dictates progress and strength.

Just look at some of the lands around where I am at, or in places like North Korea, Myanmar, Sudan, or other places where great human suffering is occurring. It is because of the lack of freedom.

The French Revolution gave inspiration to the Bolshevik Revolution because some took the cause of freedom to be something closer to anarchy and mob rule. In America, it is our Republic which has fostered and maintained freedom's greatest expression because as Americans, we also know that freedom brings with it responsibility. The basic understandings that the rule of law must be the foundation to freedom's maintenance, and that such law must have the lessons of Judeo-Christian values imbedded, are key to this.

This means we don't just go yell fire in a movie theater. That is not freedom. Freedom has to be protected, and that means even from the government. That is why our economic freedom is so important.

Again, I know that being at home in America our high taxes and large government makes it seem like economic freedom was lost long ago. But travel abroad and see how socialism in the form of communism, fascism, religious fundamentalism, and other forms of tyranny has put on straight jackets against prosperity and progress. Then you will realize that while we do have to maintain our vigilance against the tyranny of the state in our own home, we still are far more free than any other society on earth.

This past election season has exhausted many Americans. Nonetheless, it has also been one of the greatest events for the rest of the world to watch. I'm not saying that the election turned out the way I voted, but I am saying that the vibrancy and brilliance of America's elegant Republic has shown bright again to the world. Be proud no matter what, even if your candidate lost, because America's role in the world is far larger and far more lasting than any one election can undo.
-Joe
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If you would like to know more about Joe Roche, a profile of his life and army service published by Stars and Stripes can be found in this post from 2004.

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Thursday, November 06, 2008

Project 21's Horace Cooper on C-Span Friday to Discuss Race Issues in Obama's America - Watch or Listen Live

By David Almasi:
Project 21 member and National Center board member Horace Cooper has been scheduled to discuss how the dynamic of race relations is changed by Barack Obama’s election to the presidency on C-Span's "Washington Journal" program Friday morning.

You can see Horace live at 8:00 am eastern on C-Span (please check your local cable listings for station). You can also watch or listen to it live from your computer by clicking here and selecting the format appropriate for your computer on the right-hand side of the page (choose the format to the right of the blue C-Span logo to watch or the black C-Span Radio logo to listen only).

C-Span Radio is broadcast in the Washington/Baltimore area at 90.1 FM and available nationwide on XM Channel 132.

Later in the day, the show can be seen on the “Washington Journal” web page.
This post was written by National Center for Public Policy Research Executive Director David Almasi. To send comments to the author, write him at info@nationalcenter.org. Please state if a letter is not for publication or if you prefer that it be published anonymously.

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

What Greenhouse Gas Restrictions Could Do to Our Economy

Writing in Investor's Business Daily today, David Ridenour says, "When our economic bus is teetering at the edge of a cliff, it's a bad time to throw on some extra weight."

He's talking about government-mandated restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions and what they could do to our economy.

Read the entire piece here.

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Prince Charles: Cutting Carbon a Priority; Economy Comes Second

I wonder if he flew to Toyko.
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Monday, October 20, 2008

Is there Global Warming?

Columnist Lorne Gunter doubts it.

Hat tip: Drudge Report.
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Friday, October 17, 2008

Charlie Rangel's Many Scandals Subject of Project 21 Commentary in Washington Times

By David Almasi:
Remember how Washington's "culture of corruption" played such a large role in the 2006 elections? The issue hasn’t gone away...

Consider the slow burn of House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY). Currently, the number of allegations of questionable ethics of his part number at six - ranging from allegations of abuse of the rules of the House garage to allegedly not filing proper disclosures of income to allegedly using House resources to raise money for a non-governmental pet project.

Project 21's Council Nedd wrote a commentary about the Rangel situation that recently appeared in The Washington Times. Council pointed out the irony that Rangel's 1970 election was due in part to the scandal-plagued history of his predecessor, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

Council wrote, in part:
Four decades later, Mr. Rangel is experiencing uncanny parallels to situations that destroyed Mr. Powell's congressional career. Despite the ignominious circumstances of Mr. Powell's forced retirement, he remains fondly remembered for his civil rights work and his pre-scandal legislative accomplishments.

History may not be so kind to Mr. Rangel, since he and his colleagues assumed power on a promise to clean up Washington's "culture of corruption."

