We weren’t the only ones that found President Barack Obama’s “nuclear free” Prague speech a bit too heavy on hope and a little light on reality. The Washington Post’s Anne Applebaum writes today: Clearly, the “no nukes” policy is one close to the president’s heart. The Prague speech even carried echoes of that most famous of all Obama speeches, the one he made after losing the New Hampshire primary. “There are those who hear talk of a world without nuclear weapons and doubt whether it is worth setting a goal …
After months of pressure from the federal government to push down General Motors’s and Chrysler’s debt loads, a deal remains far out of reach. With the promise of further federal bailouts, no debt-holders wants to make concessions—accepting just 30 or 40 cents on the dollar, and much of that in possibly worthless stock—when holdouts could wind up paid in full. Bailout-free Ford announced yesterday that investors agreed to swap nearly $10 billion dollars in its debt for cash and stock, reducing its total debt burden by 28 percent. The price: …
Quid Pro Quo. The American Heritage Dictionary defines this Latin phrase as “an equal exchange or substitution.” Here’s another definition: When 17 United States Senators and Representatives accept contributions in excess of $359,000 during the 2006 and 2008 congressional elections from political action committees (PACs) funded by several major labor unions. Then, these same Member of Congress—hailing from both sides of the aisle—co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). What’s even more troubling than the fact that EFCA’s co-sponsors have all taken money from Organized Labor is that these major …
Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gave one of the most sweeping speeches of the Post-Cold War era on American national security. Building off themes established in the 2008 National Defense Strategy written under President Bush, Secretary Gates presented what he described as “a budget crafted to reshape the priorities of America’s defense establishment. … a holistic assessment of capabilities, requirements, risks, and needs for the purpose of shifting this department in a different strategic direction.” The key assumption running through the Gates/Bush 2008 National Defense Strategy, is that “Although …
President Obama’s trip to Europe has been revealing. Many people had high hopes that Obama may turn out to be a closet moderate. After all, his position on Afghanistan wasn’t all that bad, some said. Unfortunately, the picture is now clearer; his statements and actions in Europe show just how unrealistic those hopes were. Consider what Obama did in Europe: 1. The day after North Korea launched a missile that someday may be capable of delivering a nuclear weapon against the United States, who did he put in the nuclear …
Powerful Ambitions North Korean Dreams: The development of the ballistic missile program has been one of the top military priorities for North Korea for almost 40 years. As a result it now has the largest ballistic missile program among all developing countries. Not only does North Korea constantly seek to advance their own ballistic missile capabilities, but it also shares ballistic missile technology with other nations such as Iran. But Will Their Missiles Reach the U.S? The April 4 so-called “satellite launch” demonstrated North Korea’s latest Taepo Dong-2 advancements. According …
Initial Chinese reaction to the launch of North Korea’s missile, in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, is true to form. They will go along with international consensus just as far as they need to in order to blunt it. Last time around, in 2006, the PRC played the familiar role of North Korean patron state, even as they expressed concern over its missile launch and nuke test. It is precisely because the Chinese blocked action in the Security Council that would have permitted enforcement that we are back …
It’s no secret policymakers in Washington want to dramatically change America’s energy policy by regulating carbon dioxide emissions. Their most popular idea, a cap and trade proposal, should really be read as a tax on energy consumption. Indeed, it’s a very large tax that compares with some of the largest government spending items in history.
A new study released today by the Lewin Group, one of the most well-respected health care consultancies in Washington, gives new estimates on “The Cost and Coverage Impacts of a Public Plan” like the one being considered by President Obama and the congressional leadership. The Lewin Group says that “If the public plan is opened to all employers…at Medicare payment levels we estimate that about 131.2 million people would enroll in the public plan. The number of people with private health insurance would decline by 119.1 million people. This would …
This weekend the North Koreans tested their Taepodong 2 ballistic missile, surpassing their 2006 effort by completing at least two phases and traveling a longer distance. This improvement is still a troubling development. To his credit, Obama is calling for the UN to enforce its previous resolutions prohibiting North Korea from launching a ballistic missile. If the UN fails to respond it calls in to question its own legitimacy. But at a time when the U.S. should be taking very seriously threats from around the world, President Obama chose to …
