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September 10, 2012 $4.99 CONVENTIONSPECIAL ISSUE
GOP 689 REASONS TO DEFEAT OBAMA
TheThe CaseCase forfor RomneyRomney MICHAEL KNOX BERAN w JAMES C. CAPRETTA w NOEMIE EMERY w VICTOR DAVIS HANSON STEVEN F. HAYWARD w KEITH HENNESSEY w FREDERICK M. HESS w ROB LONG ANDREW C. MCCARTHY w JOHN O’SULLIVAN w RAMESH PONNURU w MICHAEL RUBIN REIHAN SALAM w GEORGE WEIGEL w KEVIN D. WILLIAMSON w THE EDITORS
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SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 | VOLUME LXIV, NO. 17 | www.nationalreview.com
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION SPECIAL
18 ROMNEY’S REVELATION by Michael Knox Beran He knows the president is burying the American Dream.
22 FAREWELL TO ALL THAT by Noemie Emery There will never be another FDR.
23 PROGRESSIVISM’S WORST NIGHTMARE by Steven F. Hayward Paul Ryan can make the case against it as no one else can.
24 ENERGIZING THE ECONOMY by Kevin D. Williamson Leash the regulators and unleash the oilmen.
28 OBAMA VS. THE CONSTITUTION by Ramesh Ponnuru The rule of law is on the ballot.
34 THE ENTITLEMENT CROSSROADS by Reihan Salam Do we want a system based on centralization or competition?
35 A STARK TAX CONTRAST by Keith Hennessey COVER: ROBERTO PARADA Romney believes in incentives; Obama doesn’t.
38 ALL IN FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT by George Weigel BOOKS, ARTS The stakes for our fundamental freedom. & MANNERS DECONSTRUCTING THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY 40 by John O’Sullivan 64 RUBIO RISING The errors of Obama’s immigration policy. Sean Trende reviews An American Son: A Memoir, by Marco Rubio, 42 THE FOREIGN POLICY THAT WASN’T by Victor Davis Hanson and The Rise of Marco Rubio, It would be nice to have one for a change. by Manuel Roig-Franzia.
44 OBAMA AND THE ISLAMISTS by Andrew C. McCarthy 66 FILM: REGIME CHANGE The president’s disastrous policy of appeasement. Ross Douthat reviews The Queen of Versailles. 46 IRAN ENDGAME by Michael Rubin Romney could bring strategy where it has dangerously lacked. 67 CITY DESK: IMPORT-EXPORT Richard Brookhiser evaluates the 47 WHAT TO SAY ABOUT HEALTH CARE by James C. Capretta transatlantic exchange. Romney and Ryan can offer a compelling alternative to the president’s massive entitlement. SECTIONS 49 A PRIMER FOR EDUCATION POLICY by Frederick M. Hess What the GOP ticket has right; what more it could do. 2 Letters to the Editor 4 The Week 50 DATA, INSTINCT by Rob Long 62 The Long View ...... Rob Long Mitt Romney appreciates the value of both. 63 Athwart ...... James Lileks 65 Poetry ...... Lee Oser 52 689 REASONS TO DEFEAT BARACK OBAMA 68 Happy Warrior ...... Mark Steyn
NATIONAL RevIeW (ISSN: 0028-0038) is published bi-weekly, except for the first issue in January, by NATIONAL RevIeW, Inc., at 215 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. © National Review, Inc., 2012. Address all editorial mail, manuscripts, letters to the editor, etc., to editorial Dept., NATIONAL RevIeW, 215 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. Address all subscription mail orders, changes of address, undeliverable copies, etc., to NATIONAL RevIeW, Circulation Dept., P. O. Box 433015, Palm Coast, Fla. 32143-3015; phone, 386-246-0118, Monday–Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. eastern time. Adjustment requests should be accompanied by a current mailing label or facsimile. Direct classified advertising inquiries to: Classifieds Dept., NATIONAL RevIeW, 215 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016 or call 212-679- 7330. POSTMASTeR: Send address changes to NATIONAL RevIeW, Circulation Dept., P. O. Box 433015, Palm Coast, Fla. 32143-3015. Printed in the U.S.A. RATeS: $59.00 a year (24 issues). Add $21.50 for Canada and other foreign subscriptions, per year. (All payments in U.S. currency.) The editors cannot be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork unless return postage or, better, a stamped self-addressed envelope is enclosed. Opinions expressed in signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of the editors. letters--ready_QXP-1127940387.qxp 8/22/2012 2:04 PM Page 2 Letters
SEPTEMBER 10 ISSUE; PRINTED AUGUST 23 The Iraqi Rotary
EDITOR Yuval Levin hit the nail on the head with “The Hollow Republic” (August 13). Richard Lowry I was reminded of a speech I heard in 2004 by an administrator in Paul Bremer’s Senior Editors Coalition Provisional Authority after the Iraq invasion. He said that one of the Richard Brookhiser / Jay Nordlinger Ramesh Ponnuru / David Pryce-Jones biggest problems to overcome was the absence of a tradition among the Iraqi Managing Editor Jason Lee Steorts people of doing things for themselves, at the local level. Literary Editor Michael Potemra Executive Editor Christopher McEvoy The Iraqis had no Rotary clubs, no PTAs, no Little League baseball in which Roving Correspondent Kevin D. Williamson people selected leaders for themselves and solved problems peaceably through National Correspondent John J. Miller Political Reporter Robert Costa voting or consensus. All they knew was the family patriarch and the supreme Art Director Luba Kolomytseva leader, who for a generation had been Saddam Hussein. His dictatorship decid- Deputy Managing Editors Nicho las Frankovich / Fred Schwarz ed and directed everything. Under President Obama and the Democrats, this Robert VerBruggen Editorial Associate Katherine Connell would be our fate: an all-powerful federal government controlling everything Research Associate Scott Reitmeier about the lives of its residents. (“Citizens” is too meaningful a term to apply to Assistant to the Editor Madison V. Peace the subjects of such a government.) Contributing Editors Robert H. Bork / Shannen Coffin This tendency of socialists was perfectly summarized in an essay called “The Ross Douthat / Roman Genn Law” by the Frenchman Frédéric Bastiat, written over 150 years ago. Socialists Jim Geraghty / Jonah Goldberg Florence King / Lawrence Kudlow / Mark R. Levin claim, he wrote, “that we reject fraternity, solidarity, organization, and associa- Yuval Levin / Rob Long / Jim Manzi tion; and they brand us wi th the name of individualists. We can assure them that Andrew C. McCarthy / Kate O’Beirne David B. Rivkin Jr. / Reihan Salam what we repudiate is not natural organization, but forced organization. It is not NATIONALREVIEWONLINE free association, but the forms of association that they would impose upon us. It Editor-at-Large Kathryn Jean Lopez Managing Editor Edward John Craig is not spontaneous fraternity, but legal fraternity. It is not providential solidar - National Affairs Columnist John Fund ity, but artificial solidarity, which is only an unjust displacement of responsibil- News Editor Daniel Foster Editorial Associates ity. Socialism . . . confounds Government and society.” Charles C. W. Cooke / Katrina Trinko Unjust displacement of responsibility—it’s hard to say it better. Technical Services Russell Jenkins Web Developer Wendy Weihs Web Production Assistant Anthony Boiano Derek Lane EDITORS- AT- LARGE Via e-mail Linda Bridges / John O’Sullivan Contributors Hadley Arkes / Baloo / James Bowman Eliot A. Cohen / Brian Crozier Romney, Evolved Dinesh D’Souza / M. Stanton Evans Chester E. Finn Jr. / Neal B. Freeman In “Like a Boss” (August 27), Kevin D. Williamson uses evolutionary biology James Gardner / David Gelernter George Gilder / Jeffrey Hart to assert Romney’s superiority as a presidential candidate—especially where Kevin A. Hassett / Charles R. Kesler women are concerned. Noting that the man has great wealth and five sons, David Klinghoffer / Anthony Lejeune D. Keith Mano / Michael Novak Williamson concludes that “from an evolutionary point of view, Mitt Romney Alan Reynolds / Tracy Lee Simmons should get 100 percent of the female vote.” Terry Teachout / Vin Weber Chief Financial Officer James X. Kilbridge Actually, from an evolutionary point of view, at his age, Mitt Romney should Accounting Manager Galina Veygman be dead. From an evolutionary standpoint, America would be run by the biggest, Accountant Zofia Baraniak Business Services strongest male. We could settle the presidential race in the UFC Octagon. Alex Batey / Kate Murdock I know, I know: Williamson isn’t being literal. He does say that “given that Elena Reut / Lucy Zepeda Circulation Manager Jason Ng we are no longer roaming the veldt for the most part, money is a reasonable WORLD WIDE WEB www.nationalreview.com stand-in for social status.” But that’s the problem with using evolutionary biol- MAIN NUMBER 212-679-7330 SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES 386-246-0118 ogy to score points in debate: There’s always a “reasonable” exception to its WASHINGTON OFFICE 202-543-9226 ADVERTISING SALES 212-679-7330 harsher laws for the people you want to win. Executive Publisher Scott F. Budd Advertising Director Jim Fowler Advertising Manager Kevin Longstreet Jodi Compton EXECUTIVEVICEPRESIDENT Paul Dilion Morro Bay, Calif.
PUBLISHER Jack Fowler KevIN D. WILLIAMSON RePLIeS: Ms. Compton argues that we “could settle the CHAIRMANEMERITUS presidential race in the UFC Octagon.” Beats the hell out of Ohio. Thomas L. Rhodes
FOUNDER William F. Buckley Jr. Letters may be submitted by e-mail to [email protected].
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n When Harry Reid said the candidate was “light-skinned” and had “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,” who knew he was talking about Biden?
n You want to hear more about Mitt Romney’s tax returns? The Obama campaign wants you to. Just release three more years of returns, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina suggested in a letter to the Romney camp, and we won’t ask for more. Not that pro-Obama PACs wouldn’t ask for more, or that they and the Obama campaign wouldn’t wring every droplet they could out of the data dump. NR advised Romney to go the whole nine yards on his tax returns; he didn’t. Businessmen often feel pro- prietary about fortunes that they have built. Obama’s minions keep chewing at the issue because they have nothing else to run on: three-plus years of a flatlined economy, three years without a budget from Senate Democrats, an asphyxiating health-care reform. Romney has Obama’s number: As he put it in a blazing speech in Chillicothe, Ohio, the president is “intellectually exhausted, out of ideas, and out of energy. And so his campaign has resorted to diversions and distractions, to demagoguing and defaming others. . . . This is what an angry and desperate presi- dency looks like.”
n During the Republican primaries, Romney released a simple sketch of his tax plan: Lower all income-tax rates (by 20 percent) work, or perform similar activities for at least 30 hours a week. and broaden the tax base by eliminating most tax deductions Obama’s bureaucracy has recently claimed that it can waive this while preserving those for savings and investment. He also rule for states. It cited Nevada’s request to exempt “hard-to- promised that his tax reform would maintain the current code’s employ” people from work requirements. (Are they really more level of progressivity. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center than half the caseload?) These people “wouldn’t have to work crunched the numbers and concluded that there was no way to and wouldn’t have to train for a job,” as the Romney ad says, to keep all these promises. The Obama campaign has taken this get checks. Now it’s true that Obama’s administration has not yet analysis as evidence that President Romney “would raise taxes handed out any waivers. Whether what it has done amounts to on 95 percent of Americans,” even going so far as to offer a cal- a plan to gut welfare reform turns on its intent. As a follow-up culator on its website to show you how much “your taxes” would Romney ad says, Obama has a history of hostility to welfare rise. The Tax Policy Center denied that it had shown that Romney reform. The claim that he is trying to move us back to the bad old would raise anyone’s taxes. It also reran the numbers with slight- days of pre-reform welfare is at least defensible. Liberals cer- ly different assumptions—it had thought that Romney would tainly seem prepared to move us back to the days when legitimate leave the tax exemption for interest on municipal bonds un- differences over policy were dismissed as racist. touched, but his advisers denied this—and found that the num- bers came much closer to working. Romney seems to us much n Vice President Joe Biden, who has a remarkable knack for the more likely to scale back his tax cut or add to the deficit than to crude and the boneheaded, told a largely black audience in raise middle-class taxes. The chief real threat to middle-class tax- Virginia that, if elected, Mitt Romney was “gonna put y’all back payers is the runaway growth of entitlements, which President in chains.” He said this in an affected African-American accent, Obama will not stop. but Democrats swear up and down that the declaration has noth- ing to do with race—it’s all about financial regulation. (Biden n The Romney campaign ran an ad saying that Obama had had just said that Republicans wanted to unchain Wall Street.) In “announced a plan to gut welfare reform by dropping work the eccentric mind of Joe Biden, repealing Dodd-Frank and requirements.” Democrats and the press—we really need a short- replacing it with a set of regulations that might actually end “too cut key for that phrase—said the ad was dishonest, even racist. big to fail” is precisely equivalent to chattel slavery: If the vice Obama ran a rebuttal ad citing Democrats and the press. (See?) president believes this, he is not intellectually fit for office; if he The welfare-reform law requires states to make nearly half of does not believe it, then his cynical deployment of the slavery
ROMAN GENN their welfare recipients work, get on-the-job training, look for trope suggests he is morally unfit for office.
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THE WEEK n Early in August, Priorities USA Action, an Obama super PAC, n Floyd Corkins II, a 28-year-old unemployed man, walked into ran an ad featuring Joe Soptic, a former steelworker, who said the Washington headquarters of the socially conservative Family his plant was shut by Mitt Romney and Bain Capital, after which Research Council and shot Leonardo Johnson, the building’s his wife died, uninsured, of cancer. You draw the conclusion: guard, in the arm. Corkins said, as he and Johnson struggled, “I Romney = death. The fuller story: Bain and other investors don’t like your politics.” Corkins, who was a volunteer at a local bought Soptic’s plant in Kansas City in 1993. Romney left Bain gay-rights center, was also carrying a backpack filled with Chick- to run the Salt Lake City Olympics in 1999. The Kansas City fil-A sandwiches—amulets of evil, apparently. Imagine the furor plant closed in 2001. Mrs. Soptic had insurance from her job, at if the FRC were on the left and Corkins on the right. Still, con- a thrift store, until she quit after an injury in 2003. She was diag- servatives should not make a counter-furor of their own. Tony nosed and died in 2006. A more truthful conclusion would be, Perkins of the Family Research Council slammed the Southern Priorities USA Action = lies. There’s more: When questioned Poverty Law Center for “inciting this environment of hostility” about the ad, Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter toward his group. The SPLC has indeed branded the FRC a “hate said she “didn’t know the facts” about Mrs. Soptic’s illness (those group”—a grotesque designation. But polemicists of all persua- wacky super PACs—can’t control ’em!). Yet Cutter was on an sions routinely seek to incite environments of hostility; it is one Obama for America conference call with Joe Soptic in May, of the tools of controversy. America has laws and mores that keep when he told the same story. Note that Obama for America is the controversy within bounds. When the evil or the unbalanced official Obama campaign, which seems to be more closely con- cross those bounds they should be punished. Let the controversy nected to Priorities USA Action than Mitt Romney ever was to continue, and may the right prevail. the death of Mrs. Soptic. n James Hayes has filed an n Remarkably, President Obama took a little heat for not answer- interesting lawsuit. He is the ing questions from the White House press corps. He had not head of the Immigration and taken a question from them in months. He indulged some local Customs Enforcement office reporters, and sat down for softballs from Entertainment Tonight in New York, and his lawsuit is and People. To the White House press corps, he was deaf. At last, against Janet Napolitano, the under pressure, he relented and took a few questions from them. secretary of homeland secur - It is a weak politician who fears being grilled by his core con- ity, and the Department of stituency. Home land Security itself. He claims that he and other men n The Justice Department announced that Jon Corzine, the for- have faced a “hostile work mer New Jersey senator and governor and CEO of Goldman environment,” an “atmosphere Suzanne Barr Sachs, will not face federal charges for misplacing $1 billion of that is targeted to humiliate and intimidate male employees.” He customers’ money at the commodities broker MF Global in 2011. also maintains that he was passed over for promotion in favor of His defense in the case was that he was unfamiliar with the work- Napolitano’s female friends, and that he was demoted to make ings of the operation he headed and had no idea what became of way for one. Hayes’s claims are supported by many of his col- the money in its treasury. Anyone who lives in New Jersey could leagues. His specific allegations make for nauseating reading. have seen that one coming. One of the women he has accused, Suzanne Barr, has placed herself on voluntary leave. If Hayes were a Democratic woman, n Soon after winning a plurality in the primary to take on Senator filing suit against Republican male officials, the story would be a Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.), Representative Todd Akin took a big one, nationally. As it is, the story is worth keeping an eye on. question on TV about his opposition to abortion in cases of rape Goose, gander. and incest. He said that in cases of “legitimate rape,” a woman’s body has defense mechanisms to prevent pregnancy; he then said n America’s breadbasket is enduring one of the worst droughts in that the innocent child should not be killed regardless. Only about recent history. President Obama didn’t let this crisis go to waste, a fifth of Americans hold that position about the 1 percent of using it as an opportunity to demagogue to farmers in Iowa. abortions that occur because of rape, but it is a position that Obama called out Paul Ryan for being “one of the leaders of deserves respect. Akin’s medical musings—a poor thought poor- Congress standing in the way” of disaster relief contained in the ly expressed—do not. Nearly every Republican in the country long-contested farm bill, even though Ryan voted for, and the quickly realized that Akin was throwing away a chance to win House passed, a narrow $383 million emergency-relief measure a Senate seat, and quite possibly to take the Senate for the and sent it to the Senate. But instead of passing the measure them- Republicans, and called on him to withdraw from the race in time selves, President Obama and his Democratic allies are holding the for someone else to enter. Social-conservative organizations such Midwest hostage in the name of a $1 trillion big-government as the Family Research Council stuck by Akin, in the apparent goodie bag laden with useless, Dust Bowl–relic subsidies to conviction that defending a pro-life politician under criticism is agribusiness and unprecedented welfare spending. The bill spends more important than actually electing someone who would cast fully $800 billion over ten years on food stamps. Already the pro-life votes. Akin said he would stay in the race, expressing the nation’s second-largest welfare program behind Medicaid, food misunderstanding that he was being criticized only for saying the stamps have seen their rolls explode in recent years, to the point word “legitimate.” He reportedly sees his run as providential. that one in seven Americans is now on the dole. Reformers in the Perhaps; but sometimes what Providence wants to show us is the House, including Ryan, want to return food-stamp spending to folly of pride. what it was before 2008 (hardly an epoch without a safety net) and
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THE WEEK disburse funds as block grants to the states. If the president and n In a recent column for Time magazine, Fareed Zakaria argued Democrats in the Senate oppose this, let them fight on the merits. that America’s high rate of gun ownership was the cause of Instead, the president is blaming Paul Ryan for obstructionism, America’s high murder rate. It was quickly discovered that when it is the White House’s commitment to expanding (corpo- Zakaria had borrowed parts of the column from an article in The rate and individual) welfare that has left Iowa high, and dry. New Yorker without attribution, an infraction that earned Zakaria
Obama’s Smoke and Mirrors
HEN a Republican is in the White House, the main- desire to understate deficits. President Obama’s budgets, stream media pore over every nuance of the however, differed from the CBO’s projections in a much W economic outlook of the president’s team, and more dramatic way than those of any of the previous four any hint of optimism is ridiculed as voodoo economics or presidents, and especially those of his two immediate pre- supply-side fantasy. The worst crime a Republican admin- decessors. istration can commit is to propose a forecast that is differ- President Obama’s predictions have not proved espe- ent from that of the “nonpartisan” Congressional Budget cially accurate over the past three years either: In 2010, his Office. When that happens, the Krugmans of the world economic team projected growth this year to reach 4.6 howl about Republican lies. percent; instead, it has been slogging along in the twos. Perhaps the most memorable of these moments oc - Even when it became clearer in 2010 and 2011 that the curred back in 1981, when Ronald Reagan proposed his recovery from the recession could drag on, his assump- budget for fiscal year 1982. Critics decried his optimistic tions continued to call for high growth in the near future. economic forecasts, which called for GNP growth of 5 per- When one considers the myriad ways the mainstream cent in 1983. These forecasts were, the media reminded media have failed to critically inspect the activities of this us, an average of two points higher than CBO forecasts. president, his economic forecasts take the cake. Obama Reagan was accused of using his “Rosy Scenario” fore- and his economic team have consistently overstated casts to hide the massive deficits that his tax cuts would growth in an attempt to misrepresent the massive deficits produce. their policies will produce. While pitching the propaganda The assumptions that presidents make in their budget that they will stabilize the debt, they have posted growth proposals are certainly important. After all, they affect all forecasts that are shockingly out of sync with the CBO. the other calculations. If a president assumes growth will They do this because they know that the mainstream be high, that will give him lots of revenue to play with, help- media will let them get away with it. If a Republican dis- ing him justify spending increases or tax cuts. So it’s more agrees with the CBO, it is malpractice. than a small technicality when a budget calls for much If a Democrat does it, it’s not worth a mention. larger or smaller growth than the economy ends up expe- riencing. —KEVIN A. HASSETT In the case of Reagan, despite all the howling, the Rosy Scenario’s forecasts for 1983 through 1985 turned out to be much closer to actual economic growth than the Average Two-Year Difference between CBO’s. Reagan’s economic team correctly anticipated Presidential Budget Assumptions and growth effects from tax cuts. But today we have witnessed presidential budgets that have been as inconsistent with CBO Forecasts
CBO forecasts as any in history. When one looks at GDP 1.2 0.4 growth forecasts, or those for unemployment, there has GDP Growth 0.35 Employment never been a president and an economic team with the 1 temerity to mislead as much as Obama and his advisers 0.3 0.8 have done. 0.25
The nearby chart shows the average difference between 0.6 0.2 the assumptions in the past five presidents’ budgets and 0.15 the projections that the CBO made for the same years as 0.4 those budgets. Since projections can be difficult to make 0.1 0.2 for the more distant future, and we wanted to compare 0.05
Obama’s record to actual history as well, we looked at pre- 0 0 dictions in each budget for the subsequent two years, for -0.05 -0.2 both GDP growth and unemployment. As the chart shows, Obama Clinton Reagan Obama Clinton Reagan G. W. Bush G. W. Bush most of the presidents, on average, assumed slightly more G. H. W. Bush G. H. W. Bush positive outcomes than the CBO, perhaps because of the SOURCE: CBO AND U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
