Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) recently held a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee in order to beat up on states that have passed voter ID laws, which he mistakenly claims “suppress” minority voters like Hispanics. He will no doubt be very unhappy at a poll just released by Resurgent Republic that shows overwhelming support by Hispanics for voter ID. Obviously, Hispanics don’t believe their vote is being suppressed—and that is confirmed by actual voter turnout in states with photo ID laws like Georgia and Indiana, showing that these suppression claims …
Two years ago, as the United States was coming out of the last recession, President Obama was asked how raising taxes on anyone would help with the economy. The President’s answer? “Normally you don’t raise taxes in a recession, which is why we haven’t, and why we’ve instead cut taxes.” Fast forward to today, as America is struggling with zero job growth and a stagnant economy, and the President has dramatically changed his rhetoric, proposing $1.5 trillion in new taxes on the American people and the country’s job creators. Those …
ABC’s political blog The Note included a comment from yours truly in a recent piece on the Solyndra scandal. We appreciate the folks at ABC reaching out, of course, but I’d just like to provide some context for my remarks. Here’s what ABC’s Amy Bingham wrote: “What Solyndra really speaks to is the large issue of how government intervention can sort of hide the normal profit-and-loss signals that direct private investors,” said Lachlan Markay, an investigative reporter with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. He said the public nature …
The late U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop (R–WY), who was the first Chung Ju-Yung Fellow for Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation, will be missed by many. His tireless contributions to this country in foreign and defense affairs are significant and will long be remembered. Senator Wallop supported a strong national defense and the 1976 “Team B Strategic Objectives Panel,” which laid the intellectual foundation for the Reagan arms buildup. In the 1970s, Senator Wallop was at the forefront of the effort to enact legislation to develop defensive systems to protect …
Last week, the Obama Administration made a step toward implementation of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA), its four-phase ballistic missile defense plan for the protection of allies and friends in the European region. The Turkish foreign ministry announced its decision to host an X-band radar AN/TPY-2 in its territory. This is a welcome step in the development of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) ballistic missile defense capability, which became a core competency of the alliance in November. Data from the radar in Turkey will be integrated with U.S. …
At the end of a series of closed-door briefings and meetings with the congressional committees of jurisdiction—after repeatedly admonishing all who would listen that its final decision wasn’t really final—the Obama Administration has finally stated its position on F-16 sales to Taiwan. It turns out that the Administration is, in fact, going to follow the very game plan that rumors had indicated since late in the spring: Upgrade Taiwan’s F-16 A/Bs (now 20 years old) as part of a new arms package, but not sell the island any F-16 C/Ds …
Osama bin Laden was disposed of last April, but al-Qaeda’s intention to commit acts of terrorism against the U.S. and its allies is undeterred. In his testimony this week to the joint congressional intelligence hearing, CIA director David Petraeus warned, “Ten years after the 9/11 attacks, the United States continues to face a serious threat from al Qaeda and its worldwide affiliates and sympathizers.” Al-Qaeda’s top operatives may be dead and its core weakened, but the organization is finding strength in its African affiliates. According to U.S. Africa Command head …
Solyndra has hired a team of five high-powered attorneys to help get it through its bankruptcy proceedings, according to documentation the company has filed in court (embedded below). Their firm, McDermott Will & Emery, also represented the company before it filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this month. Some of the attorneys who will represent Solyndra in bankruptcy court are as politically connected as the solar company itself. The Washington Examiner’s Tim Carney provided some details from their impressive political resumes: Former Massachusetts governor and Senate candidate William Weld is Solyndra’s …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe Obama to propose $1.5 trillion in new tax revenue – Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press Google Preparing for Senate Hearing – Diane Bartz, Reuters Obama’s Urgent Jobs Plan: Right Now, ‘Right Now’ means sometime next month – Andrew Malcom, LA Times U.S., European Diplomats Scramble Ahead of Palestinian U.N. Bid – Associated Press, FoxNews.com Leaders with Ginni Thomas: Tim Chapman and Michael Needham from Heritage Action – Ginni Thomas, The Daily …
Decade after decade, the federal role in education has grown. And decade after decade, this growth has failed to increase student achievement. The most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965—the bill now known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB)—further expanded Washington’s role in education by setting a ticking clock on states: Under NCLB, by 2014, all children must be proficient in reading and math while showing Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward that goal. AYP and the 2014 proficiency deadline sound like worthwhile goals—who wouldn’t want …
