Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s return to power means stability—and stagnation—for Russians and a tough counterpart for both America and Russia’s neighbors. Putin’s nomination to the Russian presidency means that he may become the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin, who ruled for almost 30 years. Putin, who has held power since 2000, may stay at the helm for two more terms of six years each—i.e., until 2024. Moreover, if current President Dmitry Medvedev then assumes power, the “tandem” (as Putin and Medvedev are collectively known) may rule until 2036. …
“Peace is hard”—this was the theme of President Obama’s speech September 21 at the U.N. General Assembly. The Obama Doctrine emphasizes the use of international treaties and organizations, soft power, modest attitudes in state-to-state relations, and a restrained America. As the Palestinian Authority requests U.N. membership, the failure of the President’s approach puts the strategic interests of the United States at risk, as well as those of Israel, the most important U.S. ally in the Middle East. The push for unilateral statehood at the U.N. not only violates Palestinian agreements …
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta asserted during a press conference on September 20 that the recently enacted debt ceiling law requires $450 billion in savings from the Department of Defense (DOD) budget over the next 10 years. While this is a widely accepted assertion, it is not accurate. The debt ceiling law imposes caps on larger pots of money, variously described as security category spending and discretionary spending. These spending caps do not require specific spending reductions from the DOD budget. The $450 billion 10-year reduction was actually chosen by …
Listening to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) or reading The New York Times yesterday gave the impression that disaster relief victims were suffering from a lack of government aid. “Without additional funding,” Reid warned, “thousands of people who have lost literally everything they owned will be forced to go without food and shelter.” The New York Times, reporting from Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, noted, “Uprooted and desolate, hard-working people in this part of the country expect a bit more from their government.” Yesterday, with Reid on the brink of forcing a government …
A new poll from the Manhattan Institute reveals 77 percent of Hoosiers rate Indiana’s government as “efficient.” That’s the highest percentage of any state surveyed and a stark contrast to neighboring Illinois’ 23 percent. Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN), now serving in his seventh year as the state’s CEO, has clearly left his mark on Indiana. This year, with Republicans in control of the state legislature, he’s continued to reform government, enacting landmark education reforms. Daniels shared stories of his policy accomplishments in a wide-ranging speech last week at Heritage. He’s …
Americans knew the negative impact Obamacare would have on the nation before the law even passed. Millions of Americans will be added to Medicaid, which already provides low-quality coverage and patchy access to care. The new law will not result in universal coverage, despite its $1 trillion+ price tag. Premiums will go up. And Americans who like their current health plans will not be able to keep them. Now, states are beginning to better understand the impact of Obamacare. Earlier this month, Gorman Actuarial and Jonathan Gruber reported on Wisconsin …
Fifteen years ago, Congress voted to “end welfare as we know it.” As a result, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program was created (in place of the old Aid to Families with Dependent Children), which, for the first time, inserted work requirements and a five-year time limit for those receiving federal cash assistance. The success of the reform was notable. Millions of families left welfare for jobs, and the poverty rate among African-American children dropped to an all-time low. Unfortunately, the aspects that made TANF successful have been …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe Blind to the mullah’s missile menace – Peter Brookes, The New York Post Herman Cain Takes On Morgan Freeman For Calling Tea Party Racist – Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters Obama Lies about the ‘Do-Nothing Congress’ – Deroy Murdock, National Review Online Obama’s Ill-advised NCLB Waivers – Lindsey Burke, National Review Online Congress makes no progress on keeping government afloat – Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times Christine Lagarde: IMF may need billions …
President Obama’s speech to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) this weekend was another rallying cry to pass his new jobs bill. Meanwhile, the country is losing faith in the “hope and change” people voted for less than four years ago. Some CBC members were upset with Obama after he told them to “stop complaining” about the country’s bad economic situation and high unemployment rates. The African-American unemployment rate stands at 16.7 percent—a 27-year high that is up 11.5 percent since Obama took office, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. …
The Obama Administration has issued a record number of costly rules and regulations compared to its predecessors. But one set of new guidelines, in particular, takes government authority to new heights. The moon, actually. NASA has instituted “no-fly zones” and other limits on lunar liberty to ensure that future “space-faring entities” steer clear of the sites of previous U.S. missions, where there’s no shortage of “artifacts” to be found—including 30 “defecation collection devices” ditched by astronauts in favor of more valuable cargo. The agency has also declared “no parking” for …