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THE WEEK a suspension from both Time and CNN. Unfortunately, the pla- enced; he had spent time in the U.S. and his two sons were giarism scandal eclipsed the debate about gun control, which is American citizens. The army, led by Field Marshal Tantawi—the far more consequential. Zakaria’s argument was incredibly weak, wily minister of defense and a holdover from the regime of the as are most arguments based on international comparisons: It deposed Hosni Mubarak—would know how to contain this failed to mention that America had a higher murder rate than novice. The test of strength arrived unexpectedly soon. Islamists Europe even before European countries began enacting strict attacked Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai and killed 16 of them with gun control, and it failed to take into account demographic the ultimate purpose of making the peace treaty with Israel differences between America and other countries. Even one of unworkable. Tantawi claimed to have had foreknowledge of this the arguments Zakaria borrowed from The New Yorker—that, incident, but he did nothing to prevent it. This was Morsi’s according to a 1939 Supreme Court decision, people who are not chance to stage a coup. He fired Tantawi and appointed senior in an officially sanctioned militia do not have Second Amend- officers friendly to the Muslim Brothers to replace the old guard. ment rights—is simply false. The next time he borrows some- He has also forced about 50 editors and publishers to retire, and one’s words, he should check for quality. is in the process of purging the judiciary. In breach of the peace treaty with Israel, he has unilaterally moved troops, armor, and n The City of Baltimore, from which residents are fleeing as ref - missiles into the Sinai. He is due to visit Tehran shortly. Fearing ugees from the slow-motion catastrophe of eternal Democratic the Islamist future taking shape, 100,000 Christians have already misgovernance, is rolling out the red carpet for illegal immigrants: fled from Egypt. In the continued absence of parliament and a Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake hopes to attract 10,000 im - constitution, this supposed novice has accumulated such power migrant families to the city, and has instructed police and social- that many now refer to him as King Morsi the First. services agencies to ignore the legal status of new residents, in effect converting Baltimore into a very prominent “sanctuary n A Russian feminist punk-rock band that calls itself Pussy Riot city.” Baltimore is in fact going a step further, prohib it ing the use evidently hopes to shock. Three of the girls, Nadezhda Tolo kon - of city funds to arrest, investigate, or even question suspected ni kova, Maria Alekhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich—more immigration-law violators. Maryland already has the nation’s simply Nadia, Masha, and Katya—caught the public eye some tenth-largest population of illegal immigrants, while the state is months ago by rushing up to the altar in the Cathedral of Christ hemorrhaging population to nearby Virginia, where the local the Savior in Moscow and briefly performing the can-can and a political authorities are slightly less insane and the taxes margin- “punk prayer” with the words, “Mother of God, drive out Putin!” ally lower. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has had similar They were objecting, they said, to the mutually supportive rela- thoughts, suggesting that immigrants from around the world who tionship of President Putin, lately of the KGB, and Patriarch cannot otherwise get permission to settle in the United States be Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, lately an institution col- allowed to do so on the condition that they spend five to ten years laborating with the KGB. Arrested, the three Rioters were living in Detroit, which the mayor of New York apparently thinks accused of hooliganism and blasphemy. Putin is on record saying has nothing to lose. Converting Baltimore into an ur ban Van that the punishment should be light. In Russian trials, the verdict Diemen’s Land for illegals is an almost perfect ex pression of the is still reached before the case is heard. Playing her part, Judge contemporary urban Democratic mind: If the policies of your Maria Syrova sentenced the three Rioters to two years in a penal elected officials drive the people away, elect a new people. colony; she had presided previously over 179 cases and found just one defendant not guilty. Protests erupted in some 40 cities n What is it about Massa chu - around the world, and in Moscow several leading anti-Putin setts Democrats and inappro- activists were arrested—one of them Garry Kasparov, on a priate vehicles? We’ve seen charge of biting a policeman. These girls go the way of Madonna Du kakis in the tank, Kerry or Lady Gaga; Putin prefers to have Stalin as his model. windsurfing, and of course Ted Kennedy driving a car. The n WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent his recent latest photo-op disaster comes years undermining the intelligence and diplomatic efforts of the from senatorial candidate Eliz - West while masquerading as a freedom fighter, has found a abeth Warren, who gingerly friend: the dictatorship in Ecuador. In order to escape extradition straddled a Harley for the cam- to Sweden, in which country he is wanted on suspicion of rape, eras and looked about as com- Assange has been hiding inside the Ecuadorian embassy in fortable as Barack Obama at a tractor pull (though to be fair, London since June. In August, Ecuadorian authorities granted Elizabeth Warren probably looks just as uncomfortable standing him asylum. A furious British Foreign Office insisted that Britain on line at the grocery store). The tailored pink wool jacket is a has a “legal obligation” to extradite Assange to Sweden and es - dead giveaway, unless there’s a HELL’S TAX COLLECTORS tab lished a police presence to monitor the exits, even threatening logo on the back. Yet the image is oddly fascinating. We can hear to enter the embassy if need be. There could be no more perfect her theme song now: “Get the motor running / head out on the illustration that Assange’s ostensible commitment to free publicly funded highway / looking to give back to the commu nity speech and government transparency is a fraud than that he is / for whatever’s come our way . . .” palling around with strongman Rafael Correa’s repressive, anti- American regime. n The world let out a bit of a sigh of relief when Mohamed Morsi was elected president of Egypt. A Muslim Brother, he was n This won’t be hard to believe: Another United Nations pro- nonetheless considered “moderate”; he was politically inexperi- gram has backfired. In 2005, the U.N. began giving credits to
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THE WEEK developing-world firms that reduced emissions of greenhouse gases or destroyed the chemicals themselves. The value of the credits, which could then be sold on existing climate exchanges like the EU’s, was determined by a chemical’s greenhouse-gas potency. Carbon dioxide was rated 1, methane 21, etc. One number caught the eye of some savvy Indian and Chinese man- ufacturers: 11,700, the value of destroying one ton of HFC-23, a waste gas created in the production of HFC-22, a common coolant. They decided to increase HFC-22 production solely in order to churn out HFC-23, one of the world’s worst green- house gases (and an ozone depleter, too), and then destroy it, with the U.N. and environmentally conscious countries’ carbon markets paying the way. Nineteen factories across the develop- ing worl d got into the game; several of them would actually stop producing the coolant when they’d maxed out their HFC- n She is very old now, and had to be tugged out into Boston 23 credits for the year. Regulations can turn out to be green in harbor, then tugged back. But the USS Constitution sailed more than one sense. un assisted for ten minutes and fired her guns, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the battle that gave her her nickname. On n In August, RedState co-founder and former George W. Bush August 19, early in the War of 1812, she met the HMS Guer - speechwriter Joshua Treviño was hired as a columnist by the ri ere in the western Atlantic, south of New found land. In half Guardian. In response, a group of left-wing and pro-Palestinian an hour the Guerriere had lost its rigging and was forced to actors, politicians, and academics expressed their “shock and dis- surrender. When a cannonball dropped, harmless, off the Con - may.” The signatories, who included British peer Baroness Jenny sti tu tion’s hull, a sailor cried that she was made of iron—hence Tonge, who was expelled from the Liberal Democrats in early “Old Ironsides.” An American frigate had beaten a frigate of 2012 for fantasizing in public that Israelis would “reap what they the greatest navy afloat. “The echo of those guns,” wrote his- have sown,” described Treviño as an “extremist” who would torian Henry Adams, “startled the world.” Sixty years later, damage the Guardian’s reputation as a “serious newspaper.” “Old Ironsides” was saved from decommissioning and de - Treviño’s crime? Serving on the board of advocacy group Act for struc tion by a stirring poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Israel, being “a staunch digital advocate of Israel,” and holding “Her thunders shook the mighty deep.” Even so. Long may she “one-sided political views.” The critics’ views, on the other hand, ride at anchor. are nicely two-sided: They inveigh against “the suppression of debate” when people choose not to pay attention to them, and n Baseball without Yale would still be baseball, but not ase w demand that their opponents be silenced. know it. In 1910, an Eli, William Howard Taft, became the first president to toss the first pitch on opening day. He played third n In stonemasonry as in government, Barack Obama does not for the Bulldogs in his student days, according to legend or, as think small. While running for president, he delivered speeches A. Bartlett Giamatti might have said, in poetic truth. Another in Berlin and Denver before towering, monumental columns, and Republican president, George H. W. Bush, played first for now, in a Chicago shopping center, the site of his and Michelle’s them in prosaic truth. His Yalie son, part owner of the Texas first kiss is marked with “a 3,000-pound granite boulder [at] the Rangers in the 1990s, might have become commissioner of corner of Dorchester and 53rd Street . . . bearing a quote about the baseball, but his career took a different turn. Smoky Joe Wood, couple’s first date.” The date took place in 1989 at Baskin- Ron Darling—the list goes on. Now add to it Craig Breslow Robbins (with its 31 flavors, a model of diversity), where Barack and Ryan Lavarnway, pitcher and catcher, respectively, for the bought Michelle a chocolate cone, and we can only wish that Boston Red Sox. They recently became the first two Yalies to every two dollars he has spent could yield such splendid results. play together on the winning side of a major-league game. “I got a lot smarter having them out there,” Sox manager Bobby n The Cobb County school system in Georgia says that two of Valentine said afterward, in a nod to the value that Yale-caliber its high-school choruses were denied the chance to perform with intelligence brings to the game, which, in Yogi Berra’s widely the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra because those choruses weren’t accepted formulation, is 90 percent mental, the other half “diverse enough.” The president of the orchestra said, “We want physical. the stages of the Atlanta Symphony ...to reflect the diversity of Atlanta.” But can an orchestra always mirror the community in n Does a bear drink in the woods? In Norway it does. And bears which it plays? Can a sports team? Should they? Parents of the are mean drunks, or at least rowdy ones, if a recent incident in choral students say that what the orchestra has done is unfair: The Finnmark, the country’s northernmost province, is any guide. kids just wanted to make music—and why should color enter into When a family arrived at its summer cabin there, it found that a it? Years ago, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra approached gang of bears had broken a window, climbed inside, consumed James DePreist about being its music director. It seemed clear to approximately 100 beers, eaten most of the stored food— AP
/ him that the orchestra was interested in him because he was honey, jam, marshmallows, and chocolate were particular black. He told them to get lost. “People mean well, but you fight favorites—and smashed the furniture, leaving footprints on the for years to make race irrelevant, and now they are making race walls and floors and a bed in disarray, presumably after being
MICHAEL DWYER an issue.” In every imaginable venue. used to sleep off the hangover. Wildlife officials believe they
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THE WEEK have identified the culprits as a local mama grizzly (somewhat n There’s a new memorial on Capitol Hill, and it came togeth- derelict in her maternal duty, if you ask us) and three cubs. The er overnight. Under the tree outside the Exxon at the corner of cabin owner told a newspaper, “It was almost like the fairy tale 2nd and Massachusetts, there’s a pile of memorabilia—bundles about Goldilocks and the three bears.” Last time we read that of flowers, empty coffee cups, a picture of Princess Diana—that story, we somehow missed the hundred cans of beer. could commemorate only one person: Peter Bis, a ponytailed homeless man and D.C. icon who died of a heart attack on n When Nellie Gray organized the first March for Life from August 16. Pete spent his time under that tree, telling passersby her living room in the fall of 1973, she expected that “Congress how many days away the weekend was and warning them would certainly pay attention to 20,000 people” converging on against skinny-dipping. He never called himself “homeless,” the capital to protest the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade deci- preferring the term “political refugee,” and he never asked for sion’s inventing a constitutional right to abortion. Her response money. Sometimes he’d offer cigarettes to fellow smokers, and to Congress’s inaction was to retire from her job as a lawyer at if you weren’t in too much of a hurry, he’d regale you with the- the Department of Labor and dedicate her life to fighting ories about CIA activity, the Clinton administration, and, above against what she saw as a moral horror equal to the Holocaust all else, the death of Princess Diana, who he said was a former or slavery. “No exceptions, no compromise” was her motto. love interest. He might not have had the best grasp of geopoli- “On a fundamental issue, you can’t strike a bargain,” she told tics, but he had a few friends in high places; when the D.C. city Newsweek in 1978. “You are either for killing babies or you’re government threatened to make him move a pile of belongings not. You can’t be for a little bit of killing babies.” A generation he kept under the tree, two dozen of those friends (including of pro-life activists was galvanized by her annual March, congressional staffers and lobbyists) signed a petition protest- which she led until the end of her life in the hope that “some- ing—and his stuff stayed put. Without his colorful theories and day we shall succeed for our beloved cou ntry.” Dead at 88. warm greetings, the Hill won’t be the same. R.I.P. R.I.P.
n Robert Hughes, art critic, documentarian, and historian, had POLITICS the pugnacity of his native Australia and the sweeping rhetoric Just the Ticket of his adopted America. Hughes was a modernist—which means he was an elitist and, at bottom, a traditionalist (the mod- ITT ROMNEY has made an inspired choice. Paul Ryan ernist rebels knew and respected the conventions they over- will make an excellent running mate and, if elected, turned). He abhorred anything flashy or cheap; one Hughesian M vice president. What is most gratifying about the deci- blast arraigned “the image scavengers and recyclers who infest sion is, however, what it says about Romney himself. the wretchedly stylish woods of an already decayed, pulped-out Romney could have decided to run a vague and vacuous cam- postmodernism.” His works surveyed Australia, Lucian Freud, paign based on the idea that the public would default to the out Barcelona, political correctness, American art, his near-fatal car party in a bad economy. By selecting Ryan, he has ensured that crash, Goya, and Rome. Dead at 74. Museums and galleries are the campaign will instead to a significant degree be about a con- quieter places now. R.I.P. servative governing agenda. Romney could have rested his argument against Obama on the poor economic results of his time in office. Paul Ryan is the Republican who has made the most pointed critique of the phi- n There was no more important feminist than Helen Gurley losophy that underlies Obama’s economic policies: the notion Brown. Her 1962 book Sex and the Single Girl (written at that government can direct resources toward rising industries. the suggestion of her husband) sold a million copies, and Solyndra is not just a scandal, Ryan notes: It is the kind of crony- for three decades she edited Cosmopolitan as a breathless capitalist fiasco to which Obama’s view inevitably leads. lifestyle oracle. Eschewing the Marxism and lesbianism of Romney could have gone into a defensive crouch about enti- other feminists, she instead offered Samuel Smiles for tlements, changing the subject whenever Democrats brought it women, plus sex—lots of it. The Cosmo girl had clothes, a up. With Ryan on the ticket, he will have to forthrightly defend job, a husband, and orgasms, in no particular order. Children the plan to put Medicare on a sound financial footing—and he were not part of the mix (Brown herself was childless). had to know that while making his decision. As Joe Sobran noted in NR, Brown’s Cosmopolitan gave ad - Romney could have played down the Obamacare question. His vice openly, unlike Hugh Hefner’s Play - own record on health care as governor makes it a somewhat awk- boy, which taught by implication (breasts ward issue; Republicans have been divided about how to replace and John Updike—cool!). Driven by the legislation and even whether to advance a replacement; memories of a poor childhood in Ar - getting repeal through Congress would consume much of the kansas and Los Angeles, she worked capital of a Republican president’s first year. Romney has hard and saved every nickel. Her nonetheless selected as his running mate the Republican most many facelifts ultimately left her identified with replacing Obamacare with a free-market alterna- mummified. She bequeathed mil- tive. lions for grants and fellow - Romney could have kept his options open for the presidency. ships in journalism. Dead at 90. Many candidates before him have run in order to be someone R.I.P. rather than to do something, and the many virtues his own career
HEARST has demonstrated have not included deep philosophical convic-
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THE WEEK Romney has endorsed the new version. The Democratic criticism, applied to the new plan, is indisputably false. The Romney-Ryan proposal—which has the support of liber- al Democratic senator Ron Wyden of Oregon—would let senior citizens choose a coverage plan provided either by the federal government or by a private company. The government would defray the cost of purchasing the plan selected. The providers would submit bids showing the premiums they would charge to cover the benefits Medicare has traditionally offered. The second-lowest bid would set the amount the government would provide for each beneficiary. seniors who picked the second-cheapest provider would have their entire premium paid by the government, and seniors who picked the cheapest would get a check for the difference. seniors who picked a more expensive plan would have to pay the differ- ence out of pocket. We have reason to be confident that this arrangement would tion. Ryan would never have agreed to join a ticket that was not restrain the growth of costs. A study has just shown that applying serious about enacting and implementing conservative policies, the second-cheapest-bidder approach to even the much less robust and Romney must have known that he was committing to pre- form of competition in Medicare Advantage would have resulted cisely that by picking him. in a 9 percent reduction in Medicare costs in one year alone. The While Ryan has a national reputation as a budget cutter, he is savings from years of real competition could be enormous. a full-spectrum conservative. One strength he brings to the ticket If, however, competition does not restrain costs, the growth of is a grounding in the social teaching of the Catholic Church, to government spending per beneficiary will be capped at a level a which he belongs, and a willingness to engage with those who bit above the growth rate of the economy plus inflation. That is thoughtlessly equate this teaching with support for an ever- the exact level that the Obama administration envisions as well. expanding welfare state. These traits could have more than The administration, however, hopes to reach the target by setting parochial interest this year, because a disproportionate number of low prices for medical providers and otherwise micromanaging Catholic voters are up for grabs. medical markets. There have been many past efforts along these Conservatives, and not just the Romney campaign and the lines, and they have always failed. Republican apparatus, will have to stand ready to fight back Under a worst-case scenario, then, the Romney-Ryan plan against the distortions that began even as Romney and Ryan were costs senior citizens no more than current law. It offers the hope announcing the ticket. Democrats say that Romney-Ryan is a of doing considerably better: of reining in the costs of Medicare, ticket committed to “dismantling” Medicare (by ensuring its sol- the principal cause of long-term debt disaster, without sacrificing vency); that they would leave the poor to fend for themselves (by patient choice, the quality of health care, or medical innovation. extending the successful principles of welfare reform); that their The Democrats’ political problem is that their own precious only interest is to comfort the rich (whose tax breaks they wish health-care law cuts Medicare by hundreds of billions of dol- to pare back). These are debates worth winning, and they can be lars—and in the next few years, not starting a decade from now. won. It imposes these cuts in the worst possible way, by squeezing The first question any vice-presidential pick must answer is providers without reforming the system. Our preference would whether he is ready to become president should disaster strike. be to find other ways to make these near-term savings, as Ryan’s Fiscal disaster is striking. A mark of statesmanship is to face real- budgets envision. Romney has, however, pledged to undo the ity and make hard choices in its light. Romney has chosen a run- cuts. That may make more sense than implementing the cuts the ning mate who is more presidential than the incumbent. way Obama favors, and is especially worth doing if it makes it easier for Romney to gain support for the free-market reforms he favors. His stance makes the Democratic defense of Obama false. PUBLIC POLICY The truth of the matter, then, is this: Obama is cutting Medicare Mediscare, Again in a particularly ham-handed way, and his plans will lead to bureaucratic rationing of care for future seniors. Romney would eMOCRATs believed that Romney’s selection of Ryan stay these cuts and avert that threat. Instead he would implement would make it possible for them to hammer the Repub - a promising strategy to stave off national bankruptcy while D licans for “ending Medicare as we know it.” Their attack improving senior citizens’ health care. If Obama and his aides on Romney’s plan is false through and through, and it is proving persist in claiming that the Romney-Ryan plan will increase costs less politically effective than they had hoped. for senior citizens or shift risks to them, Republicans and fair- Obama strategist David Axelrod was one of many Democrats minded observers should not hesitate to call these charges what to say that Ryan’s plan “would raise costs on seniors by thousands they are: lies. AP / of dollars.” The actual worst-case scenario for how much more it could make beneficiaries pay: $0. The Axelrod attack is based on MICZEK EDITOR’S NOTE: The next issue of NATIONAL REVIEW . a hostile interpretation of an earlier version of Ryan’s proposal. will appear in three weeks.
JASON E Ryan has changed the proposal over the last year, however, and
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Republican Convention Special
Truslow Adams called the American dream. “Advancement—improvement in con- dition,” Lincoln said, “is the order of things in a society of equals.” In such a society the class antagonisms of the Old World had no place. Where everyone is free to improve his condition, Tocqueville observed,
the gradations of the social scale come to be less observed, . . . the great sink [and] the humble rise, and . . . poverty as well as opulence ceases to be hereditary...... As there is no longer a race of poor men, so there is no longer a race of rich men; the latter spring up daily from the multitude and relapse into it again.
equality of opportunity, it was true, did not mean equality of outcome. Fair enough, Lincoln said:
I take it that it is best for all to leave each man free to acquire property as fast as he can. Some will get wealthy. I don’t be - Romney’s Revelation lieve in a law to prevent a man from get- ting rich; it would do more harm than He knows the president is burying the American Dream good. So while we do not propose any war upon capital, we do wish to allow the BY MICHAEL KNOX BERAN humblest man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else.