...It is troubling when Mr. Rangel pleads ignorance about his tax problems; more so when one considers that he heads the committee tasked with writing the nation's tax laws.

Mr. Powell was stripped of his committee chairmanship by his Democratic colleagues and later expelled by a vote of the entire House. He did win back his seat, but - after years of legal squabbling - Harlem voters chose to replace him with Mr. Rangel.

The House Ethics Committee is now investigating many of the charges against Mr. Rangel. Despite promises of stronger ethics, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to have no intention thus far of disciplining a man she calls "very distinguished."

...Mr. Rangel was elected, in part, to clean up Mr. Powell's mess. Now, he has become his own mess. It reflects poorly on him and hurts Harlem and Washington. Harlem needs another renaissance - an ethical one this time.
To read all of Council's commentary, click here.
This post was written by National Center for Public Policy Research Executive Director David Almasi. To send comments to the author, write him at info@nationalcenter.org. Please state if a letter is not for publication or if you prefer that it be published anonymously.

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Wednesday, October 08, 2008

The Root Features Project 21 Commentary on Green Policies Hurting Blacks' Bottom Line

By David Almasi:
As cooler weather approaches, there are indications that it is going to be both a cold and expensive winter. Scientifically-monitored sunspot activity and the wise Farmer's Almanac both predict it will be cooler than normal, and the federal government is predicting the cost of heating a home will be a lot higher.

Already earning less than the average American household, black and brown households will take the biggest hit unless something is done - now and over the long-term - to bring down energy prices.

Project 21 Deneen Borelli has a new commentary that was published today on The Root, a black-focused web site jointly operated by The Washington Post and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. of Harvard University.

Deneen points out how policies promoted by radical environmentalists and their political allies on Capitol Hill are keeping us from tapping into America's rich natural resources and freeing our nation from foreign energy dependence:
Failing schools, crime and single-parent households are just a few of the challenges facing urban communities. Now, thanks to radical environmentalists and their supporters, a bunch I like to call "Club Green," they must face soaring energy as well...

Despite the hype about wind power and boasts about other renewable energy sources, 85 percent of our nation's energy comes from fossil fuels. Energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar only currently provide about 7 percent of our power and cannot replace fossil fuels anytime soon.

In its September 2008 report, the federal Energy Information Agency predicted a 25 percent rise in heating oil prices and a 17 percent rise in natural gas prices this winter as well as a 9.5 percent projected increase in electricity costs in 2009. Adding to that, gasoline still hovers near $4 a gallon, and the public demands more domestic energy production. A recent Rasmussen poll of likely voters found that 67 percent supported new offshore fossil fuel exploration.

Our nation is blessed with an abundant supply of natural resources. The problem is that Congress, at the demand of Club Green, blocks access to these resources at the peril of families.
To read the full Deneen's commentary, click here.
This post was written by National Center for Public Policy Research Executive Director David Almasi. To send comments to the author, write him at info@nationalcenter.org. Please state if a letter is not for publication or if you prefer that it be published anonymously.

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Sean's Back

One of my all-time favorite blogs, Everything I Know Is Wrong, is back after a two-year hiatus.

Welcome back, Sean! I was just about to give up and delete your blog from my bookmarks. Glad I didn't.
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Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Slavery Apology and Reparations Debate Neglects Pressing Matters of the Present Day

By David Almasi:
A commentary by Project 21 staff research associate Stephen Roberts about the reaction to a recent congressional apology for slavery was published by The Washington Times this past Saturday.

In his commentary, Roberts discusses the need to get past the slavery issue in order to address present-day problems facing black Americans. Reparations further muddle the pursuit of modern progress. Roberts writes:
With this diversity of outcomes in mind, how are activists and lawmakers dealing with an apology for slavery? They are doing what they do best - playing politics...

In calling it just "a large step," Mr. Cummings skillfully leaves open the door to ask for more - namely, reparations. A Toledo Blade editorial made clear the apology cost nothing, calling it "an empty gesture" of "little use to the victims [it is] meant to make feel better." Quoted in the Final Call, Professor Michael Eric Dyson said: "Reparations are certainly one of the signals that America can send if they are serious about reconstituting American culture..."