ReSIdenT OBAMA occasionally good jobs” ranked first, followed by But there rose up new prophets who invites historians to the White “reducing corruption in the federal gov- knew not Joseph. In the early 20th centu- House to talk about the lessons ernment” and “reducing the federal bud - ry, Progressive historians and public men P of history. during one such gath- get deficit.” questioned Lincoln’s faith in equality of ering last year, presidential historian Rob - If 2012 is shaping up to be a classic “it’s opportunity. Progressive scholars rein- ert dallek asked the president, Politico’s the economy, stupid” election, President terpreted the history of the republic as a edward-Isaac dovere writes, “what the Obama’s attempt to make it a referendum series of class struggles. In his 1914 book group could do to help him. Obama’s on “fairness” would seem to be doomed. The Promise of American Life, Herbert answer went right to a present-day con- Why does he, how can he think it will Croly maintained that “the traditional cern: ‘What you could do for me is to help work? The answer almost certainly lies in American confidence in individual free- me find a way to discuss the issue of his estimate of the vulnerabilities of the dom” was untenable because it “resulted inequality in our society without being Republican standard-bearer. The elec- in a morally and socially undesirable dis- accused of class warfare.’” torate may have little interest in the rights tribution of wealth.” Mitt Romney wants this year’s election and wrongs of wealth in the abstract. But Subsequent generations of intellectuals to be about jobs and the economy. Barack with a flesh-and-blood tycoon at the top of took up the Progressive torch. Writing in Obama wants it to be about fairness the GOP ticket, Obama is betting that the the 1940s, Columbia historian Richard and the need for a more equitable rela- country will take a second look at the just- Hofstadter argued that whatever reality tion between classes. Voters appear to ness of Republican economic policies. Lincoln’s “myth” of self-made success favor Romney’s view. When a July USA Once upon a time success like Mitt might have possessed in the past, the Today/Gallup poll asked Americans to rate Romney’s—he not only built up a prof- emergence of modern industrial capital- the importance of twelve issues in the itable firm but furnished the capital that ism rendered it obsolete. Had Lincoln coming election, “increasing taxes on enabled other companies to thrive— lived longer, Hofstadter wrote, “he would wealthy Americans” ranked last; “creating would have been an unalloyed virtue in a have seen the generation brought up on candidate. “Sobriety, frugality, industry, self-help come into its own, build oppres- Mr. Beran is a contributing editor of City Journal and honesty, seldom fail of success in sive business corporations, and begin to and the author, most recently, of Pathology of the America,” Benjamin Franklin remarked; close off those treasured opportunities for Elites: How the Arrogant Classes Plan to and faith in one’s ability to succeed has the little man.”
Run Your Life. been close to the heart of what James What journalist david Brooks calls the ROMAN GENN
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Republican Convention Special
“opportunity gap” had opened up. “Af- ment in ventures that really do create new $10 trillion in new debt Obama seeks to fluent parents,” Brooks observes, “invest chances in life. incur over the next decade but by varia- more money in their children” and in President Obama’s call for the rich to tions on the headline “Romney: ‘I paid doing so give them opportunities other pay their “fair share” is not merely the taxes every single year.’” kids don’t have. To remedy this inequality, mantra of a flawed economic policy. The Even so, he gets it. In a recent appear- Brooks proposes “tax increases or benefit deeper problem lies in the pessimistic ance on CBS This Morning, Romney cuts so that more money can be spent on philosophy that has inspired it, a convic- called the president out on the “divisive- the earned-income tax credit and other tion that the dream of self-made success ness” of policies “based upon income, age, programs that benefit the working class.” that has long been fundamental to the ethnicity, and so forth,” an agenda de - The problem with Brooks’s argument— American experience is dead. In the presi- signed to breed “a sense of jealousy and which dovetails with Obama’s own—is dent’s view, Hofstadter and Croly were enmity and anger.” “President Obama that enlargement of the nation’s social- right. Lincoln was wrong. Self-made suc- attacks success,” Romney said in Irwin, welfare apparatus does nothing to increase cess is a myth. Or as the president phrases Pa., “and therefore under President Obama opportunity: Only an expanding economy it, “You didn’t build that.” we have less success.” Instead of creating can do that. Nor has ever greater spending Mitt Romney, a private-equity man who jobs, Romney argues, the president fosters on public education narrowed the “op - labored in the gardens of growth, is in a “culture of dependency.” portunity gap” Brooks identifies. Writing many ways the ideal candidate to make All Romney has to do is connect the in the Wall Street Journal, Cato Institute the case that Lincoln’s vision of success is dots and the rationale of his campaign scholar Andrew J. Coulson notes that not a myth. But the former head of Bain becomes clear. President Obama has spent since 1970 “the public school workforce Capital has been unable to get his message the last four years preaching a funeral ora- has roughly doubled,” while enrollment across. The Obama campaign’s distorted tion over the American Dream. The age of rose only by 8.5 percent. But this “dou- ads have made Romney’s experience in heroic opportunity, in the president’s view, bling in staff size,” Coulson says, “and fostering new enterprise look like a liabil- ended a long time ago. The idea that ordi- more than a doubling in cost have done lit- ity. Few Americans know much about the nary men and women can raise themselves tle to improve academic outcomes.” work Romney did at Bain. But millions up through their own efforts is for him an The weakness of the Progressive vision have been told, in a baseless ad by a pro- antiquated fable. No one, the president is traceable in part to the sterility of the Obama super PAC, that a woman died of maintains, can build anything himself: modern social imagination out of which it cancer because of it. Americans must look to Washington for grew—a set of assumptions about man’s Part of the problem is that Romney is help every step of the way. If, in the social nature, Hannah Arendt pointed the first tycoon to have won the Re - Pleistocene age of Lincoln, a culture of out, more suited to the herding of animals publican nomination in a very long time. self-made success enabled the country to than the nurturing of human beings. The It’s not that Republicans subscribe to the transcend the class antipathies that divided bureaucratic programs developed under liberal superstition that rich or otherwise the nations of the Old World, those days its auspices cannot lift up hearts or instill privileged men make acceptable presi- are over. in people the confidence they need if they dents only if they are Democrats. Theo - Unhitch your wagon from the star. are to take advantage of the opportunities dore Roosevelt dominated the GOP in the We’re all Willy Lomans now. The equality around them. The methods that the social- first decade of the last century. A little later the president envisions is an equality not of welfare programs replaced—the tech- Republicans put Herbert Hoover (a min- opportunity but of mediocrity and depen- niques of pastoral care which once tended ing investor worth upward of $70 million dence. Having all but buried the American the strayed souls in Western communi- in today’s dollars) at the top of their ticket. Dream with a melancholy GDP growth ties—grew out of a more profound under- Alf Landon (an oil millionaire) was next in rate—it was 1.5 percent in the second quar- standing of human nature. (If you doubt it, the succession. But Hoover and Landon ter—the president seeks to divvy up an have a look at the opening pages of Hugo’s went down to epochal defeats, and for a ever-shrinking pie even as his minions in Les Misérables.) But the old culture of long time a spooked GOP was partial to bureaus like the Social Security Admin - pastoral care died away, leaving a moral nominees who had done well but not too istration purchase tens of thousands of vacuum the social state cannot fill. well where money was concerned—Ike, rounds of ammunition (hollow-point bul- Not only will the diversion of more pri- Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Dole. (Goldwater, lets) in anticipation of coming unrest. vate wealth into ineffectual government with his family department-store money, If Romney can expose Obama’s vision programs fail to yield greater opportunity was an exception: but he wore cowboy of “fairness” for what it is—a gloomy, and to enlarge the ranks of success, it will boots.) Eventually the Bushes broke the almost Malthusian testament to the pres- create new kinds of dependence. Capital glass floor, but only after they expiated ident’s belief that America’s best days are that, had it been privately invested, would their Brahminical sins by moving to over, a dark oracle of class struggle and have seeded new enterprise will be squan- Texas. fiscal doom—he will gain the high dered on freshly minted tax collectors. The Romney, without a model to emulate, ground. If he persuades people that the tragedy of redistributionist policies is has been on the defensive during much of president has been premature in compos- that, although they are intended to pro- the summer, harried by the president’s pic- ing the epitaph of the American Dream, mote upward mobility, they exacerbate the adors. The republic may be on the road to he will dominate the debate, and will be problem they are meant to fix. The higher fiscal collapse, but a recent news cycle able to talk about the bright days that lie taxes that sustain them discourage invest- was consumed not by anxiety about the ahead.
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Republican Convention Special
happened, but none seemed convincing, at fail through no fault of their own, and least not to rational people. “The system is social insurance seemed feasible in the Farewell to rigged, and it’s rigged against us,” said Eric 1930s. In an era when few people grew Alterman. Hen drik Hertzberg said FDR very old, it seemed right and sustainable to All That was one lucky dog in that he inherited the save those who did from complete destitu- There will never be another FDR Great De pres sion when it was three years tion. Believe it or not, unions in those times old and such a calamity that no one could sometimes did positive things. Roosevelt BY NOEMIE EMERY blame him for anything. Peter Beinart said got electoral thumbs-ups from voters in the that Obama was unlucky in that he lacked 1934 and 1936 cycles, but they slammed ARACk OBAmA, who was hailed someone like the firebrand Huey Long, on the brakes in the 1938 midterms, effec- by the Left in 2008 as the second who “scared the crap out of the American tively saying “thus far and no further” and coming of Franklin D. Roo se - establishment and sent some of its den - putting an end to this era of government B velt, a four-term-winning liberal izens scurrying into the arms of reformers growth. From then on, the country would icon, is struggling to avoid becoming the like FDR.” (One wonders whether FDR, want what Reihan Salam and Ross Dou - second coming of one-term-and-done who confronted a social implosion, dan- that have called “the government that the Jimmy Carter, and thereby hangs a tale. gerous demagogues, and a world conflict, New Deal liberals had built, but run by The tale is the Democrats’ endless quest for appreciated his good luck.) Put aside the conservatives.” This is what they got with the next FDR—which began the day after fact that FDR was a great politician, who Eisenhower and kennedy, two pragmatic the first one expired—and the moral is would no more have dreamed of passing a centrists who abhorred ideology and that this quest will always be hopeless. The game-changing bill without strong and whose approval ratings were higher for fact is that Roosevelt—not the war leader bipartisan backing than he would have longer periods than those of any other pres- and father of the manhattan Project thrown himself off a tall building in the ident since modern-day polling began. (who would be impeached by today’s Left belief he could levitate; he still had an Their approach would emerge as the as a war criminal), but the great and advantage that no modern progressive will public consensus, but the problem was groundbreaking expander of gov ern - ever replicate: He became president at the that what most of the country thought of ment—cannot and will not come again. one time in our history when the federal as the ceiling, the progressive faction con- The hope of the Left in 2008 was that he government was too small for its burdens tinued to see as the floor. They talked of had come again, but this hope was gone by and truly cried out to be expanded. the New Deal’s “unfinished business” and July 2010, just months after the health-care Cousin Theodore, FDR’s lodestar in kept on seeking a hero to take care of it, bill was passed by them with such cele - things large and small, had been correct at believing that history moves to the left bration, and met by the public with so the turn of the century when he said that and that progressive eras are followed by much disgust. “A big disappointment,” the industrial revolution (along with and times of consolidation, which in turn are said Eric Alterman. Progressives were beside a mass immigration) had rendered followed by times of still further action, in “gripped by gloom,” as Paul Waldman put the laissez-faire model obsolete. Child which the country will move left again. it, and michael Tomasky found “profound labor, sweatshops, and the Triangle fire had Lyn don Johnson tried to fulfill this hope, despair among liberals” about more than demonstrated the need for some regula- but his excesses set off a whole new the angry reception that was given the pres- tion. In a complex economy, people could dynamic, consisting of liberal overreach, ident’s bills: “The storyline is much larger than merely that the stimulus has failed. It is that government is a failure. . . . The great bottom-line hope back in November 2008 was that Oba ma was going to restore trust in gov ern ment and prove it could solve problems. That hasn’t happened. . . . That’s not an argument about the midterm elec- tions. It’s about the party of government’s very raison d’etre.” “Re mem ber when Barack Obama’s presidency was going to wash over the capital like a cleansing tide, renewing both the government’s ability to accomplish great things and restoring the people’s faith in that ability?” lamented Waldman. “It seems so much longer than a year and a half ago.” Answers were sought as to how this had AP Noemie Emery is a contributing editor of The / HONG
Weekly Standard and writes a weekly column for .
the Washington Examiner. JAE C
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a conservative backlash against it, and problem by bringing it to life. These be - then a moment of more-or-less modera- liefs remain the philosophical core of tion—to be followed, once memories Progressivism’s modern liberalism, though very few liber- faded, by liberal excess again. This was als, now that Richard Rorty is dead, can back-and-forth alternation, instead of Worst puzzle out the deep presuppositions of it progress in a single direction interrupted anymore. Instead, today’s progressives with pauses. John son’s Great society ran Nightmare hold a lazy presumption that progress into a wall in the 1966 midterms, and then entails politicizing every problem without spawned a run of Republican presidents. Paul Ryan can make the case against it end. This is the aspect of progressivism Clinton, after running as a moderate as no one else can that Ryan most directly challenges. against the moderate George H. W. Bush, The old progressives differ sharply got carried away and tried to pass a health- BY STEVEN F. HAYWARD from today’s progressives in some impor- care reform that spawned the Republican tant ways. Teddy Roosevelt and his Bull capture of Congress. Clinton then triangu- oes it seem like the Left’s re - Moose party, at least, saw themselves as a lated his way back to the center, permitting action to recent GoP running bulwark against socialism and redistribu- (or forcing) the younger George Bush to mates has gone far beyond the tionism, while today’s progressives are run as a compassionate conservative. After D norms of election-season parti- stealth socialists and resentful egalitarians. this, obama won in a landslide after the sanship? There’s a reason for this: Both Moreover, many of the old progressives fiscal implosion, made a swerve to the left Paul Ryan and sarah Palin represent mor- were overtly religious. The 1912 conven- sharper than Bill Clinton’s, and triggered tal threats to the core of modern liberal - tioneers sang and swayed to Christian the Tea Party’s rise. This led to the Dem - ism in a way that Dick Cheney and Dan hymns including “onward Christian sol - ocrats’ drubbing in the 2010 midterms, Quayle (and their respective chiefs) never diers,” and TR’s famous oration at the which progressives saw as racist, fascist, did, and therefore they have to be crushed convention began with the ringing state- hateful, and simply vicious, but which by any means necessary. The reason for ment that “we stand at Armageddon” was in fact completely predictable and the vitriolic reaction to sarah Palin four ready to “battle for the Lord.” That kind of similar to what had happened quite often years ago was simple: she threatened to language at a Democratic-party conven- before. shatter a pillar of the Left’s identity politics tion today would get you arrested. The But this time was by far the worst one by contesting its monopoly on “women’s old progressives were also pro-family in for liberals, as they were sure they had issues.” Ryan represents a triple threat. ways completely alien to liberalism today. found the right man, the one they could Most obviously, his fiscal plans threaten “The purpose of this republic is to pro - love as the Right had loved Rea gan: the the Left’s entitlement mentality, and his duce manhood and womanhood,” said right voice, the right life, and at the right personality and charisma may hive off the the Republican progressive Albert J. moment—a financial crisis they could youth vote. But the deepest fear is that Beveridge. Today, that’s Bill Bennett talk. blame upon Wall street—that would drive Ryan will challenge directly the core phi- Many progressives were even quite people straight into government’s arms. losophy of today’s so-called progres- comfortable with American imperialism, It didn’t happen. A populist movement sivism. while the assertion of American princi- arose, but against government power. Liberals say they are delighted with the ples abroad today is anathema to multicul- occupy Wall street disgusted most peo- Ryan pick because they can now run the tural liberals. ple. Unions lost their prolonged war on “Mediscare” campaign, but they are not There is an important connection be - Wisconsin governor scott Walker. People being entirely honest. Beyond the fiscal tween Progressive era historicist philoso- mocked obama’s website feature “Life of debate, Ryan can expose progressivism’s phy and today’s liberalism, however, that Julia,” which the Left thought idyllic. unreflective rejection of the principles of Paul Ryan unde rstands and speaks about “You didn’t build that!” was an epic mis- the American Founding. instinctively: Both make individual rights calculation that may end a presidency. The old progressives were an oddly a matter of assertion and positive state Massachusetts, in a rebuke to his health- mixed bag; the movement’s roots could be provision, sweeping away all limits on care proposal, gave “Ted Kennedy’s seat” seen in both parties at the time. on the one government power in the process. The to scott Brown. Things like these never hand, people such as Woodrow Wilson Nation’s John Nichols is horrified by what happened to Roosevelt, who met the needs and John Dewey explicitly rejected the Ryan told Glenn Beck a while ago: of his times, was allowed to build big natural-rights philosophy of the American because he was building on nothing, and Founding in favor of an admixture of What I’ve been trying to do is indict the had a long way to go before the public re - Hegelian and Darwinian “pragmatism,” entire vision of progressivism, because I sistance to government power kicked in. according to which “progress” is essen - see progressivism as the source, the intel- In 1933, government had to get bigger. tially the growth of the state. Many pro - lectual source, for the big-government problems that are plaguing us today. And Now it has to reform, devolve, cut back, gressives thought our Constitution was so to me it’s really important to flush pro- and control itself, before it shoves us off ob solete, though they were able to fix that gressives out into the field of open debate. the cliff into catastrophe. This is why “the . . . I grew up hearing about this stuff. . . . new FDR” is now in such trouble—and Mr. Hayward is the Thomas Smith Distinguished It never sat right with me. And as I grew why the search for the next one will end Fellow at the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, up, I learned more about the Founders and in more tears. and blogs daily at Power Line. [learned from] reading the Austrians and
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others that this is really a cancer, because ryan has made this argument more it basically takes the notion that our rights effectively than anyone since ronald come from God and nature and turns it on reagan, who spoke against centralized Energizing its head and says, “no, no, no, no, no, they “intellectual elites” from the earliest days come from government, and we here in of his political career and said in his first The Economy government are here to give you your inaugural address, “From time to time, we rights and therefore ration, redistribute, Leash the regulators and and regulate your rights.” it’s a complete have been tempted to believe that society affront of the whole idea of this country. has become too complex to be managed unleash the oilmen by self-rule, that government by an elite another crucial aspect of modern pro- group is superior to government for, by, BY KEVIN D. WILLIAMSON gressivism that is in complete harmony and of the people. But if no one among with the older kind is front and center us is capable of governing himself, then onsErvaTivEs dismayed by the in ryan’s attacks on obamacare’s inde- who among us has the capacity to govern fact that the United states is pendent Payment advisory Board: belief someone else?” Both reagan and ryan home to the highest corporate- in the need for politically unaccountable are channeling the founder of the Dem- C tax rate in the developed world expert administrators to regulate society ocratic party, Thomas Jefferson, who said are welcoming Mitt romney’s proposal to in ever more exacting detail. Here’s how in his first inaugural address, “sometimes reduce it from 35 percent to 25 percent, but ryan put it to the Conservative Political it is said that man cannot be trusted with his biggest proposed tax cut has nothing to action Conference last year: the government of himself. Can he, then, do with taxes as such. be trusted with the government of others? running well in excess of $1 trillion a There are those who say modern society or have we found angels in the form of year by most estimates—and closer to $2 is too complicated for the average man kings to govern him? Let history answer trillion by the small Business adminis- or woman to deal with. This is a long- standing argument, but we heard it more this question.” tration’s reckoning—the cost of complying frequently after the mortgage credit col- it stings today’s liberals to point out with federal regulations is a much bigger lapse and financial meltdown in 2008. how far their liberalism has betrayed burden on american businesses than taxes They say we need more experts and tech- Jefferson’s liberalism, and such reminding are. The expense of regulation is in effect a nocrats making more of our economic is most effective when done by an ap - form of taxation, but with an important dif- decisions for us. and they argue for less pealing, optimistic figure. a generation ference: You can boot out your representa- “political interference” with the enlight- ago, that was reagan, and it will be Paul tive if he votes for a tax hike, but you can’t ened bu reaucrats . . . by which they ryan today. ryan actually may be better vote out executive-branch bureaucrats. mean less objection by the people to the equipped than reagan to advance the ar - The tax and regulatory climates have a overregulation of society. . . . But there’s a major flaw in this “progressive” argu- gument—and, at age 42, come what may great deal in common: Both are cumbrous ment, and it’s this: it assumes there must in november, he’ll be around a long time and expensive, and both bodies of law are be someone or some few who do have all to carry the banner of restoring the Foun - full of special-interest carve-outs that are the knowledge and information. ders’ government. the result of billions of dollars’ worth of lobbying by entrenched business interests, coddling market incumbents at the ex - pense of start-ups and smaller firms. if General Electric is not particularly worried about the 35 percent corporate-tax rate, that is because it does not usually pay taxes at that rate and, indeed, in some years does not pay corporate taxes at all. Likewise, Goldman sachs and similar large firms with 400 lawyers on staff and a dozen lob- byists on retainer are less disadvantaged by the obama administration’s aggressive regulatory stance than are smaller and younger firms for which legal fees and compliance monitoring are heavy burdens, or even insurmountable ones: The esti - mated annual cost of regulation on a U.s. manufacturing firm is very high, about $700,000, meaning that small, specialized start-up enterprises without the cash flow to handle such expenses are out of business
before they can begin. NEWSCOM / Mitt romney has proposed two initia-
Paul Ryan, fresh on the campaign trail in Des Moines, Iowa, August 13, 2012 tives for lightening the regulatory load on STEVE POPE
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American enterprise. The first is a familiar further reinforce the legislative power one, if only because every presidential by requiring that any major regulation candidate promises it: a comprehensive (defined as one with an economic impact review of federal regulations with an eye of $100 million or more) be voted on by toward pruning them. Even the Obama Congress rather than enacted administra- administration undertook such a review— tively. It is worth noting that Romney here which, as the Romney campaign points out is proposing to reduce some of the powers with a measure of well-deserved mockery, of the executive branch that he hopes to led to a reduction of regulatory compliance lead, constraining federal regulators’ abil - costs amounting to an underwhelming 0.1 ity to act independently of Congress. But percent of the annual burden, a load that is doing this is necessary to the long-term of course growing every day that Barack economic and political health of the coun- Obama and his associates remain in power. try. Here, Romney’s reputation as an obsessive The impact of regulatory overreach is scourer of data points and processes pro- not limited to those firms and industries mises to serve him well: Unlike Barack targeted by the federal government, but Obama, he is the sort of guy who in fact rather ripples throughout the economy. desires to reduce federal regulation, and While free-marketers may sometimes hes- whose administration promises to be itate to acknowledge the fact, some in - staffed by people sharing that outlook. dustries are simply more important than Romney proposes to begin his review with others, inasmuch as an enterprise of any the satisfying step of issuing an executive consequence finds itself involved in the order repealing in toto the regulatory real-estate industry (for office space, man- additions of the Obama administration. ufacturing sites, and warehousing), the Pro mi nent among them are several new financial industry (for credit and cash mandates from the Environmental Pro- flow), and the energy industry (everything tection Agency and the Health and Human from utilities to transportation costs). The Services rules handed down thus far to Obama administration is making life much implement the Affordable Care Act, which harder for energy and finance, simply Romney intends to repeal, assuming that because those industries are unpopular he has sufficient congressional support to with its political supporters, and by its do so. attempts to reinflate the housing bubble it The second and more interesting pro- is extending the weakness and uncertainty posal from the Romney campaign is to in the real-estate market. establish a federal cap on total regulatory- The administration’s favorite target is compliance costs, something like the the energy industry, executives of which Democrats’ beloved Pay-As-You-Go rules one of the wild men in Obama’s EPA but deployed to distinctly different ends: promised to “crucify”—“like how the It only PAYGO was used mainly to interfere with Romans used to conquer villages in the tax cuts, but the Romney proposal would Mediterranean. They’d go into a little complicate the issuing of new federal reg- Turkish town somewhere and they’d find takes a ulations. The cap would require that the the first five guys they saw and they’d cru- federal government identify regulatory- cify them.” Green fantasies to the side, the moment. cost offsets before issuing any new regula- energy industry means oil, gas, and coal, tion that imposed any burden on the private and domestic petroleum production means Make a difference sector. The cap would be created by exec- extracting products from shale formations in the lives of the men and women utive order and implemented at the agency through the process known as hydraulic who protect our freedom. level, and one must imagine that the cost- fracturing, or “fracking.” Fracking is the VOLUNTEER. DONATE. REMEMBER. review process for determining offsets new Alar, a source of terror (for envi - USO.ORG would be extremely combative. That is not ronmentalists) with no basis in reality. a drawback to the proposal but a benefit: Obama’s EPA has been making aggressive The more difficult it is for federal agencies noises about fracking, which at the mo - to issue new regulations, the better. ment is regulated for the most part by Congress will of course have its say, but competent state-level authorities rather it is far easier to defeat bad proposals that than by the ideologically driven EPA. It is require a vote in two houses of Congress a reasonably safe bet that a second Obama than it is to defeat bad regulations that term would mean severe restrictions on come from executive agencies with no hydraulic fracturing, and thus the effective vote and no accountability. Romney would end of new oil-and-gas exploration in the
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You deserve a factual look at . . .
Earlier this year, we published our message, “Arabian Fables (I),” in which we made clear how the Arab propaganda machine creates myths and lies with which to misinform the world. We discussed the myths of the “Palestinians”and of the “West Bank” and the mythical concept of “occupied territories”. In today's message, we shall address three more of these myths.
The Arabs decided to call these towns and villages “settlements”, Jerusalem (“Arab East Jerusalem”). The Arabs have assiduously with their connotation of illegitimacy and impermanence. The world, propagated the myths that Jerusalem is an Arab capital, that (after including the United States, is much agitated over these population Mecca and Medina) Jerusalem is their third holy city, and that it is centers and, goaded by the Arabs, declares them to be impediments to intolerable to them that infidels (Jews) are in possession of it. peace. What nonsense! Nobody considers the tens of thousands of The reality of course is that Jerusalem was never an Arab capital and Arabs who continue to stream to these territories as impediments to that it was, until the Jews revitalized it, a peace. dusty provincial city that hardly played any The term “settlements”, too, is a economic, social, or political role. “The Arab propaganda machine has propaganda myth created by the Arabs. Jerusalem is mentioned hundreds of times created myths that have been “Refugees.” In 1948, when six Arab in the Jewish Bible and has been the center armies invaded the Jewish state in order to of the Jewish faith and the focus of Jewish accepted by much of the world. No destroy it on the very day of its birth, longing ever since the Romans destroyed peace in the Middle East is possible broadcasts by the advancing Arab armies the Temple in the early years of the first appealed to the resident Arabs to leave their millennium. Not once is Jerusalem until those Arab myths have been homes so as not to be in the way of the mentioned in the Koran. exposed for what they are!” invaders. As soon as the “quick victory” was As to “East Jerusalem”: There is East won, they could return to their homes and Saint Louis, there is East Hampton, and would also enjoy the loot from the Jews, there used to be East Berlin, but, until the Arab propaganda machine who would have been driven into the sea. It didn't turn out quite that created the concept, there was never in history an “East Jerusalem”, way. Those Arabs who, despite the urgings of the Jews to stay and to let alone an "Arab East Jerusalem". remain calm, foolishly left, became refugees. Those who decided not The eastern part of Jerusalem is now predominantly inhabited by to yield to those blandishments are now, and have been for over 60 Arabs, though their proportion is decreasing. But what is the reason years, citizens of Israel, with all the same rights and privileges as their for this? It is because the Jordanians destroyed all traces of Jewish Jewish fellows. presence from the eastern part of the city and drove all the Jews out But what happened to those refugees—by best estimates about during the 19 years (between 1948 and 1967) in which they were in 600,000 of them? Did their "Arab brethren" allow them to settle in occupation of the eastern part of the city. The world, informed by Arab their countries, to work, and to become productive citizens and useful propaganda, considers those Jews who wish to return to the eastern members of their societies? No! They kept and still keep them, their part of the city to be troublemakers or worse. children, their grandchildren, and in some cases even their great- The concept of Jerusalem being a holy Arab city and the capital of grandchildren, in miserable “refugee camps”, so that they can be used whatever political entity the “Palestinians” may eventually form is a as political and military pawns in order to keep the burning hatred myth and so of course is the concept of “Arab East Jerusalem”. against Israel alive and in order to supply the manpower for the “Settlements.” When Jordan came into possession of unremitting fight against Israel. Judea/Samaria and the eastern part of Jerusalem, following the During those more than sixty years, Israel has taken in more than invasion of the newly-formed Jewish state, and stayed in occupation three million Jewish immigrants from all parts of the world and has for 19 years, it systematically obliterated all Jewish villages in the area integrated them productively into its society. According to the under their occupation, drove out the Jewish inhabitants, and left the “Palestinians”, the Arab “refugees” have now marvelously increased to area “judenrein” (free of Jews)—the first time that concept had been five million (!). It is the intent and fervent desire of the Arabs that all applied since the Nazis created it during their short and bloody reign of them should return to Israel so as to destroy the country without in Germany. When the Israelis recovered these territories, they rebuilt the necessity of war. these villages, created new ones, and built new towns and suburbs to The “refugees” are a red herring and another myth created by the existing cities, especially Jerusalem. Arab propaganda machine. The Arab propaganda machine, aided by the most high-powered public relations firms in the United States and all over, has created myths that, by dint of constant repetition, have been accepted as truth by much of the world. No sensible discussion, no peace in the Middle East, is possible until those Arab myths have been exposed for what they are.
FLAME is a tax-exempt, non-profit educational 501 (c)(3) organization. Its purpose is the research and publication of the facts regarding developments in the Middle East and exposing false propaganda that might harm the interests of the United States and its allies in that area of the world. Your tax- deductible contributions are welcome. They enable us to pursue these goals and to publish these messages in national newspapers and magazines. We #" $# # "# have virtually no overhead. Almost all of our revenue pays for our educational % ! " work, for these clarifying messages, and for related direct mail. !! !" # 65C To receive free FLAME updates, visit our website: www.factsandlogic.org 3col_QXP-1127940387.qxp 8/22/2012 1:12 AM Page 28
Republican Convention Special
United States, shutting down one of the ating infrastructure, those electric cars few sectors of the U.S. economy that are the president is so fond of are in fact coal- producing real wealth and real jobs both powered cars, the batteries of which sim- Obama for high-end professionals and for blue- ply store power from a coal-dependent collar laborers. power grid. vs. the energy gets its own section in the In terms of more conventional energy romney plan, beginning with the obvious issues, romney promises to open up the first steps of maximizing the use of those continental shelf, the Gulf of Mexico, and Constitution resources we have readily at hand by the Arctic to responsible drilling and to The rule of law is on the ballot approving the Keystone pipeline and by leave the regulation of shale extraction to encouraging the construction of modern, the states, where it belongs. BY RAMESH PONNURU relatively clean, coal-fired power plants It is important that we understand the by streamlining the permitting process. real value of developing U.S. energy here were warning signs about rather than attempt to invest in individual resources. For all of the silly talk about President Obama’s fealty to the firms such as Solyndra or in particular “energy independence”—and romney has Constitution even before he took products such as Tesla electric automo- been known to engage in it, too—the T the oath of office. biles, the romney administration would United States will never be more “inde- As a senator he had voted against the support basic-science research as well as pendent” when it comes to energy than it is nomination of John roberts to be chief applied-science and engineering pro- when it comes to any other important prod- justice of the Supreme Court, arguing that jects through a new agency, ArPA-e, uct. Oil, gas, and coal are global commodi- roberts was deficient in the “empathy” which would be based on DArPA, the ties, and the United States cannot extricate required for the position. In a speech dur- Pen tagon’s highly effective research- itself from the global market—nor would ing his campaign for the Democratic pres- and-development operation, which uses doing so be desirable. Developing domes- idential nomination, he said any justice he com petitive bidding to focus the private tic energy resources is not going to cause selected would have “to understand what sector’s best and brightest mad scientists the ayatollahs to pipe down or send it’s like to be poor or African American or on specific defense-related projects. the Arabs back to their caravans. Develop - gay or disabled or old.” In other words, he This would not constitute a rollback of the ing U.S. resources would of course be a wanted a judicial thumb on the scales for federal government’s support for energy- decades-long project, and while beginning liberalism: Notice that he didn’t mention related research and development, but that project would send important signals any empathy for small-business owners or rather a shifting of resources away from a to the world’s petroleum markets, various kids in failing schools. process that has channeled billions of dol- detestable Middle eastern and South During the general-election campaign, lars to Democratic donors running firms American regimes are going to remain big Obama answered an interviewer’s ques- destined for bankruptcy and directing them players on the supply side, and China et al. tion about whether abortion would be a toward fundamental science, which is are going to remain big players on the “litmus test” for his judicial appointees by largely conducted at the university level, as demand side. Developing our oil-and-gas saying that a person who did not believe in well as toward competitively structured resources does not allow the United States the right to privacy, “as well as the impli- federal projects. to walk away from the world and its com- cations for gender equality,” would not Among the specific regulatory initia- plications: It just makes us rich. Producers have the right judicial philosophy. In other tives that romney proposes is revisiting get rich by economically extracting wealth words, a refusal to reconsider judicial the Clean Air Act, which was adopted to from the ground, refiners get rich by con- decisions that even many liberals admit control the emission of pollutants but verting it into high-value products, traders are hard to square with the text, original which the Obama administration intends to get rich by connecting producers with sell- understanding, history, or structure of the use to police carbon-dioxide emissions in ers, and a lot of roughnecks and truck dri- Constitution is a prerequisite for a judicial the pursuit of its voguish and unproductive vers get to buy new bass boats and cabins nomination from Obama. (he never said global-warming crusade. romney intends on the lake. Developing our domestic en - anything about empathy for unborn chil- to see that it is limited to its original pur- ergy industry makes the United States dren, either.) pose. One of the many ironies of this elec- stronger and more secure not by under - Since taking office, Obama has com- tion is that romney has a more aggressive mining the economic position of trans- piled a record consistent with these early global-warming proposal than Obama Levantine miscreants but by making us hints. Again and again, liberal policy pref- does, though he would never describe it as wealthier and more confident in our pros - erences have trumped fidelity to the Con - such: By modernizing and liberalizing the pects. stitution. permitting process for new nuclear-power Putting a leash on the regulators and tak- Unilateral amnesty. The most recent facilities, a romney administration would ing one off of the oilmen is not going to example came in mid-August, when the take a very large step toward putting the solve all of our economic problems—not Obama administration began implement- U.S. electricity-generating infrastructure in the next four years, not in the next 40. ing the DreAM Act even though Con - on a path that is more reliable, more eco- But it will send trillions of dollars’ worth of gress had never passed it. The president nomical, and, not incidentally, more en - wealth flowing out of the ground and into issued an order commanding immigration vironmentally friendly than the current the economy rather than out of the econo- agencies not to deport some illegal im - system. Taken in the context of our gener- my and into Washington. migrants who were brought to this coun -
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Paid Advertisement Memory Pill Does for the Brain What Prescription Glasses Do for the Eyes, Claims US Surgeon General Candidate Remarkable changes observed, helps restore up to 15 years of lost memory power in as little as 30 days! 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Republican Convention Special
try as children and to give them work- history that gave rise to the reform in the marriage is constitutionally mandatory. authorization permits. first place. Welfare reform was enacted by Yet neither Obama nor Holder takes that Whether or not this policy is a good a Congress that deeply distrusted President position. Obama, even now that he has idea, it is an idea that Congress has so far Clinton: Its fight with him over the budget announced that he favors same-sex mar- declined to put in law. It cannot be justi - had already led to two government shut- riage, says that states should set their own fied as a mere prioritization of scarce downs, and it would go on to impeach him. policies. executive-branch resources, any more Work requirements were (and are) popular. Either the Constitution allows govern- than a president could end the enforce- That Congress would never have given ments operating under it to define mar- ment of provisions of the tax code he dis- that president the authority to throw out the riage as the union of a man and a woman, likes on that pretext. Obama understood work requirements. Prior to July, nobody or it does not. If it does, then Obama is fail- the point well enough in 2011, when asked ever argued that it had. ing to defend a constitutionally legitimate whether he could use an executive order Marriage. Obama’s public position on law from judicial attack. If it does not, he to overcome congressional resistance. marriage has been notoriously mutable, is enforcing an unconstitutional law and “America is a nation of laws, which means but in all his moves he has never found a telling states they may do the same. What I, as the president, am obligated to enforce place of sincerity or logical consistency. he cannot be doing on either interpretation the law,” he responded. “There are enough As a result there is no way to explain his is protecting the Constitution or even tak- laws on the books by Congress that are administration’s actions on the Defense of ing it seriously. Obamacare. President Obama fought hard for, and signed, a law that requires most Americans to buy health insurance. It was an unprecedented step. As Michael Greve writes in The Upside-Down Con - stitution, “the constitutional provisions that suggest a federal authority to ‘com- mandeer’ private parties are few, institu- tionally cabined, and calculated to ensure the operation of the government’s own institutions (such as the armed forces and the jury system)—not, as under [Obama - care], to protect the profitability of private corporations.” very clear in terms of how we have to Marriage Act in a way that speaks well of That the Constitution authorizes the enforce our immigration system that for its fidelity to the Constitution. federal government to commandeer indi- me to simply through executive order Initially the administration claimed it viduals in strictly limited circumstances ignore those congressional mandates would defend the constitutionality of the yields the strong inference that it regards would not conform with my appropriate law in court even as it favored its repeal. commandeering in other circumstances as role as president.” It was true when he said After its first legal filings in the law’s improper, and thus outside its grant of it. It still is. defense elicited outrage from liberal ac- power to Congress to make all laws that Welfare waivers. This summer has tivists, however, it modified that defense are “necessary and proper” to execute its yielded another case in which the presi- by abandoning arguments that had pre - constitutional duties. Nor can a command dent implemented a policy that Congress viously succeeded in court. In 2011, At - to enter into commerce be justified as a never enacted, by exploiting a supposed torney General Eric Holder announced regulation of commerce, which Congress power that nobody had ever previously that he had concluded that the law was may constitutionally enact. contended a president had. Ever since wel- unconstitutional—indeed, that no reason- A majority of the Supreme Court ruled fare reform was enacted in 1996, states able defense of its constitutionality could that the federal government may not order have had to ensure that nearly half of their be made—and that the administration people to buy insurance. An overlapping caseload was involved for at least 30 hours would therefore stop defending it in court. majority of it ruled, however, that Obama - a week in work, on-the-job training, job Even on the assumption that Holder is care could be read to be encouraging, search, or similar activities. In mid-July, right and the law is unconstitutional, the rather than requiring, the purchase of the Department of Health and Human administration’s position is indefensible. insurance, and upheld it on that basis. The Services said that it could waive this re - Holder said that the administration would administration welcomed the result, natu- quirement. continue to enforce the law outside rally, but continued to insist, with the four The welfare-reform law explicitly gave the courts—which it ought not to do if most liberal members of the Court, includ- the secretary of HHS the authority to waive it believes it clearly violates the Con - ing the two Obama appointed, that this many sections of the law—but did not stitution. And the only rational ground for order to the citizenry is within the federal include the section of the law detailing the believing the law is unconstitutional is that government’s constitutional powers. NEWSCOM /
EPA work requirements among those waivable. refusing to let same-sex couples marry Obamacare II. The Obamacare legis - / This feature of the law will come as a sur- violates the Fourteenth Amendment: that, lation allows the secretary of health and
YURI GRIPAS prise to no one familiar with the political in other words, recognizing same-sex human services to determine what preven-
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Republican Convention Special
tive services insurance policies must credits and subsidies available to federally “capable” of exercising its constitutional cover. In January, Secretary Kathleen established exchanges. Defenders of its functions during these pro forma sessions. Sebelius said that almost all employers stance argue that Congress meant to Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah), a former would have to cover sterilization and con- accomplish this result, even if it did not Supreme Court clerk who has been traception—with contraception defined to actually write that desire into law. The IRS Obama’s toughest critic on the issue, points include such probably abortifacient drugs is thus placing new taxes on employers in out that this argument is clearly incorrect: as “ella.” states that have not set up exchanges even The Senate can pass bills and confirm The mandate runs afoul of the Religious though no statute authorizes those taxes. nominees if it so chooses, even if it does Freedom Restoration Act, a bipartisan Libya. The Constitution vests Congress not intend to conduct major business. Clinton-era law that allows the federal with the power to declare war. It does not In the court of public opinion, the ad - government to “substantially burden a require it to follow a particular verbal for- ministration’s defenders press a different person’s exercise of religion” only if it is mula in doing so. The Iraq and Afghan argument: The Republicans had subverted “the least restrictive means” of advancing wars followed the constitutional com- norms of good government by using the “a compellin g governmental interest.” mand even though Congress did not for- filibuster to block appointees, and in the The act also stipulates that other laws mally declare war, because Congress did case of the CFPB they had done so to force should not be read to amend or supersede authorize war. In Libya, however, Con- changes to the statute—an unprecedented it unless they explicitly say so—which the gress never voted for the military to do tactic. But norms can’t trump constitution- Obamacare law does not. anything. al rules, and in any case the CFPB itself Forcing someone to cover services to There are circumstances in which the breaks precedents. It is an independent which he has a moral objection rooted in commander-in-chief can engage the mili- agency, free of accountability to the exec- religion substantially burdens his exercise tary in hostilities without congressional utive or legislative branches of govern- of religion. A marginal increase in access action. Nobody believes a vote would ment, on steroids: Its director doesn’t to contraception is not a compelling gov- have to be taken for the president to orga- answer to the president or a board, and its ernmental interest. Even if it were, there nize resistance to an invasion of the United funding does not come from Congress. are many ways to effect that marginal States. In this instance, however, the pres- Appointing someone to run the CFPB increase other than coercing employers. ident involved the country in military when the Senate has refused to confirm Sebelius, testifying before the House, action without any plausible claim that a him compounds the problem. said that she had received no legal memo vital American security interest was at Some themes emerge from this list. In about religious-freedom issues before stake. Congressional (and journalistic) most of these cases, President Obama has issuing the regulation. A federal judge has debate on the propriety of this action most- bypassed Congress, rewriting laws or already issued an injunction staying the ly referred to Obama’s defiance of the War appointing nominees without its consent. application of the mandate to a company Powers Act, which he preposterously (Even at the height of liberal power in the that had sued against it, on the ground that claimed to be following. That act is itself, capital, in 2009–10, Congress was not the company has a good chance of win- however, of dubious constitutionality. The going to enact a law making Notre Dame ning the suit. real issue is this: If the president may do cover abortion drugs.) In most of these Obamacare III. Obamacare has a carrot what Obama did in Libya, the Consti - cases, too, his actions have been unprece- and a stick to get states to establish health- tution’s provision about congressional war dented. Not only has nobody taken them insurance exchanges. If they don’t, the powers is a dead letter. before, nobody has even suggested they federal government will set up exchanges Recess appointments. On January 4, would be legitimate before. No other pres- for them without their input. If they do, the President Obama made three appoint- ident has made recess appointments dur- federal government will make tax credits ments to the National Labor Relations ing a pro forma session of the Senate, for and other subsidies available for state res- Board and one to the Consumer Financial example. idents who buy insurance on the state Protection Board. These were “recess Obama’s predecessor had his constitu- exchanges. appointments,” made under the presi- tional lapses, too, as when he signed, and The effect of these provisions taken dent’s power to fill jobs when the Senate is instructed his administration to defend in together, however, is that opponents of not in session to provide its advice about court, a set of campaign-finance regula- Obamacare can cripple it by blocking the and consent to his nominations. In this tions that he had previously recognized as creation of state exchanges. The federal case, however, the Senate was in session. unconstitutional. The Constitution has government can then put its own ex - Under the Constitution neither chamber of been imperfectly honored through most changes in place, but it won’t be able to Congress can adjourn for long without the of our history, and there is no foolproof offer tax credits and subsidies for people consent of the other, and the Republican- mechanism imaginable for enforcing it. who buy insurance on them. The legisla- controlled House forced the Senate to hold This president is testing the limits of our tion authorizes the credits and subsidies pro forma sessions to stop Obama from system. Note that our list of unconstitu- only for exchanges established by states. being able to make appointments without tional novelties includes five administra- Since the credits also trigger heavy taxes getting Senate approval. tion actions from the first eight months of on employers, states may have an addi- The administration’s legal position is 2012 alone. The public can put an end to tional reason not to create exchanges. that the president can determine that the this aggression in November. If Obama is In May, the Obama administration’s Senate is out of session even when it says it reelected, especially with an uncooperative IRS announced that it would make the is in session. It says that the Senate is not Congress, we can expect more of it.