The problem with the apology debate - and the ensuing racial backbiting - is the consequent neglect of the pressing matters of the present day. Columnist Christopher Caldwell notes there are no more slave owners or Jim Crow laws. Segments of black America, however, are currently trapped in cyclic poverty. What can be done for them that does not involve historical naval-gazing or polarizing stereotyped groups that no longer technically exist?
The entire commentary can be read by clicking here
This post was written by National Center for Public Policy Research Executive Director David Almasi. To send comments to the author, write him at info@nationalcenter.org. Please state if a letter is not for publication or if you prefer that it be published anonymously.

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Thursday, October 02, 2008

Steve Milloy Picks Apart Paulson Plan on WBAL at 1:30 on Thursday - Listen Live!

By David Almasi:
Steve Milloy, a director of the National Center's newly-announced Free Enterprise Project, will be a guest of Clarence Mitchell IV on WBAL radio in Baltimore this afternoon at 1:30 pm eastern. Steve will discuss his comments yesterday warning Congress that it would be unwise to grant excessive new powers to Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson and other cabinet officials (and their successors) under any financial "bailout" legislation.

You can listen to Steve from anywhere in America by going to the WBAL web site and clicking the "Listen Live" tab that can be found at the top left of the page.

In a release on the topic of Paulson and the bailout yesterday, Milloy noted:
Paulson should not be given more opportunities to punish his enemies and promote his friends. Engineering the sale of Bear Sterns at a fire sale price and allowing Lehman Brothers to go bankrupt while making efforts to save Goldman Sachs should raise serious questions about Paulson's personal agenda. Having served in the Nixon Administration it seems Paulson took careful notes in the creation and execution of an enemies list. Let's not forget that under Paulson's leadership Goldman Sachs made millions by creating the mortgage crisis.
The full press release can be read by clicking here.
This post was written by National Center for Public Policy Research Executive Director David Almasi. To send comments to the author, write him at info@nationalcenter.org. Please state if a letter is not for publication or if you prefer that it be published anonymously.

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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Billionaires Seeking Welfare

Billionaire Warren Buffett famously says taxes should be increased.

Well, no wonder! He's trying to get on -- if he isn't already on -- the moral equivalent of welfare himself by buying into Goldman Sachs at a time when that firm's former CEO is lobbying Congress furiously for a tax-funded bailout package that will benefit Goldman Sachs.

More on Buffett benefiting from a bailout in a Lawrence B. Lindsey article here
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Friday, September 26, 2008

Ted Stevens Gets a Jury of His Peers

From The Hill today:
Despite having served in the Senate for four decades, longer than any Republican in history, 12 jurors and four alternates hearing his criminal case have acknowledged knowing little about Stevens.
I guess they never served on Appropriations.

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie on Federal Bailout Controversy

By David Almasi:
Mychal Massie, the chairman of the Project 21 black leadership network Project 21, has this to say about our nation's current financial mess and those willing to do anything but let free market mechanisms bring things back to normal:
Our nation's current financial turmoil should be no surprise to those charged with overseeing our financial system, yet those yelling the loudest about our not being prepared seem to have been the ones with their heads in the sand the longest.

Case in point: When the Bush Administration suggested a regulatory overhaul of the housing finance industry in 2003, Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) said: "These two entities - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - are not facing any kind of financial crisis. The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing." (Source: "New Agency Proposed to Oversee Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae," New York Times, September 11, 2003) The Fox News Channel is broadcasting a similar pronouncement by Frank made in 2005.

At the time, Frank was the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee. Today, he is the chairman. He is part of the crowd seeking the bailout that will probably cost taxpayers well over a trillion dollars to correct. It could and should have been prevented by something he refused at the time to acknowledge.

To add further insult to this epic fiscal injury, lawmakers and members of the Bush Administration are seeking ways to game the free market to correct the very problem that government negligence allowed to happen in the first place.

It is unwise for the government to presume American taxpayers do not have a breaking point. It is a misrepresentation of that which is being proposed to portray this - as they are - as a "recovery plan." It is a "bailout," and a wholesale bailout of industries ad nauseam at that.

It is simply unfair and unjust for taxpayers to essentially be the financial safety net for those responsible for foreseeable economic misdeeds on a gargantuan scale.
This post was written by National Center for Public Policy Research Executive Director David Almasi. To send comments to the author, write him at info@nationalcenter.org. Please state if a letter is not for publication or if you prefer th