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Republican Convention Special
grow from 22 percent to 28 percent, and nor and the Wisconsin congressman have between 2020 and 2030 it is expected to both backed raising the retirement age The grow to 35 percent. Life expectancy at age and slowing benefit growth for affluent 65 has been rising at an impressively rapid retirees. Ryan went farther in his 2010 Entitlement pace, and the share of Americans over the “Roadmap for America’s Future,” calling age of 85 is increasing even faster. As a for the creation of personal accounts that result, federal spending on health-care younger workers could use to pre-fund Crossroads entitlements for older Americans is set to retirement expenses. Though it is not clear Do we want a system based on explode in the coming decades. Even if we that these ideas are adequate to the task centralization or competition? raise taxes considerably, there will be an of addressing Social Security’s long-term almost irresistible pressure to cut defense fiscal imbalance, which has been exacer- BY REIHAN SALAM expenditures and infrastructure invest- bated by the president’s recent payroll-tax ment to accommodate the growth of enti- holiday, they represent an admirable will- OnSERvATIvES are taking the tlements. ingness to rethink the basic structure of the 2012 election very seriously, One of the reasons entitlement reform is program. and there is a good reason for so difficult is that Social Security and What is far more ambitious is the C that: Having avoided the neces- Medicare benefits have been presented to Romney-Ryan commitment to rebuilding sary structural reforms of Medicare and older Americans not only as entitlements, Medicare. Rather shrewdly, Paul Ryan’s Social Security for years, Congress has but also as a return of the contributions most recent budget proposal uses the same essentially run out of time. The next pres- they have made over their lifetimes. This growth target for Medicare embraced by idential administration may well represent is an idea that has been embraced by Dem - the Obama White House, GDP plus 0.5 our last opportunity to modernize these ocrats and Republicans, including both of percent. The difference is that Ryan and programs in such a way as to allow current the major-party presidential campaigns. Romney reject the Obama approach of retirees to remain largely untouched. This The problem, however, is that most Amer - using price controls, betting on competi- is the subtext of the latest round of accusa- icans in fact get far more out of these pro- tion to drive down costs instead. Insurers tions being traded between the Obama- grams than they put in. will submit bids that reflect how much President Obama’s approach to entitlement reform will do lasting harm to America’s economic well-being.
Biden and Romney-Ryan campaigns. Last year, Eugene Steuerle and Ste- they are willing to accept to offer the same There is no question that reviving eco- phanie Rennane of the Urban Institute benefits that Medicare offers. In each nomic growth and spurring job creation did the math. Consider, for example, a region of the U.S., the federal government are crucial, and President Obama’s fail- two-earner couple in which one spouse will give beneficiaries an amount equal ures on this front are reason enough to earns the average wage ($43,500) and the to the second-lowest bid, and seniors will remove him from office. But it is his ap - other earns a low wage ($19,500). Had this use this money to buy insurance. Seniors proach to entitlement reform that will do couple turned 65 in 2011, it would have can choose plans that cost more than the lasting harm to America’s economic well- paid $520,000 in Social Security and second-lowest bid, but they will have being. Medicare taxes but would be on track to to pay the difference out of pocket. And In 1953, the year the Korean War drew receive $828,000 in Social Security and if they choose a cheaper plan, they will to a close, federal spending represented Medicare benefits. (These amounts are receive a rebate. They can also choose 20.4 percent of GDP. By 2007, before the adjusted for inflation and a 2 percent real to stay in traditional Medicare if they housing bust and the subsequent financial interest rate.) wish. crisis took their toll, federal spending rep- More to the point, it is current workers The great advantage of this approach is resented 19.6 percent of GDP. Though the who pay for current retirees, and the ratio that it encourages productivity-enhancing numbers look strikingly similar, the com- of workers to retirees is expected to deteri- business-model innovations. Providers position of federal spending changed over orate from one retiree for every 4.6 work- will have a strong incentive to organize this period. Essentially, defense expen - ers at present to one retiree for every 2.7 care more efficiently, as that will attract ditures and infrastructure investment de- workers over the coming decades. These more Medicare beneficiaries. Traditional clined as a share of total expenditures future workers will have to meet far larger Medicare either will respond in kind, or while social expenditures increased. obligations than today’s workers, yet they will steadily lose customers. This is important because all spending will be no more educated than today’s Of course, if competition does not re- is not created equal: Some kinds of spend- workers and thus probably will not be duce costs, we will have to go back to the ing expand as a country’s demographics much more productive. drawing board. It would be politically change. Most of us are familiar with the The Romney-Ryan ticket is committed unthinkable for Congress to allow seniors fact that over-65s represent a large and to addressing the growth of entitlement to lose access to medical care, which is growing share of the U.S. population. spending in a number of ways. On Social one of the many reasons why the scare- Between 2010 and 2020, this share will Security, the former Massachusetts gover- mongering directed at the Romney-Ryan
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approach is so misleading. The real ques- rent law is not changed, all income-tax tion we face is whether we want to bet rates will increase on January 1 of next on a centralized approach, as enshrined in A Stark Tax year. Governor romney proposes to pre- Obamacare’s independent Payment Ad - vent all these rate increases from taking visory board, or whether we want to bet Contrast effect, while President Obama would on competition. allow the scheduled higher tax rates to The romney-ryan ticket is not perfect Romney believes in incentives; bite rich taxpayers and successful small- on entitlement reform. There is a strong Obama doesn’t business owners. case for implementing competitive bid- The candidates differ as well on ding sooner rather than later, yet the GOP BY KEITH HENNESSEY whether tax reform should be used to nominee insists on keeping medicare as pay for increased spending. Too many is for those over the age of 55. in lambast - reSidenT ObAmA is correct when republicans assume that everyone agrees ing the Obama administration for man - he says that the 2012 election rep- that tax reform must be revenue-neutral. dating savings (that is, cuts) from the resents a st ark choice between From this firm but false assumption, they medicare program over the next decade, P two conflicting visions of eco- dive immediately into endless debates republicans have found a potent line of nomic policy. Comparing mitt romney’s about the ideal tax reform. To their oppo- attack—yet they may well have made it approach to tax policy with President nents, however, revenue neutrality isn’t so harder for future conservatives to trim Obama’s, let us begin with the most obvi- important: President Obama wants to use the growth of the entitlement state. but ous difference: President Obama proposes tax reform to increase the amount of romney-ryan is the easy choice when higher taxes, beginning four months from revenue the federal government takes in compared with President Obama, his faith now, than Governor romney does. if cur- taxes. in centralized solutions, and his unwilling- Historically federal taxes have taken ness to acknowledge that the current slightly more than 18 cents on every dollar spending trajectory will necessitate either earned in the United States. Governor steep middle-class tax increases or a debt romney proposes to maintain that level. explosion. President Obama proposes to increase it
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Republican Convention Special
to 20 cents on the dollar. Two percentage Americans and raising taxes on all citi- ishing your favorite successful restaurant, points higher may not sound like much, zens. That is the silent plan that the presi- florist shop, hardware store, and dry clean- but in a $16 trillion economy it means dent will not discuss on the campaign er. government would take an additional trail. That is the Democrats’ phantom President Obama’s team points out that $300 billion–plus per year from those who budget. . . . Without significant reductions only a small fraction of small-business earn it. Federal taxes would be nearly 10 in spending or reforms to our entitlement owners now pay taxes at the top marginal system—neither of which we can expect percent higher than they are today. rates. They neglect to mention that this from this president or the Democrats This difference on tax levels stems from currently in Congress—there is just not small fraction is also responsible for most the difference in the two candidates’ pro- enough money to be found in traditional small-business hiring. Successful small posed paths for government spending. revenue streams to cover the president’s businesses are crucial to their communi- Every dollar of government spending spending bill. A [value-added tax]—or ties. must be paid for by either current or future some other euphemized form of a VAT— A recent study by economists Robert taxes. So if candidate A proposes higher appears to be the only option left to our Carroll and Gerald Prante concluded that government spending than does candidate friends on the other side of the aisle if President Obama’s tax increases would B, then A is implicitly proposing that they want to continue spending at current raise the marginal effective tax rate on future taxes also be higher, even if he projections. small-business investment by more than won’t admit it during a campaign. This same dynamic drives the can di - 15 percent. The long-term effects of With Obamacare, the president and dates’ business-tax proposals. President his tax policies would be even worse: his congressional allies exacerbated an al- Obama proposes higher business taxes An nually, American economic output ready unsustainable entitlement-spending to pay for additional government spend - would fall by about $200 billion, and real trend that had developed over several ing, while Governor Romney proposes after-tax wages would fall by almost 2 decades. While he has enacted tax in - corporate-tax reform to make American percent. creases and proposes even more of them, workers and capital more productive. Ignored by the Obama approach is that President Obama proposes that spending Both candidates propose to both broad- tax increases create a disincentive to eco- grow even faster than taxes would rise. en the corporate income-tax base and nomic growth. The Romney approach, in Massive and ever-increasing tax hikes are the only large fiscal-policy change Obama has not ruled out. Even if all of his proposed tax increases lower corporate rates: If we reduce the eco- contrast, is based on the belief that incen- were enacted in full, they would fall far nomic distortions in corporate-income- tives affect behavior. short of being able to pay for the long-term tax policies, market forces will allocate President Obama struck a nerve when government-spending path he promotes. capital and labor to better uses. Over time he told small-business owners, “You President Obama proposes only modest this will increase productivity and wages. didn’t build that.” In other contexts he has changes to the major entitlements, and he Corporate-tax reform done right can ex - stressed the importance of luck to success emphasizes that we should increase rather pand the U.S. economy. in the marketplace. The rich, he says, are than cut discretionary spending. Massive But President Obama is using corporate- successful because they are “blessed” and and ever-increasing tax hikes are the only tax reform in pursuit of a second goal: to “fortunate” (that is, lucky), not because large fiscal-policy change he has not ruled raise revenue to finance future increases in they worked harder or smarter than their out, and, given his other stated policy con- government spending. This key differ- competition. In the Obama approach, suc- straints, they would be the only way to ence means that most of the economic cess is given to you, not earned by you. prevent long-term deficits from triggering benefits of a less distorting corporate- And if one believes that economic success the next financial crisis. income-tax code will be outweighed by is not the result of effort, then it is a small Utah senator Orrin Hatch, the senior the drag from higher total corporate taxa- step to conclude that raising taxes on work Republican on the Finance Committee, tion. and investment will not significantly re - has explained the consequences of this Worse, he wants to impose a higher tax duce the size of the economic pie. spending trend: rate on the small-business owners who are Governor Romney’s approach—lower- the linchpin of economic growth. Most ing marginal tax rates and preventing rate We know their income-tax proposals do small-business owners pay taxes the same increases on work and investment—is not add up to much in terms of revenue. way that individual taxpayers do, so if tax grounded in a belief that incentives matter, Even if they let the entirety of the current increases on the rich are allowed to take that they affect behavior, and that econom- tax relief expire . . . there probably is not effect on January 1, those increases will ic growth and success derive largely from enough money to be found in the income tax to pay for the coming explosion in also apply to successful small-business effort, ingenuity, and risk-taking. If you entitlement spending. . . . But no serious owners. If a reelected President Obama tax something, you will get less of it, and person believes that the Obama admin - can use his veto pen to force increases in if you raise taxes, you’ll get less yet. istration’s government can be financed the top income-tax rates, he won’t be hik- President Obama’s tax policy doesn’t simply by going after the wealthy. The ing taxes only on Wall Street bankers and acknowledge this; Governor Romney’s only way to do it is by going after all billionaire investors—he’ll also be pun- does.
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Republican Convention Special
forms of voluntary charitable activity. defense of religious freedom has been And in those works, Americans espousing mounted by a coalition of Catholics, All In for a wide variety of religious beliefs have evangelical Protestants, and Mormons come to live an experience of tolerance in whose religious convictions compel them The First which differences are engaged within a to defend the religious liberty of all. In the bond of civility and a common commit- alternative America being built by the ment to the Golden Rule. The alternative obama administration, robust religious Amendment America promoted by the administra- conviction, and religiously informed The stakes for our fundamental freedom tion is, despite a veneer of piety, deeply moral argument, are considered the great secularist, aggressively intolerant, and threats to civility and tolerance; the truly BY GEORGE WEIGEL hegemonic. nor is the administration’s democratic public square, the administra- sec u larity a benign one, seeking a place tion seems to suggest, is a radically secu- ohn Lennon’s juvenile paean to in the public square for the religiously larized public square. debonair nihilism, recently fea- tone deaf; this is aggressive secularism, But this is manifestly absurd and pro- tured at the closing ceremonies of demanding a public space scoured of reli- foundly undemocratic. For hegemonic J the XXX olympiad, asks us to giously informed moral conviction and secularism denies to fellow citizens the “imagine” a world in which there’s “no insisting that religious institutions mea- right to bring into public life their most religion.” A careful examination of the sure social, charitable, and educational deeply held convictions, even as it seeks obama administration’s record on reli- work by the state’s secularist standards. to conscript believers’ institutions into the gious freedom suggests that this Len - In the first vision of the American fu - state’s service. And, as in europe and nonist Kool-Aid has been deeply imbibed ture, religious conviction underwrites Canada, where an aggressive and exclu- at the White house, the state Department, religious freedom, and citizens live toler- sivist secularism has tak en deeper root, the Department of health and human ance because, as the late Richard John homegrown hegemonic secularism is services, and the De part ment of Jus - neuhaus put it, they understand it to be informed by deeply troubling assump- tice—and because of that inebriation, God’s will that they be tolerant of those tions about the nature of religious con - America’s first freedom is under severe who have different understandings of viction, and thus about the meaning of assault. God’s will. Thus throughout 2012 the religious freedom in full. This crisis is also a tremendous oppor- The first indicator of serious trouble on tunity for the Republican party. early this this front came in December 2009, when year, religious freedom became the sur- secretary of state hillary Rod ham Clin - prise issue of the current election cycle. ton gave a major address on the obama Yet over the past eight months it has also administration’s international human- become a great clarifier: an issue that rights policy at George town University. makes unmistakably clear the stakes on De scribing the administration’s top-prior- november 6, when the choice before the ity issues, secretary Clinton jettisoned electorate will be between two dramati- decades of American human-rights policy cally divergent visions of the American and spoke, not of “religious freedom,” but future. of “freedom to worship”—which she then The first imagines an America in which linked, in a litany of priorities, to the right the robust institutions of civil society to love as we “choose.” Religious free- make essential contributions to the com- dom, in other words, is a kind of privacy mon good, and do so according to their right: a matter of lifestyle choice, involv- own convictions and principles of organi- ing certain leisure-time activities, of no zation. The second imagines an America more public consequence than the choice in which the national government occu- to go to the movies rather than the sym- pies virtually the entire public square; phony. on this view, “freedom to wor- here, the free and voluntary associations ship,” construed as another life style liber ty of civil society are reduced to state func- enjoyed by the Imperial Autonomous self, tionaries, tolerated so long as they do exhausts the meaning of “religious free- Leviathan’s bidding. dom.” Throughout the nation’s history, this That dumbed-down notion of religious first vision of American possibility has freedom has driven the obama adminis- often been embodied in religious insti - tration’s foreign policy for four years: in tutions, doing the works of education, part because of the administration’s health care, social service, and other anorexic concept of religious-belief-as- lifestyle-choice; in part because of the AP absolute priority the administration gives / Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks about human to what it unblushingly calls the “LGBT
rights at Georgetown University, December 14, 2009. agenda” in its international human-rights GERALD HERBERT
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Republican Convention Special
policy. And if this is how the Obama tutions as mere vehicles for the delivery administration thinks about religious free- of state-defined and state-approved dom in the world, it should be no surprise “benefits.” Deconstructing that it has taken a similarly dumbed-down The First Amendment is first because approach to religious freedom domesti- of an accident of the ratification process, The Land of cally. At home, as abroad, “religious free- but in this way, as in other ways, the dom” for the Obama administration Founders and Framers built better than Opportunity seems to have neither public character nor they knew. Religious freedom is the first institutional expression. And if religious of civil rights for two related reasons. It The errors of Obama’s freedom should collide with the “LGBT defines a sphere of community-forming immigration policy agenda,” the war to redefine marriage, or conviction and conscience into which the defense of the abortion license created coercive state power may not tread; and in BY JOHN O’SULLIVAN by Roe v. Wade, well, the first freedom doing so it creates an essential condition would just have to give way; after all, for the possibility of social pluralism (or, T seems to be generally agreed that HHS and Justice weren’t preventing if you prefer, it inoculates the democratic President Obama’s decision to order Americans from attending church, syna- body politic against the totalitarian temp- the Homeland Security Department gogue, or mosque, were they? tation built into all political modernity). I not to prioritize the enforcement of While a generally statist cast of mind When the state acknowledges the true immigration law, but instead to grant explains a lot about the Obama adminis- first freedom, it acknowledges its own illegal immigrants under 30 years of age tration, the aggressive secularism that limits. When the state protects the true the right to stay and work in the United seems to inform administration policy first freedom in law, it promotes the in - States provided they have no criminal helps illuminate what might otherwise tegrity and flourishing of civil society, record, is a political masterstroke. Ty - remain murky in several areas. even as the state fulfills its constitutional coon Rupert Murdoch and New York Why, for example, would the ad - obligation to be a partner with civil soci- mayor Michael Bloomberg, on their Bil - min istration have sought to undercut ety in forming a “more perfect union” in lionaires for Open Borders speaking the “ministerial exception” to equal- which the “blessings of liberty” are tour, described it as “brilliant.” Repub - employment-opportunity law, unless it secured for the present and the future. licans from Governor Mitt Romney on refused to concede that religious convic- Religious freedom is not, therefore, one down have largely avoided talking about tions give rise to religious communities, of “those issues” from which opponents it. And opinion polls, at least initially, which have the right to structure them- of the Obama administration should shy have been favorable, reflecting simple selves according to those convictions? away for fear of frightening the horses. As human sympathy for young people Why would the administration have Governor Mitt Romney suggested in his whose illegal status was chosen for them refused to defend a federal statute, the recent speech in War saw, the quest for by their parents. Defense of Marriage Act, unless the religious free dom—not merely “freedom At the same time, the number of appli- lifestyle-choice and LGBT agendas of worship,” but religious freedom in cants, at between 1 and 2 million, is lar - trumped yet again, and unless the admin- full—was a key to the Revolution of 1989 ger than forecast. Some will compete istration regarded biblically informed in central and eastern Europe and the in the labor market with native-born convictions about marriage as mindless demise of European Communism. The Americans, including minority and low- prejudices unworthy of democratic citi- defense of religious freedom in full can paid workers, at a time of high un - zens? similarly be a key to strengthening the employment. Others will compete for And why, to cite the most prominent United States as a responsible and com- col lege admissions, some of them on case, would the administration try to com- passionate political community in which favorable terms. Their amnesty—for that pel the educational, charitable, social-ser- religious conviction underwrites civility, is what it is—will be an incentive to mil- vice, and medical institutions sponsored tolerance, and respect for the rule of law, lions of potential illegal immigrants in by the Catholic Church, and conscien- and in which civil-society institutions, Mexico and Central America to head tious Catholic employers, to provide including religious institutions, play a full north because it confers the right to live “reproductive health services” that the role in education, health care, and social and work in the U.S.—rights they want Catholic Church regards as gravely im- service. far more than U.S. citizenship. And it was moral? The administration has ample The soft totalitarians of “lifestyle achieved by an exercise of executive means to distribute contraceptives and choice” have spent considerable energies, authority that was transparently deceitful, abortion-inducing drugs, and to facilitate these past four years, in efforts to reduce on the face of it unconstitutional, and, if sterilizations; it can meet its public-policy the first freedom to the mere protection allowed to stand, amounting to a mandate goals—however misguided—without of individual preferences for private for untrammeled presidential power. (A coercing Catholic institutions and Cath - recreational activities. Enough of that is legal challenge is in the works.) olic employers into what their Church enough. Much of the reaction to this policy, teaches is wrong. So why bother? Be - The stakes could not be higher. The however, is rooted in the feeling that this cause, it seems, the administration consid- cause could not be more compelling. It is is a one-off solution to a singular and ers lifestyle libertinism the real “first time to be all in for religious freedom, and pressing problem. Once this has been freedom,” just as it regards religious insti- for religious freedom in full. solved, people tell themselves, we can
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put in place a more rational immigration “white ethnics” have drifted toward the policy that will suit our long-term eco- GOP. This is a heterogeneous but power- nomic and other needs. This is an al- ful coalition, and it has not been deterred coholic’s reasoning. And in fact, far by its recent defeats. As Murdoch and from being an aberration, the Executive Bloomberg have made clear on their DREAM Act (double entendre intended) tour, they expect Congress and the pres- is our post-1965 de facto immigration ident to bring in an immigration-reform I M P O R T policy in miniature. This larger policy package about two years after this elec- A N T includes turning a blind eye to immigra- tion when—the hidden assumption is— N O T I C tion violations, allowing a large illegal all the political players will have a freer E population to accumulate, regulating hand. to all National Review legal immigration strictly but illegal Both in the election and afterwards, immigration much less so, soothing a Democrats and immigrationists (versus worried public by launching occasional restrictionists—both sides of the debate subscribers! raids or promising tougher border secur - claim to be “reformers”) will enjoy two ity, and finally, when the problem as - psychological advantages. The minor sumes crisis proportions, proposing a one is the Ellis Island myth—the sense package of measures in which legaliza- that America is a nation of immigrants, tion of the illegals is the most important and that it is hypocritical to enjoy its We are moving our element. advantages while refusing them to later subscription-fulfillment This is a cycle that repeats itself over arrivals. Samuel Huntington demolished periods of about 20 years. The last major that in his magisterial Who Are We? office from amnesty—there have been several minor almost a decade ago. He pointed out that Mount Morris, Ill. ones—was in 1986. In the years after- the U.S. is originally a nation of settlers. to Palm Coast, Fla. wards, when the policy’s disappointing Unlike immigrants, settlers create a new Please continue results were still sharp in the mind, the polity with its own distinctive culture conventional wisdom was that there and institutions. They thus acquire a to be vigilant: could be no more amnesties, since they right to determine who will join the poli- functioned mainly as invitation cards. ty and on what terms. Later immigrants There are fraudulent But that memory faded, and right on cue met these terms, assimilated, and now agencies soliciting the two party leaderships joined together have the rights of the original settlers but your National Review to bring in a succession of “comprehen- also a duty to safeguard the polity. Most sive” immigration reforms in the mid- Americans sense this truth, but most tra- subscription ! renewal Noughties. Though supported by an ditional rhetoric (nation of immigrants, without our authorization. al liance of almost every social, political, give me your poor, etc.) is on the side of and economic establishment in America, the myth. Please reply only to these proposals were blocked and defeat- Explaining it all is difficult in an age of National Review ed by mass opposition from the voters. sound bites. If I were advising a presi- Reporters regularly described this oppo- dent, I would suggest that he maneuver a renewal notices or sition as coming from “the Republican U.N. agency dealing with migrants into bills—make sure the base.” But the Democrats in Congress challenging some aspect of U.S. immi- return address is refused to support such reforms unless gration policy. He could then respond they had substantial Republican cover, boldly (echoing John Howard in Au - Palm Coast, Fla. because they knew rank-and-file Dem - stralia): “We will decide who comes to Ignore all requests for ocrats were equally hostile to them. That Amer ica and on what terms.” That should renewal that are not political reality would have been reveal- do the trick. ing (if it had been revealed). The second psychological obstacle is directly payable If the people were against it, who was more intractable, because it is an occu- to National Review. for it? The coalition for a lax immigra- pational disease of democratic politics. It tion policy includes corporate America, is the disease of suffering situations. A If you receive any mail or especially those industries dependent on real living “victim” on the screen or even telephone offer that makes cheap labor; wealthy homeowners want- in print trumps 100 notional victims in ing domestic servants and gardeners; the unemployment or college-entry sta- you suspicious contact labor unions needing new members; eth- tistics. A story about a poor restaurant [email protected]@nationalreview.com.. nic lobbies seeking larger constituencies; worker facing deportation dramatizes Your cooperation the Catholic Church seeking new faith- the plight of all illegal aliens and wins ful; and the Democrats recruiting new public support for legalization. The is greatly appreciated. voters as the Roosevelt coalition has “invisible American victims” in the sta- splintered and blue-collar workers and tistics of those who have stopped look-
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ing for work move no hearts and change icans and their children; and the poverty few minds. rate of adult immigrants who have lived in theory this game could be played in in America for 20 years is 50 percent The Foreign reverse. Restrictionists could identify higher than that of native households. illegal immigrants who have committed All of this produces the need for higher Policy That terrible crimes—but that would invite social spending and thus, ultimately, charges of stigmatizing minorities. or for higher taxes—and, of course, a new they could give examples of poor and group of voters who will demand such Wasn’t minority Americans who have lost jobs, policies. It would be nice to have one for a change contracts, or college places because of Camarota makes clear that this is not immigrant competition—but that would because immigrants are unwilling to BY VICTOR DAVIS HANSON lead to charges of sowing ethnic division. work. on the contrary, male immigrants And though Democrats often stigmatize have slightly higher work-force partici- iTT Romney and Paul Ryan the majority of Americans, this is not an pation than male native Americans. But have a problem criticizing accusation known to political journalism. this has another consequence: There has Barack obama’s foreign pol- So restrictionists and, in this election, been what he calls a “huge deterioration” M icy: even after nearly four Republicans have no choice but patiently in the number of young and less educat- years, the president has no definable for- to make a largely statistical and carefully ed native-born Americans holding a job. eign policy. The obama administration reasoned general case for an immigration it has declined from two-thirds to one- has, instead, only a mishmash idea that policy that is tighter but also more bal- half of this group. This has the makings a declining America must “lead from anced than the present mess. of a social disaster. behind” and accept a more passive role in How to begin? Well, maybe the most Against these grim facts, the immigra- world affairs—a notion reflective of useful aspect of the current de facto pol- tionists argue that there is an overall America’s rising indebtedness, inevitable icy to the immigrationist coalition is favorable economic impact from immi- defense cuts, and uncertainty over the that it concentrates the attention of both gration. indeed, skepticism about this morality of its international involve- voters and politicians on illegal immi - claim is now thought to be a sign of a low ments, past and present. (President obama gration. indeed, it bestows on legal iQ. But it dissolves upon examination. not only apprehends this situation cor- immigration an unconsidered seal of Because immigrants themselves receive rectly but also bears some of the blame bipartisan approval. yet what matters most of the economic benefits of immi- for it: He has added $5 trillion to the most about our present immigration gration, there is little or no per capita national debt, has slashed new oil-and- intake is not its legal status (though that increase in national income and thus no gas production on federal lands, is is important) but the numbers, skill lev- net benefit to native-born Americans. willing to accept almost $1 trillion in pro- els, usefulness to the economy, and, yes, This point has been demonstrated by a jected defense cuts over the next decade, diversity of all immigrants, legal and meta-analysis of immigration studies and has been apologetic abroad for sup- illegal. Anyone interested in these ques- by a British academic duo (Cambridge posed American sins.) tions is now indebted to Steve Camarota economist Robert Rowthorn and oxford The result is a sort of make-it-up-as- of the Center for immigration Studies demographer David Coleman, neither we-go-along reactiveness, as the admin- (with which i sometimes work), who has presumably lacking in iQ) who conclud- istration goes into panic over each new produced a full and fair-minded study of ed: “The claim that U.S. prosperity has crisis. is America still in reset mode with the foreign-born population (and their been driven by immigration, as opposed Vladimir Putin, or finally repelled by children) in the U.S. The study is a trea- to driving it, appears to lack any acade- his knee-jerk anti-Americanism and sure trove of information for both sides mic support.” crackdown on human rights? Were the of the debate, but its main conclusions What all this points to is the need for once-reviled Bush-Cheney anti-terrorism are stark. immigration brings into Amer - immigration reform that reduces the total pro tocols—such as Guantanamo Bay, ica people who are less skilled, less edu- number of immigrants, increases their renditions, military tribunals, drones, and cated, and poorer than most Americans. skill and educational levels, and limits preventative detention—necessary after As a result they worsen almost all the family reunification to husbands, wives, all, but only with politically correct pack- social problems and increase the costs of and children. Billionaires for open Bor - aging such as the phrase “overseas con- dealing with them. ders have some reasonable suggestions tingency operations,” the attempt to put A few examples out of many must here. even then, however, immigration 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh mo- suffice: immigrants and their children policy should not be treated as a substi- ham med on trial in a civilian court, and account for one-fourth of all people in tute for improving American education. outreach to the elite of the muslim Bro - poverty; 36 percent of immigrant-headed imitating Saudi Arabia by bringing in ther hood as they seek to assume power in households in 2010 received at least one uneducated immigrants to be our ser- the middle east? welfare benefit, compared with 23 per- vants and educated ones to run our com- Are we cutting back to between 300 cent of native-headed households; 29 panies would lead away from rather than percent of immigrants and their children towards the kind of free but socially Mr. Hanson is a classicist and historian at the lacked health insurance in 2010, com- cooperative society that is the real Amer - Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and the pared with 13.8 percent of native Amer - ican Dream. author, most recently, of The End of Sparta.
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and 500 deployable nuclear weapons, new strategies is a signal of weakness, in foreign policy if he thinks there are or just posturing about it in Nobel pure and simple. domestic political rewards or believes he Peace–laureate fashion—and does it mat- The Middle East has been changing can score points with illiberal poseurs ter to us that Japan, South Korea, and radically, in ways that transcend the such as newly elected Egyptian president Taiwan might choose to go nuclear, to ongoing upheavals of the Arab Spring. Mohamed Morsi, who may share Obama’s ensure their own security, if we reduce Soon Israel may be a gas-and-oil ex - skepticism of the American-fostered our arsenal? When nearly 1 million pro- porter. Vast new finds of fossil fuels in the postwar global order but is unambiguous testers hit the streets of Tehran during the United States could, with proper policy about his desire for the U.S. to release the spring of 2009, why did the administra- decisions, make our country not only mastermind of the 1993 attack on the tion fail to support them, breaking its vastly richer but far less of a hostage to World Trade Center. silence only for occasional acknowledg- Middle East autocracies. The more we In an eyeblink, an unhinged Qaddafi ments of long-ago American transgres- pump at home, the fewer dollars go to went from being a Westernizing monster- sions? Were the dissidents written off illiberal regimes and the less we find in-rehab to being a monster, period, and as provocateurs who might spoil the new ourselves berating others, in passive- Bashar al-Assad from being the focus of president’s deft multicultural skills in aggressive fashion, about various sins a Vogue puff piece to being a veritable win ning over Ali Khamenei and Mah- that we tolerate quite easily among the Hitlerite—all predicated not on princi- moud Ahmadinejad? Gulf sheikdoms. We could speak, inter- pled support for consensual government, How can imploring the United Nations nationally, with a clearer moral voice, if but on whether once-feeble protest move - and the Arab League—but not the U.S. our own energy and financial houses ments had grown to the point of over- Congress—for approval to intervene in were in order. throwing the dictator in question. Libya, or boasting about a U.N. resolu- Our reaction to the Arab Spring has The administration’s insecurity about tion for humanitarian aid while subvert- been comparable to the events of 1979, its aims and methods was never better ing it by bombing, or bragging about our when we appeared weak to friends and illustrated than in the politically motivat- leadership while “leading from behind,” allies by selling out the shah and weaker ed serial leaks that damaged our national become a model for Syria, or, in fact, for still to the Islamist enemies we slavishly security. When Obama officials passed to anything at all? courted. The Obama administration be - pet reporters in Washington and New The challenge for Mitt Romney is to latedly helped to oust Hosni Mubarak York key details about the hit on Osama restore some sense of American leader- and Moammar Qaddafi, although both of bin Laden, the double-agent bomber in ship after this nonsense. A first step these authoritarians were less of a threat Yemen, the cyber war against Iran, and would be to reassure traditional allies— than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the the operational protocols of the drone Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Arab Spring protest movements less lib- assassination program, the concern of Israel, to start—that they are exceptional eral than the Iranian Green movement both the administration and the media friends, given their humane democracies that we ignored in 2009. There is a dem - was to get the narrative out to swing-state and past loyalty. They certainly deserve ocracy in the Middle East—in Iraq. But voters about the underappreciated but singular American attention in a way that the administration seems willing to ig- heroic role of Barack Obama in dealing Vladimir Putin, the Castro brothers, and nore completely what the blood and trea- with our worst enemies. Hugo Chávez do not. Rather than alter- sure of the U.S. military achieved in Where does all this leave Mitt Romney nately praising and damning China and Baghdad, while investing hopes in the in articulating a new foreign policy? The Russia, depending on the incident of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo. corrective for the last four years should week, the next administration should talk The problem with the present adminis- rest on a few simple principles that softly to both while carrying a far bigger tration’s inaction on Syria is not that received bipartisan support for nearly the stick to dissuade them from bullying Obama has not yet bombed Damascus or last 70 years but were mostly abrogated Eastern Europe, Japan, and South Korea. sent in the Marines: After two wars and in 2009. First, U.S. defense hinges on a The Obama “pivot” to Asia was, fairly 8,000 dead Americans, there is no public sound economy, and defense expenditure or not, judged inseparable from a draw- support for optional interventions in the equal to at least 4 percent of annual GDP. down in Europe. But as the euro zone Middle East. It is, rather, that he has never A massive new effort to exploit domestic unravels and continental animus against spelled out a consistent policy of support gas-and-oil reserves should help ensure Germany evokes earlier, far scarier for consensual government, one applica- both. This is the only way the U.S. will be events, now is not the time to disengage ble equally to dictators and theocrats. able to retain credibility, adequate deter- from that continent. Loudly redirecting In that regard, it is mistaken to consid- rence, and a flexibility of options, espe- military resources to the Pacific while er Obama a naïve idealist—especially cially in the Middle East. contemplating vast defense cuts recalls a given the foolish compliments that Sec - Second, there has to be some under- weak, Depression-era America’s lec- retary of State Hillary Clinton and other standing that a Japan deserves American turing imperial Japan in early 1940 on Democratic congressional leaders lav- deference in a way that a Venezuela does good behavior even as, with great fan- ished on Bashar al-Assad, and the readi- not; that a democratic India is preferable fare, it redeployed a few aging battle- ness with which the administration to an increasingly Islamist Pakistan; that ships from the West Coast to Pearl re stored diplomatic relations with Da - moral lectures should be reserved for an Harbor. Spread ing shrinking military as - mascus. Instead, he is an inept oppor- immoral Hamas rather than a humane sets thin while broadcasting supposedly tunist, quite ready to abandon principle Israel; and that we are not neutral when it
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comes to an erratic Argentina baiting our the anti-democrats are tribunes of dem - oldest friend, great Britain, over the ocracy. Falk land Islands. The United States can Obama and naturally, Eldin used his audience with be clear without being crude in quietly the president’s top national-security reminding nations that sharing our liberal- The Islamists advisers to press for the Blind Sheikh’s democratic values and interests brings release. Why wouldn’t he? After all, dividends in a way that opposing them The president’s disastrous demanding Sheikh Abdel Rahman’s re - does not. policy of appeasement lease is exactly what the Muslim Brother - Third, major areas of the world are hood’s Mohamed Morsi did in his first changing unpredictably as we speak. no BY ANDREW C. McCARTHY public speech after being elected presi- one knows what will ultimately come of dent of Egypt. It is no secret to Egypt’s the Putin regime in Russia. China will ITTIngly, it was the end of new leaders, just as it is no secret to probably not succeed in squaring the cir- spring—just as giddy dreams of Muslim Brotherhood operatives every- cle of implanting capitalism onto ossified democracy in Cairo were giving where, including here in the U.S., that Communism—but the consequences of F way to the harsh reality of Mus - nothing is off the table for the Obama that failure also remain unknown. There lim Brotherhood governance—when the administration when it comes to accom- is some worry that ascendant anti- Obama Department of Homeland Secur - modating Islamists. American Arab Spring theocrats will ity chose to take time out from its busy The Brotherhood’s serial provocations prove as fickle and odious as the now- non-enforcement of the federal immigra- appear to make no difference. In 2008, the deposed pro-American strongmen. An tion laws to issue a visa to a member of a Justice Department proved during the entire latin American cadre of illiberal rabidly anti-American terrorist organiza- Holy Land Foundation trial, its most sig- revolutionaries has been democratically tion so that he could come to the White nificant terrorism-financing prosecution elected in Bolivia, Ecuador, nicaragua, House and consult with Obama officials to date, that the Brotherhood is committed Peru, and Venezuela, most likely in per- on the future of Egypt. to “eliminating and destroying Western petuity. Amid such a mess, what must be Hani nour Eldin is a member of civilization,” as its leaders in America put constant is American strength based on gama’at al-Islamia (the Islamic group), it in an internal memorandum. Materially an unparalleled military and a consistent the jihadist organization whose emir, supporting Hamas, the Brotherhood’s and principled foreign-policy preference Omar Abdel Rahman (the “Blind Sheikh”), Palestinian branch, has long been the for constitutional government and human is serving a life sentence for leading a ter- global Brotherhood’s top priority. Despite rights. rorist war against the United States that its designation as a terrorist organization Finally, Romney should continue to included the 1993 World Trade Center under American law, Hamas has been remind Americans why he has no apolo- bombing and a foiled plot to bomb other championed by the Brotherhood’s Amer - gies for our past and no doubts about our new york City landmarks. Osama bin ican affiliates since its inception; in fact, future. Such confidence would preclude laden publicly credited Abdel Rahman during the early nineties, Hamas was the passive-aggressive demonization of with issuing, from jail, the fatwa ap- actually run from the Virginia home of Bush-era anti-terrorism protocols while proving the 9/11 attacks. Since his arrest Mousa abu Marzook, then chief of the embracing or expanding all of them. An in 1993, gama’at has threatened mass- Brotherhood’s American operations. nor administration confident in American murder attacks against Americans to is Brotherhood hostility just old news. values and its own adherence to them has attempt to extort his release, and has per- In October 2010, the Brotherhood’s “Su - no need to leak secrets about how it con- petrated massacres—including, in 1997, preme guide,” Mohammed Badi, called ducts covert operations, or to publicly the slaughter of 62 tourists and police offi- for violent jihad against the U.S. The trash its predecessor. Words and gestures cers in luxor, Egypt—to underscore its Brotherhood’s top sharia jurist, Sheikh matter: Each presidential bow, each deadly seriousness. yusuf Qaradawi, a vigorous Hamas sup- apology, each public rebuke of the prior yet the Obama administration rolled porter who declares that Islam will “con- administration, each new mythography out the red carpet for Eldin, an unabashed quer America,” issued a fatwa endorsing about the unheralded contributions of the gama’at official. He was invited to Wash - violent jihad against U.S. military and Islamic world magnifies the image of an ington along with a contingent of Muslim support personnel in Iraq. insecure, insolvent, and militarily unsure Brotherhood operatives and other Egyp - Still, the Obama administration was United States. tian Islamists. Through the alchemy of supportive of the Brotherhood through- Fiscal prudence, energy development, “democratic” elections, they’re somehow out the Egyptian electoral process, with military preparedness, support for allies not Islamic supremacists anymore. The the State Department including it in and vigilance toward enemies, as much Obama administration would have us democracy-training classes and announc- discretion about our intelligence success- see them as “parliamentarians.” ing that the president would be “satisfied” es as about our failures, and principled When it comes to the Islamist threat with Brotherhood victories at the polls. advocacy of human rights and represen- against the U.S., the Eldin affair is the After Morsi successfully campaigned on tative government—all that should be Obama administration in small com- a platform of, as he put it, “the sharia, then noncontroversial. That it now sounds ra - pass: Cover our enemies in the camou- the sharia, and finally the sharia,” Obama dical is a sad commentary on the failures flage of “Arab Spring” illusions and was among the first world leaders to of the present administration. pretend that they are our friends, that congratulate him on his triumph. Im -
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mediately afterwards, Secretary of State that the Brotherhood was not to be feared, Home land Security Department have Hillary Clinton was dispatched to Cairo to because it didn’t have much support in purged references to Islam from training extend Morsi a personal invitation to visit Egypt. Then, when the Brothers started materials. Where Islam is concerned, only the White House in September, even as winning elections by whopping four-to-one praise is permitted in government circles; she pressured Egypt’s transitional mili- margins, Obama’s national-intelligence references to “jihad” are verboten, and tary junta to surrender power to the elect- director, James Clapper, was sent to even “terrorism” is frowned upon—“ter- ed, Brotherhood-dominated government. Capitol Hill to testify to the administra- ror,” after all, appears in the Koran, and The invitation stands, as does Obama’s tion’s even more preposterous Version B: Obama officials prefer that aggression of insistence on continuing the annual $1.3 The Brotherhood is no problem because it this kind be thought of as an “overseas billion in funding for Egypt’s military, is a moderate, “largely secular” organi- contingency,” or “workplace violence,” despite Morsi’s attempt to seize dictatori- zation. (Yes, that would be the Muslim or the result of a psychiatric condition that al powers, the droves of Christians fleeing Brotherhood, whose motto includes “Allah just happens to afflict an inordinately Egyptian persecution, the Sinai’s conver- is our objective . . . the Koran is our law, large number of young Muslim men. sion into a terrorist safe haven, and the jihad is our way.”) Meanwhile, Secretary Meanwhile, the president has joined new government’s public fêting of Hamas Clinton pronounced Syria’s Bashar al- himself at the hip with Recep Tayyip leaders as heroes. Assad to be a bold democratic “reformer,” Erdogan, the Islamist prime minister of Obama’s obsession with “Islamic out- a position the administration clung to Turkey, even as our ostensible NATO ally reach” has topped the administration’s until the tyrant’s killing sprees finally funds Hamas and works with it to break agenda from the start. Upon taking power, embarrassed Obama into withdrawing the blockade by which Israel stops wea - the president gave his first exclusive in - support. In Libya, the administration first pons transfers to Gaza. The administration terview to al-Arabiya, the Dubai-based pushed for increased aid to Moammar is supporting the Organization of Islamic Arabic television network, bizarrely Qaddafi’s regime in recognition of its Cooperation (a bloc of 56 Islamic nations claiming, “My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy”—as if the Bush years had not been a congeries of “religion of peace” apologias, syrupy Iftar dinners, and non-stop “dialogue” with Islamists at the expense of failing to empower authen- tic Muslim moderates. Obama continued playing into the Brotherhood’s noxious U.S. “war against Islam” narrative in his ballyhooed June 2009 Cairo speech—the one to which he invited Brotherhood leaders even though the organization was then banned under Egyptian law; the one at which he air- The Cairo speeh, June 2009 brushed Islamic scripture, gave a fictional account of Islamic history, endorsed the intelligence cooperation against jihadists; plus the Palestinian Authority) in promot- Islamist canard that the Jewish claim on then, with no intervening Libyan provo- ing unconstitutional restrictions on speech Israel is rooted in Western guilt over the cation against the U.S., it swung to the critical of Islam. Obama insists on contin- Holocaust rather than Israel’s ancient sta- side of the Brotherhood and jihadists uing financial aid to the Palestinian tus as the Jewish homeland, and adopted allied with it once they appeared likely to Authority despite its effort to declare state- the Palestinian rhetoric that frames terror- succeed in toppling Qaddafi. In notori- hood unilaterally, in violation of the Oslo ism against Israel as “resistance” to an ously “leading from behind” on Libya, Accords. And Obama’s State Department illegitimate occupier. the administration failed to ensure the has joined Turkey and other Islamist re - To be sure, before Hosni Mubarak was safeguarding of Qaddafi’s weapons de - gimes in a “counterterrorism forum” from forced to step down in early 2011, Obama’s pots, with the result that Libyan arms which Israel, the world’s Number One ter- amateur-hour foreign-affairs instincts have made their way to Hamas and to ror target, has been excluded—in defer- were on excruciating display. The presi- al-Qaeda’s various African havens. ence to the Islamist view that attacks on dent first supported the pro-American It is, however, Obama’s deliberate Israel do not constitute “terrorism.” dictator, then backpedaled as the Tahrir collusions with Islamists that are most How much better would a Romney Square protests ensued, and finally called alarming. The Brotherhood’s American administration be? Governor Romney for Mubarak to resign after it was already affiliates—many of which were cited by made a dramatic point of visiting Israel in clear both that he would be ousted and the Justice Department as unindicted co- July, something President Obama has that the Brotherhood would be the chief conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation gone out of his way to avoid doing. To NEWSCOM / EPA / beneficiary. case—are now consulted by executive- have a president who can distinguish This pattern has become embarrassing- branch agencies on counterterrorism America’s friends from America’s ene-
MIKE NELSON ly familiar. President Obama first claimed policy. The Pentagon, the FBI, and the mies would be a vast improvement.
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Obama can talk tough. “Iran’s leaders within Iran, and developing reliable mili- should understand that I do not have a tary options” as a last resort. Iran policy of containment; I have a policy to All of these are necessary, but Romney prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear should go farther. Ahmadinejad’s final Endgame weapon,” he declared at the annual con- term ends in less than a year, and he has ference of the American Israel Public never been the issue anyway: In the Romney could bring strategy where it Affairs Committee in March. But rhetoric Islamic Republic, the president is about has dangerously lacked is not enough: Credibility matters. By style, not substance. The supreme leader voiding past redlines and quibbling over shapes the policy, and he—in addition to BY MICHAEL RUBIN new ones, Obama has signaled his rhe - Ahmadinejad—should be targeted by the toric’s emptiness. Obama’s dispute with Romney administration for incitement vERy president for the past two Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netan - to genocide. It was Khamenei who, for decades has acknowledged the yahu boils down to how far the United example, declared that “the cancerous threat posed by Iran’s nuclear- States will allow Iran’s nuclear program tumor called Israel must be uprooted” E weapons ambition. During the to progress. After all, the difference be - and, a month later, that “the perpetual next administration, this once-theoretical tween the nuclear-weapons capability to mission of Iran is the elimination of Is- capability will become real. “When the which Obama would acquiesce and the rael.” Genocide scholars and members of Iranian nation reaches the peak,” Su- nuclear-weapons possession he treats as the International Criminal Tribunal for preme Leader Ali Khamenei declared on his redline might be only one week, leav- Rwanda have determined that the per - June 3, “all enmities and evils will cease.” ing the U.S. without time to act once sistent use of dehumanizing medical Just last month, he threatened that “the Tehran makes a decision to weaponize. metaphors—such as likening a people to fake Zionist regime will soon disappear.” If Washington is to prevent Iran from malignancy—meets the legal threshold Barack Obama made outreach to Iran acquiring a nuclear-weapons capabil - of incitement to genocide. the cornerstone of his policy toward that ity, determination matters. The contrast Nor will “standing for voices of dissent country. In his first interview as president, between Obama’s fecklessness and Mitt within Iran” be enough. Solidarity is he declared, “If countries like Iran are Romney’s resolve is sharp. Romney has nice, but Iranian activists need cash. willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us.” In effect, though, this desperate diplomacy trans- By voiding past redlines and formed Obama into Tehran’s useful idiot. quibbling over new ones, Obama has By offering to negotiate without precon- ditions, Obama unilaterally waived five signaled his rhetoric’s emptiness. previous Security Council resolutions that required Iran to cease uranium enrich- described stopping an Iranian bomb as “a Failure to provide aid to Iranian civil ment unconditionally. Hassan Rowhani, solemn duty and a moral imperative”: society out of fear that the regime will Iran’s former nuclear negotiator, bragged “Make no mistake, the ayatollahs in stigmatize its recipients is misguided, about how the regime had often embraced Tehran are testing our moral defenses. because the regime accuses all opponents dialogue not to resolve conflict but to They want to know who will object and of foreign ties whether they receive mo - buy time. who will look the other way.” ney or not. Seeking to avoid antagonizing the For his part, Obama has consistently The best hope for civil-society empow- regime, Obama turned his back on pro- resisted meaningful sanctions. It took a erment lies not in any Iranian politician or testers who rose up against it in 2009. 100–0 Senate vote, after almost three in the Green Movement that arose from His conciliation won him no favors. On years of Obama’s failed outreach, before the June 2009 protests, but rather in Iran’s November 4, 2009, the 30th anniversary Obama consented to impose them on nascent trade-union movement. As a rule, of the U.S. embassy seizure, Khamenei Iran’s banks and its oil trade. The sanc- the Iranian people are far more moderate ridiculed Obama and his outreach. “This tions may hurt, but there are loopholes. than their clerical leaders. In 2005, Tehran new president of America said beautiful By issuing waivers to Iran’s top 20 trading bus driver Mansour Osanlou organized things. He sent us messages constantly, partners and welcoming anti-sanctions his colleagues and forced the regime both orally and written: ‘Come and let us activist s into the White House, Obama to recognize the Islamic Republic’s first turn the page, come and create a new sit- has signaled a lack of resolve. Romney independent union. New unions have uation, come and let us cooperate in solv- will plug the holes, but the time Obama sprouted, especially in the oil-rich Khu - ing the problems of the world.’ It reached squandered is lost forever. zistan province. Osanlou is now in prison, this degree!” Khamenei then told assem- Romney is right that a strategy of ro - but his movement survives. At a mini- bled students that any agreement with bust sanctions is no longer enough. In mum, every dollar Iranian unions force America was off the table. a July interview with the Israeli daily the regime to spend on ordinary people is Haaretz, Romney outlined other ideas, one dollar not invested in nuclear technol- Mr. Rubin is a resident scholar at the American including “indicting [President Mah - ogy and weaponry. Labor unrest in Iran’s Enterprise Institute and a senior lecturer at the Naval moud] Ahmadinejad for incitement to oil fields could be far more effective than Postgraduate School. genocide, standing for voices of dissent sanctioning oil, and a strategy relying on
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it would not be beholden to Russian or Most commentary in the days after the Chinese goodwill. the Islamic Revo- Ryan announcement was about Medicare lution succeeded in 1979 largely because What to and its future. Right away, the Democrats strikes paralyzed the country. Ending the and many in the mainstream press used the revolution the way it began would be Say about selection of Ryan to use fearmongering poetic justice. rhetoric about Ryan’s proposal to reform Romney was right when he observed Medicare for future recipients. But Rom - that “when the world’s most despotic Health Care ney and Ryan were ready for the attacks regimes secure the world’s most destruc- Romney and Ryan can offer and successfully seized the occasion to tive weapons, peace often gives way to a compelling alternative to the bring Obamacare’s unpopularity back oppression, to violence, or to devastating president’s massive entitlement into the public consciousness. In ads and war.” But to focus only on denying tehran speeches, the Republican ticket has re - nuclear weapons misses half the problem: BY JAMES C. CAPRETTA minded voters repeatedly that the presi- Permanent peace requires ending Kha - dent and the Democratic congressional menei’s despotic regime. uSt a few weeks ago, hope leadership cut Medicare by more than the Islamic Revolutionary Guard seemed to be fading that Gov - $700 billion to partially finance Obama - Corps (IRGC) serves as Khamenei’s ernor Romney would find a way care’s massive entitlement expansions. Praetorian guard. u.S. diplomats and J to get the upper hand in the For Romney, this is ideal political terrain: intelligence professionals tend to ignore health-care debate with President Obama. He didn’t cut Medicare as part of the factionalism within the IRGC. this is Romney’s candidacy has many strengths. Massachusetts plan, and highlighting policy malpractice, first because it is es - Because of his background, he is very well Obama care’s Medicare cuts is the perfect sential to understand who would really positioned to carry the party’s economic way to point out the contrast between control Iran’s nuclear weapons, and sec- message, which is almost certainly why Obama’s approach and his. ond because regime change will happen he won the nomination. But on health It has also helped the Romney cam- only when the IRGC collapses. the better care, former senator Rick Santorum—the paign tremendously that Ryan is carrying a Romney administration understands the last serious Republican contender with much of the load. He knows these issues IRGC’s weakness, the more Romney’s Romney for the nomination—surely had cold, because he is a prominent budget team can exploit its fissures. it right when he said Romney was not the expert, and health care in general, and Americans have become accustomed best person to prosecute the case against Medicare specifically, are central to the to considering Iran an enemy. this is a Obamacare. After all, the health-care nation’s long-term budgetary troubles. tragedy. the Iranian people have suf- legislation Romney championed in Mas- Ryan’s adeptness in debating the topic fered tremendously under their clerical sa chusetts is now known (somewhat un - was on full display at the February 2010 dictatorship, which, in its pursuit of nu - fairly) as the plan that became the model White House “summit” on health care, clear weapons, has driven a country once for Obamacare, most especially because it during which Ryan dismantled the phony on the verge of becoming a world eco- included a mandate that individuals pur- deficit-reduction claims the president and nomic power headlong into the third chase health insurance. Democrats clearly congressional Democrats were making World. As Islamist populism threatens to relish the thought of President Obama’s about Obamacare. engulf Egyptians, tunisians, Syrians, reminding voters that the legislation the challenge for the Romney-Ryan and turks, the Iranian people’s suffering Romney denounces as a “government ticket is to channel the political momentum has immunized them to those who would takeover” shares some critical features generated by this early Medicare counter- use religious rhetoric to further their with the legislation he himself signed into attack into a larger conversation about own ambitions at the expense of free- law. broad visions for health care. Although dom. Free from clerical rule, Iran could So expectations among conservatives Obamacare remains unpopular, it will be become a pillar for liberalism. Regime for a strong Romney performance on difficult to uproot it without articulating a downfall could free Iraq from the terror health care have been low. they fell even compelling replacement strategy that can of Iranian militias and end tehran’s sup- lower when the Supreme Court upheld solve the problems in the health-care sector port for Bashar al-Assad’s murderous most of Obamacare’s key provisions as without Obamacare’s massive expense and dictatorship in Syria. Absent Iranian constitutional. A general sense of resigna- heavy-handed government coercion. Here patronage, Hezbollah would starve, en - tion had started to settle in that, in 2012, again, Ryan will be indispensable, because abling Lebanon to reclaim its place as Obamacare would not be exploited as a he has become one of the party’s most the Arab Riviera. And while nationalism political opportunity as Romney focused articulate and persuasive advocates of a would thrive in a post-revolutionary entirely on the president’s miserable eco- patient-driven health-care system. Iran, a successor regime would be far nomic record. Of course, not even Ryan would help less likely to hold the world’s economy All of that changed overnight when if the Romney campaign were stuck on hostage. Romney selected Representative Paul promoting policies that resembled the ap - No revolution is permanent. With the Ryan as his running mate. proach taken in Massachusetts. Fortu - right Iran policy, Romney has an opportu- nately, it is not. Romney has given two nity to do more for Middle East peace Mr. Capretta is a fellow at the Ethics and Public speeches devoted entirely to health care, than all his predecessors combined. Policy Center. one in May 2011 and one in June of this
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same premium, even if someone had pre- viously been uninsured and was now sign- ing up for coverage because he knew he would need it. This approach discourages people from getting insurance when they are healthy, because they can always get it when they are sick; and this in turn drives up costs. Obamacare tries to solve this problem by coercing people into buying government-sanctioned insurance. The Romney approach is entirely differ- ent. It rewards people for staying contin - uously insured by protecting them from premium adjustments based on their changing health status. This would mean that people could move from job-based coverage to the individual market far more easily than they can today. A final prominent feature of the Romney-Ryan vision is its reliance on state initiative. In Obamacare, the states are essentially tasked with implementing year before the Supreme Court decision. their plan when they leave their job. The federal regulations and rules, with little He focused more on his general ideas for tax preference for employer plans also discretion. Romney believes states, not the reform than on specific policy changes. contributes to high and escalating health- federal government, should take the lead That’s understandable: In the 2008 cam- care costs, because it is conferred without in reform. He would grant the states com- paign, Senator Obama spent tens of mil- limit and thus encourages expansive insur- plete flexibility in the design of Medicaid lions of dollars on ads attacking and ance arrangements in which third parties within a federal block-grant structure, and distorting the detailed and very credible make purchase decisions. autonomy over insurance regulation. His reform program of John McCain. There’s Romney proposes to end the bias only regulatory adjustment would be to no reason for Romney to provide a similar against individually owned insurance, allow consumers to purchase insurance opening. And yet, despite the lack of thereby encouraging the formation of a across state lines, thus creating more of a details, it’s clear where Romney wants to market in which individuals can purchase national market for low-cost plans. go, and it’s absolutely the right direction. affordable plans. He hasn’t yet specified Many additional details must be fleshed To begin with, Romney understands how he will do this, but at this stage he out for the kind of plan Romney envisions that the source of much of the dysfunction doesn’t need to. It is sufficient for him to to work. But they need not be articulated in American health care is federal policy, make clear that, in a Romney administra- until after the election. For now, it’s enough including the tax treatment of health insur- tion, the United States would finally begin for Romney and Ryan to give voters their ance and the structure of Medicare and to see a functioning marketplace emerge overall vision for reform and to emphasize Medicaid. When he was governor, Rom- for people who, for whatever reason, how it will differ from Obamacare. The ney couldn’t fix these problems, which is would like to get insurance on their own. contrast will be sharp indeed. one reason he ended up supporting the This could be done through the creation of The debate over health care comes down plan he did at the state level. But if he wins a new tax credit for individuals who buy to who’s in charge. Under Obamacare, it’s the presidency, he can change the federal insurance, or through some wider-ranging the federal government. All of the key policies that are driving up costs and lead- plan that provides an identical deduction decisions affecting how resources are allo- ing to uncertainty of coverage. And his or credit to people regardless of where cated will be made by the Department of statements about reform make it clear that they buy their coverage. Health and Human Services. That’s why he will do so. Another important feature of the Obamacare can accurately be described as Let’s consider taxes more specifically. Romney-Ryan vision is a new approach a “government takeover.” The Romney- Today, the tax law provides a heavy sub- to ensuring that people with preexist - Ryan vision is of a decentralized, market- sidy for employer-paid insurance plans, ing conditions can get insurance. With based system, with consumers and patients which means that most Americans choose Obama care, the president and his allies calling the shots. That’s the way to get to get their coverage through their work orchestrated a government takeover of the market oriented to satisfying patients’ rather than on their own. This bias toward American health care, all in the name of needs at affordable prices. employer plans has made it nearly impos- allowing people who had developed a Between now and November, this is the NEWSCOM / EPA
/ sible for a robust and stable marketplace costly health condition to get insurance at message Romney and Ryan must hammer for privately purchased plans to emerge. affordable rates. To do this, they imposed home. And with Ryan on the ticket, This, in turn, contributes heavily to the a one-size-fits-all benefit plan and re - there’s every reason to believe that’s what
MICHAEL REYNOLDS uninsured population, as people can’t keep quired insurers to charge everyone the they will do.
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mistakes that Obama has made in this voucher program for low-income stu- area, and further flesh out his education dents in the District of Columbia, a pro- A Primer for plan. gram that President Obama has opposed. Three key issues on which Romney and Second, Romney has proposed turning Education Obama differ are No Child Left Behind more than $25 billion in federal funding reauthorization, federal education spend- for low-income students and special edu- ing, and school choice. Romney correctly cation into vouchers that eligible students Policy sees No Child Left Behind (NCLB), could use to attend any public, charter, or What the GOP ticket has right; which was signed into law by George W. private school, or to enroll in a tutoring what more it could do Bush, as comprising two distinct compo- program or take digital courses. nents. He supports the testing and trans- But it is not enough for Romney to play BY FREDERICK M. HESS parency provisions, which require states “me too” with an added dollop of spend- and districts collecting federal funds to ing restraint and school choice. Obama Ix years ago, Massachusetts regularly assess students in reading, likes to hold up education as the most gov ernor Mitt Romney was math, and science, and report the results. compelling example of federal “invest- kind enough to visit my em - How ever, he is ready to jettison the ment” (clean energy and health care no S ployer, the American Enterprise law’s bulky, intrusive prescriptions, such longer make for great talking points). This Institute, to discuss a report I’d just co- as its “highly qualified teacher” pro- makes it especially important for Romney authored on collective bargaining. Aside vision, which mandates an emphasis on to point out that the president’s education from his affection for PowerPoint, what education-school credentials in staffing efforts haven’t lived up to their hype. stuck in my mind about Romney was his classrooms, as well as its “remedy cas- Romney would do well to note that familiarity with education reform and his cade,” which includes six years of man - Race to the Top—Obama’s much-lauded willingness to speak frankly about teach- datory interventions for schools that fail $4.35 billion grant competition, which ers’ unions and teacher pay. to make “adequate yearly progress.” rewarded states that promised to pursue So I was unsurprised that there was President Obama has recognized some 19 federally prescribed educational “pri- much to like in the education program that of these challenges, but he’s also offered orities”—essentially required a union Romney unveiled this spring in a speech incentives for states to change the way sign-off; that every one of the dozen win- at the Latino Coalition’s Annual Eco- they evaluate teachers and seek to “turn ning states failed to live up to its airy, nomic Summit. His themes were school around” low-performing schools. expensive promises; that less than 5 per- choice, innovation, transparency, bang for On federal spending, Romney has com- cent of the $100 billion–plus in education the buck, and welcoming new education mitted to breaking with the Bush-Obama stimulus funds went to the administra- providers (including for-profit ventures). years. In Bush’s first term, federal K–12 tion’s education-reform initiatives, while Now, truth be told, President Obama spending nearly doubled, from $29 billion the rest was simply handed out to school supports much of this as well. When it to $56 billion a year, increasing more than districts with no strings attached; and that comes to federal education policy, the big it did during the entire Clinton adminis- the administration has berated states and divide between conservatives and reform- tration. Today, federal K–12 spending districts for daring to cut education spend- minded progressives is less about what stands at $68 billion a year—not counting ing—and even adopted Race to the Top reforms are desirable than about the fed- the $120 billion in stimulus funds that criteria that penalized states that sought to eral government’s role in implementing were earmarked for K–12 and higher tighten their belts. them. Liberals would like to see the fed- education. Further, in a recent address, Romney should also point out that eral government impose their favored President Obama urged states and dis- Obama’s education agenda reflects the policies on local governments; con - tricts to spend more, calling Republican administration’s enthusiasm for expand- ser vatives argue that, while federal in - proposals to cut education funding “back- ing the size and influence of the federal volvement can sometimes be useful, the wards” and “wrong.” Instead of vowing government, often in defiance of the deep est reforms need to be undertaken by to throw even more money into the sys- Constitution. For example, the adminis- the states voluntarily and tailor-made for tem, Romney promises to “focus on en - tration has eagerly offered states “condi- local conditions. suring that money is spent well.” Indeed, tional waivers” from some of NCLB’s Voters are divided as to which candi- as Romney has argued, steady infusions provisions. Some NCLB provisions are date offers a more compelling vision. of new cash (as in Obama’s stimulus) nearly impossible for many states to meet, Polling by Gallup that asked respondents have blunted the appetite for transforma- so this places enormous pressure on states to choose a candidate based purely on edu - tive educational change. to agree to the administration’s condi- cation policy showed President Obama Perhaps Romney’s clearest break with tions. In turn, while these conditions— beating Mitt Romney, 49 percent to 44 the president comes on school choice. prescriptions for school improvement and percent. Romney would be wise to high- While Obama deserves credit for his teacher evaluation—are not necessarily light the few major policy differences he vocal support of charter schools, Romney bad in themselves, they have never been has with the president, explain the costly has made it clear he will push harder on passed by Congress, and probably could school vouchers and efforts to offer online not be, given concerns on both sides of the Mr. Hess is the director of education-policy studies at instruction to students. First, Romney has aisle. Meanwhile, with these kinds of the American Enterprise Institute. pledged to expand the federally funded measures, it matters far less whether they
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aredonethanhow theyaredone—de- districts to report, as a condition for cadesofexperienceteachthatfederal receivingfederaleducationaid,onthe pressureisfarmorelikelytoyieldredtape cost-effectivenessofschools,districts, Data, thaneffectiveimplementation. andidentifiedprograms.Thiswouldn’t Theadministrationhasalsotakena entailanyfederalprescriptions,butit Instinct sensibleinitiative—the“CommonCore” wouldprovideparents,voters,andlocal standardsinreadingandmaththatmany officialstheinformationtheyneedto Mitt Romney appreciates states have adopted voluntarily—and makeinformeddecisions. the value of both turneditintoatroubling,increasingly Help Communities Escape Onerous politicizedpush.Thepresidenthasig- Contracts:Permitlow-performingschool BY ROB LONG noredstatutoryprohibitionsonfederal systemstogetoutofcontractualcommit- involvementwithschoolcurricula,put- mentsmadebypreviousboards.Thisis ITT ROmNEy, accordingto ting$350millioninstimulusfundsinto especiallycrucialfordistrictshamstrung mitt Romney, is a “data CommonCoreassessmentsandusing by“evergreen”provisionsinstatutesor guy.” RacetotheTopfundsandNCLBwaivers collective-bargainingagreements,which M AtBainandCompany,his as incentives for states to adopt the makeitfunctionallyimpossibletoescape standardmOwas,first,getallthedata. CommonCore. baddecisionsmadedecadesago. Gathertogetheralloftherelevantpieces Further, while Romney’s proposals Deregulation:Callforahigh-profile ofinformationaboutacompanyandits havepromise,thereisalotofroomfor efforttoscourfederalregulationsand operations,sortitallout,drawasetof improvement.Romneywillneedtobe guidancetoidentifyandeliminatebad (mostlypainful)conclusions,anddeliv- clearerabouttheappropriatefederalrole, policies. erupaPowerPointslide’sworthofrec- insteadofsettlingforvaguepaeansto Basic Research: Support substantial ommendationstotheclientcompany’s choice and“innovation.”He’llneedto investmentinthekindsofbasicresearch— management. argue that everything that matters in inbrainscience,cognition,appliedread- Itdidn’ttakelongfortheenterprising schoolingisintheexecution,andtakeon ingtechniques,andsoforth—thatcan consultanttorealizethatmanagement, theheadachesthatovercaffeinatedfed- producehugeleapsinteachingandlearn- forthemostpart,wasincapableofim- eralrulemakinghascreated. ing. plementingthoserecommendations. EspeciallyinK–12schooling,where Obamadeserveshisdue.He’sfought Companiesgetintotroubleforalotof 90percentofthemoneyisprovidedby fortherightthings.Buthehasabigweak- reasons,buttheystay introubleforonly statesandlocalities,itcanbetoughfor ness:Witheducation,aswithsomuch one:deficientandinflexiblemanage- conservativestotalkaboutreformwith- else,hefailstorecognizethelimitson ment. outseemingtoimplythateveryidea whatthefederalgovernmentcanor Sothetalentedandaggressive(and requiresnewfederalfundsorprograms. shoulddo.Romneywillembraceamore confident)consultanttooktheobvious Thatsaid,thereareatleastfournotesthat modestfederalrole,bebetterabletochal- nextstep:Heraisedenoughmoneyto RomneyandRyanwoulddowelltostrike lengetheteachers’unions,andfocuson buycompaniesintroubleanddispatch intheweeksahead. makingsurethateducationdollarsare thederelictexecutives.Hewentfrom Cost Transparency:Callforstatesand spentwisely. beingaconsultantwhosuggeststoan ownerwhodemands.Andthedifference, aseveryfree-marketconservativeknows, betweenbeingahighlypaidemployee andamajor-interestowneristhediffer- encebetweenbeingrichandbeingMitt Romney rich. Butitallstarted—andstillstarts,ac- cordingtotheRepublicannominee— withthedata. Soitbothwasandwasn’tasurprise whenthefamouslydata-drivencandi- dateselectedafamouslydata-driven congressmanfromWisconsinashis runningmate.Notsurprisingbecause thegimlet-eyedPaulRyanisprobably
exactlythekindofyoungassociate MCT / theprivate-equitykingpinmittRom- neywouldhavehired,yearsago,to gatherandcrunchdataatBainCapi- PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER tal—andmakethecompanystinking / rich.
Mitt Romney greets students at a charter school in Philadelphia, May 24, 2012. Butsurprisingbecausethere’sanother CLEM MURRAY
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set of data—like Medicare-popularity port in the world and you’re confronted or Bobby Jindal of Louisiana—to dou- figures, Florida electoral votes, and the with advertisements offering “exper- ble down on a complicated and scary- number of failed attempts to tame enti- tise” and “strategic vision” and “com- sounding budget plan with a minefield tlement spending—that would argue for petitive advantages” if you hire this or of detailed specifics. It’s such a giant a safer and less interesting selection. that consultancy, but the truth is, the gamble that you’re sort of forced to ask Nevertheless, Mitt Romney the former only thing anyone—or any business— yourself, Just what kind of Mormon is consultant ignored—according to all really wants to know is, what’s going to this Mitt Romney? I thought they were reports—the advice of his own cam- happen tomorrow? all supposed to be buttoned-up and paign consultants to select a safer, less And nobody knows what’s going to boring? data-driven running mate and chose happen tomorrow. Most people don’t Mitt Romney, in a long and successful Paul Ryan. even know what’s happening today. career as advice-giver, business owner, But then, Mitt Romney may know So the first mistake they made was to governor, and candidate, is betting something about consultants. Which is make a prediction in the first place. But against the data. He’s betting that some- that they’re usually wrong. given what they knew in the late 1980s, thing will happen—something transfor- For instance, in the late 1980s, a huge that prediction made sense. It seemed mative and large and unexpected—to telephone company hired a top-of-the- reasonable. But the future has a habit of the American political landscape be - line consultancy to make a forecast. coming all at once, and in unpredictable tween now and November. He’s bet - Cell-phone usage was growing ways. ting, essentially, that despite the data, quickly, and the phone company needed Nobody likes to hear that, though. We to know how to plan for this new all prefer to believe in the myth of the business-model-transforming tech nol - expert—a high-priced suit who will tell ogy. So they paid this world-famous you in soothing tones that his firm has a consultancy what is known profession- special way to figure things out, a clever ally as a “boatload of cash” to answer algorithm, a set of proprietary methods this question: How many mobile phones designed to predict the futu re and miti- will be in use in the United States by the gate the risk of uncertainty. In a large year 2000? company, it’s nearly impossible to get Simple, c lear question, right? So the sacked if you can pin the blame on the consultants put on their serious faces expensive consultants—the more ex- and fired up the mainframe computers pensive, in fact, the better—for a failed and crunched demographic data and strategy based on a faulty prediction. economic data and technological data Everyone, in other words, likes to hire and rates of “build-out” and “carrier an expert. Even if that expert doesn’t upgrades” and a lot of other terms I know a thing. don’t understand, and they came up with For years at Bain and Company, Mitt there will be 100 times the number of an answer, which they printed out and Romney was that expert. And then later, mobile phones in use. Mitt Romney is a attached to their bill. at Bain Capital, Mitt Romney was a heretic consultant: He’s ignoring the There will be, they said confidently, in consultant with real skin in the game. data. the report that they sent to the phone And I suspect—with zero evidence, but The most famous and basic logical company along with their (I’m sure that’s me: I’m not a data guy and never argument of all time is: If A equals B and huge) invoice, by the year 2000 in Amer - have been—that one thing Mitt Rom - B equals C, then by every shred of logic ica as many as 1 million mobile handsets ney realized during his spectacular rise and data analysis in the universe, A must in use. at both versions of Bain, and while the equal C. But what if by the time you get So the telephone company began cascades of money poured in, was: The to C, the value of A has changed? What busily planning for a market that in ten experts are wrong most of the time, so if, despite the utter conviction of the years’ time would see 1 million mobile when you make the big calls, go with Republican establishment, you can per- handsets scattered about the continent of your instinct. suade the American voter? North America. In other words, Mitt Romney is a The last politician with this kind For the record, by the year 2000, there data-driven guy most of the time, but of reckless confidence was Ronald were 109 million handsets in use. when it really counts, he’s a gambler. Reagan. But then, he didn’t put much So the enormously expensive, arro- It’s a gamble—and some think a stock in “data.” He came from the world gant, pompous, and ridiculously well- foolish one—to litigate a budget- of movies and Hollywood, where amaz- dressed consultants were off, a bit. By a austerity plan like Paul Ryan’s during ing things happen in the last reel of the factor of more than one hundred. a national campaign. It’s a gamble to picture, where by the time you get to But it’s easy to blame the consultants head into a tough and close race, as a the end, everything has changed for the AP / and to mock them for their mistake. Republican, and risk losing the old better. Con sultancies in general are irritating person’s vote. It’s a gamble—and an Mitt Romney is a “data guy” no collections of know-it-alls and expense- unnecessary one, when you think of longer. Let’s hope that Florida isn’t,
CHARLES DHARAPAK account spenders. Walk through any air- safer choices like Rob Portman of Ohio either.
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Republican Convention Special $1.75 trillion annually—a bigger burden than the corporate income tax. 35. Because his neck must be hurting from keeping his chin up in the air for nearly four years. 36. Because Cass Sunstein boasted about an “unprecedentedly ambitious government-wide review” of regulation that saved only $2 billion per year, or 0.1 percent of the cost of regulatory compliance. 37. “The private sector is doing fine.” 38. Because the private sector isn’t doing fine. 39. Because his administration predicted the stimulus would keep unemployment below 8 percent. 40. February 9, 2009: “If we get things right, then starting next year, we can start seeing some significant improvement” on the employment front. 41. Because now we have a 24 percent unem- ployment rate for people 16 to 19 years old. 42. Because the lowest the unemployment rate was during the Obama administration was 8.1 percent. 43. Because the current unemployment rate is 689 Reasons to Defeat 8.3 percent. 44. Because 4 million Americans have been Barack Obama out of work for more than a year. 45. Because the black unemployment rate is 14.4 percent. 1. Because he was not the one we were waiting 20. He can’t get the vice president to stop call- 46. And the Hispanic unemployment rate is for. ing him “Barack” in public. 10.3 percent. 2. “Forward.” 21. Gabby Giffords shooting commemorative 47. And because the real unemployment rate— 3. Because Julia needs to get off her lazy, fed- T-shirts and pep rally. including those who have abandoned the job erally subsidized butt, get a real job, and pay for 22. Because he listened to the Reverend hunt—is even higher. her own damned birth-control pills. Wright’s crackpot racist diatribes for years and 48. Because the percentage of working-age 4. Because lots of people fail at their first real then gave us a lecture on racism. Americans who are employed has dropped job. 23. For ignoring his own deficit commission. from 61 percent to 58 percent—and stayed 5. Because “Winning the Future” was not a 24. Because of an $800 billion stimulus bill. there. very good slogan back in 2005 when it was 25. “Shovel-ready” projects. 49. Because, in his own words, his “first job is Newt’s. 26. The non-existence of shovel-ready proj - to make sure the economy is growing, that we’re 6. Because the country is ready for its first ects. creating jobs out there.” You said it, not us. African-American former president. 27. For joking about the non-existence of 50. Because he spent all of 2007 and 2008 7. To give him the free time to write his third shovel-ready projects. imploring us to send him to Washington and, memoir. 28. Because “jobs created or saved” is Enron now that he has the job, he can’t stop whining 8. Because he’ll have even more “flexibility” accounting. about how much he hates it there. after November if he’s back in Chicago. 29. Because there were stimulus grants in 51. Because Nicholas Thompson, the vice 9. Joe Biden. imaginary ZIP codes. president of polling firm The Tarrance Group, 10. So that dissent will once again be the high- 30. For proposing a $53 billion high-speed-rail while discussing public views of Obama, said est form of patriotism. project while Amtrak is still losing hundreds of that “there’s a lot of people who feel sorry for 11. Because he didn’t quite get the message in millions of dollars a year. him.” We should help them out. 2010. 31. For repeatedly citing the 2007 Minnesota 52. Because when unemployment hit 10.2 12. For claiming that he would cut the deficit bridge collapse as evidence of the need for percent, he extolled the economy’s “core in half. expanded infrastructure spending when federal strengths.” 13. And then adding more than $5 trillion in investigators ruled that bad design, not dis - 53. Because in a fundraising e-mail of new debt. repair, caused the collapse. September 1, 2011, he demanded that 14. To remind him that debt used to be, in his 32. For 613 new federal regulations in the first Republicans “take action on” a jobs plan that he own words, “unpatriotic.” 33 months of his presidency. had not yet released. 15. Because the buck never stops. 33. And because 129 of those regulations will 54. Revising his tune on the recovery in 16. For blaming President Bush. each cost the economy more than $100 million December 2011, he said: “It’s going to take 17. For blaming headwinds. a year. more than two years. It’s going to take more 18. For blaming Japanese earthquakes. 34. Because the Small Business Administration than one term. It probably takes more than one
ROMAN GENN 19. For blaming ATMs. estimates the price of current regulations at president.” We agree with that last part.
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55. Because he promised to “ban all ear- people building smart toasters . . . this is real 124. And one more secret deal with the hos - marks.” stuff.” pitals. 56. But he didn’t ban earmarks. 89. Because the stimulus included an earmark 125. It’s racist to say “Obamacare.” 57. And he promised to go “line by line” for a Los Angeles–Las Vegas Maglev railway. 126. Except when he says it. through legislation. 90. And there is not going to be a Los 127. To undo his ban on construction of 58. But of course he didn’t go line by line Angeles–Las Vegas Maglev railway. physician-owned hospitals. through legislation, and in the case of 91. Because he didn’t let a crisis go to waste. 128. And the 2.3 percent excise tax on select Obamacare apparently didn’t go through it at 92. Because he demonizes Wall Street bankers. medical devices. all. 93. Except his first chief of staff, Rahm 129. Not to mention the 3.8 percent Medicare 59. “Let me be perfectly clear.” Emanuel of Wasserstein Perella. surtax on investment income. 60. Because corpsmen deserve a president who 94. And his successor, Bill Daley of JP 130. A 0.9 percent Medicare payroll tax hike. can pronounce “corpsman.” Morgan. 131. A $2,500 annual cap on contributions to 61. Because Jay Carney is the least credible 95. And his successor, Jacob Lew of Citigroup. HSAs. press secretary since Dee Dee Myers had to 96. Because we wouldn’t mind seeing 132. A 10 percent excise tax on tanning salons. stand there pretending that she didn’t know Goldman Sachs take a loss on this particular 133. A $716 billion raid of Medicare. what she knew about Bill Clinton. investment. 134. And a 40 percent excise tax on “Cadillac” 62. Because Americans deserve the opportuni- 97. Because since he took office, real median health-insurance plans. ty to see which White House pet will ride atop household income is down $4,300. 135. The fact that we still own Cadillac. the Romney presidential limousine. 98. Because he can’t distinguish between con- 63. So you’ll be able to criticize the president servatism and anarchism. again without being called a racist. 99. Because his “jobs czar” praised Germany 64. Because there are 46 million people on for the fact that “government and business food stamps. [work] as a pack.” 65. And spending on food stamps doubled 100. He revived the old “social Darwinism” from $39 billion in 2008 to $81 billion in 2012. canard. 66. For the existence of food-stamp parties. 101. “Top-down economics.” 67. And the proliferation of food-stamp adver- 102. Because taxation for seniors making less tisements. than $50,000 did not end as promised. 68. Because he launched the most harebrained 103. “You know, I actually believe my own foreclosure scheme imaginable. bulls**t.” 69. And because there were a record 2.8 mil- 104. Yeah, we know. lion foreclosures in 2009. 105. We need a president accustomed to sign- 70. And then a record 2.9 million foreclosures ing the front, not the back, of checks. in 2010. 106. Because he promised to rely on public 136. Eliminating the “deduction for expenses 71. Recovery Summer. financing for his campaign, then reneged. allocable to Medicare Part D” will cost benefi- 72. Recovery Summer II. 107. For railing against money in politics ciaries $4.5 billion. 73. Recovery Summer III. while spending record amounts. 137. The president’s health-care bill wasn’t 74. Because America cannot handle any more 108. Trump could really use a big draw for the going to add “one dime” to the deficit. Recovery Summer sequels. next Celebrity Apprentice. 138. It will add 10 million tons of dimes to the 75. To affirm that 50 states are enough. 109. It would lower Touré’s blood pressure. deficit. 76. Because he values Jon Corzine’s advice. 110. MSNBC could use the ratings help. 139. Because 15 percent of Part A hospital 77. Because he values Joe Biden’s advice. 111. He could spend some more time with the providers will become unprofitable over the 78. The fact that the stimulus spent $9.38 mil- perpendicular pronoun. next ten years. lion to renovate a train depot that has been 112. He could spend more time with his 140. For 1,200 Obamacare waivers. closed for 30 years. beloved straw men, who are no doubt dating his 141. Because labor unions are the primary 79. And $762,000 to develop YouTube–like composite girlfriends. recipients of those waivers. dance software. 113. For Obamacare. 142. Medicare’s chief actuary found that 80. And invested $2.5 million in dead people. 114. Because he thinks health care is a “right.” Obamacare will triple the growth rate of net 81. And sent $11 million to Microsoft to build 115. For passing it to see what’s in it. insurance costs. a bridge at its campus. 116. Because he’s on the same team as Nancy 143. And because 83 percent of physicians say 82. Not to mention millions of stimulus dollars Pelosi. they will consider quitting by the time spent advertising the stimulus. 117. Because America is not full of doctors Obamacare comes into effect. 83. And $300,000 to study yoga’s impact on who amputate healthy feet for profit. 144. So he can get a job as one of those thou- menopause. 118. “Deem and pass.” sands of new IRS employees. 84. As well as $30 million to the Arizona 119. He promised to televise deliberations over 145. The CLASS Act. Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies to build a Obamacare. 146. IPAB. training complex. 120. Because he made 58 speeches to sell 147. Because states like Maryland already are 85. And $200,000 to help Siberians lobby their Obamacare, not one of them honest. discussing tax increases in 2015 to pay for the legislators. 121. For claiming “special interests” were “health-benefit exchanges” required under
NEWSCOM 86. / And $700,000 to help crab fishermen to opposed to Obamacare. Obamacare.
ZUMA 122. 148. / recover their crab pots. While making a secret deal with Big For musing that his grandmother 87. And more to get monkeys high on cocaine. Pharma. shouldn’t have received end-of-life care.
PETE SOUZA 88. For that vice-presidential salute to “the 123. And another secret deal with the doctors. 149. “I happen to be a proponent of single-
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payer universal healthcare coverage. . . . That’s 173. Because the United States now owes 202. America’s Global Competitiveness rank- what I’d like to see.” But it would be awkward more in net unfunded liabilities than the com- ing is down from first place to fifth. for him to move to Canada while serving as bined net worth of the planet. 203. And we’re behind Canada on the Index of president of the United States. 174. For claiming that taxing the rich would Economic Freedom. 150. Increasing the penalty on early with- solve the entitlements crisis. 204. The Buffett Rule. drawals from HSAs for spending on non- 175. Because President Obama’s proposed 205. Warren Buffett’s secretary. medical expenses from 10 to 20 percent. budget will run deficits larger than $600 billion 206. Warren Buffett. 151. Because HSA funds can no longer be in nine of the next ten years. 207. Separation of powers. used to purchase over-the-counter medicines. 176. In 2010, the federal government ran a 208. Dodd. 152. Itemized deductions will only be allowed $1.293 trillion budget deficit. 209. Frank. for health-care expenses above 10 percent of 177. In 2011, the federal government ran a 210. Dodd-Frank. adjusted gross income, up from 7.5 percent. $1.3 trillion budget deficit. 211. Because Dodd-Frank doesn’t end “too big 153. “If you like your health-care plan, you can 178. In 2012, the federal government ran a to fail.” keep your health-care plan.” McKinsey esti- $1.327 trillion budget deficit. 212. But Dodd-Frank does provide for 398 mates around 30 percent of employers will drop 179. In 2013, the federal government will run a new rules to be written. employee health plans in the years after 2014. $901 billion budget deficit. 213. And deadlines for 221 of the new Dodd- 154. Another 17 million people will be pushed 180. And under President Obama’s long-term Frank rules have been missed. into Medicaid. fiscal plan, the budget will never balance. Ever. 214. “Disparate impact” lawsuits against 155. For claiming Obamacare would cause 181. President Obama’s proposed budget banks. health-insurance premiums to decline by “3,000 received no votes in 2011. 215. Restrictions of employers’ ability to con- percent,” whatever that means, while in fact 182. President Obama’s proposed budget sider criminal arrest and conviction records of health-insurance premiums are continuing to rise. received no votes in 2012. employees because it might have a “disparate 156. For attacking Hillary for the individual 183. Because there has been no Senate budget impact” on racial minorities. mandate, then imposing one himself. for three years running. 216. A Coordinated Government-wide 184. For blaming deficits on Bush tax cuts for Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in “the rich.” the Federal Workforce. 185. The average annual deficit: $1.3 trillion. 217. False claims about declining mobility. Revenues from repealing Bush tax cuts for the 218. False claims about the effects of ine - rich: about $40 billion. Math is hard. quality. 186. Because he claimed $22,215 in foreign 219. David Axelrod. tax credits for income earned overseas while 220. David Axelrod’s mustache. blasting tax credits as unpatriotic. 221. For pretending to be against outsourcing. 187. Because he doesn’t have a plan, but he 222. For not knowing the difference between knows he doesn’t like yours. outsourcing and offshoring. 188. “At a certain point, you’ve made enough 223. The rule of law. money.” But not under his watch, you didn’t. 224. Impersonating Teddy Roosevelt in 189. For inviting Paul Ryan to sit in the front Osawatomie, Kan. row at his budget speech and then sandbagging 225. Forcing the Fed to increase its number of 157. Because the individual mandate is not a him. minority economists. tax. 190. And sandbagging John Boehner by 226. The Middle Class Task Force. 158. Because the individual mandate is a tax. demanding more last-minute taxes in the “grand 227. The Jobs Council. 159. Attacking McCain for taxing health bene- bargain” negotiations. 228. The 2010 federal pay freeze that did not fits, then doing it himself. 191. That bicycle helmet. freeze pay. 160. Using the National Endowment for the 192. Under President Obama’s proposed bud- 229. Because the Open Government Initiative Arts to sell Obamacare. get, the top bracket will go from 35 percent to was a lie. 161. Breaking promises about medical mari- 39.6 percent. 230. Arguing that Bain Capital is the problem juana. 193. The death-tax top rate would increase to with America. 162. Record spending on the War on Drugs. 45 percent. 231. While taking Bain Capital’s campaign 163. Increasing S-CHIP spending. 194. The gift-tax top rate would increase to 45 contributions. 164. The Race to the Top gimmick. percent. 232. A 35 percent tariff on the importation of 165. Increasing spending on Head Start. 195. The capital-gains rate would rise to 20 Chinese tires. 166. Increasing education spending across the percent. 233. Richard Cordray. board. 196. Because he wants to jump off the fiscal 234. Because just as his campaign sent out an 167. Because none of those has had any mea- cliff. e-mail declaring that “our President and First surable positive impact on education. 197. Because we are not lemmings. Lady are, when it comes down to it, regular 168. Firing Obama would make wedding 198. A proposed $9.50-per-hour minimum people like us,” the first family departed for a registries safe again. wage. $4 million, 17-day Christmas vacation. 169. So the kids will know again that it’s okay 199. Because the average American works 235. Joe Biden. to succeed. until July 15 to pay off the cost of government. 236. He reads Andrew Sullivan. 170. 200. 237.
AP So “Chicago values” can once again be To commemorate the S&P downgrade. He thinks the government created the / safe, legal, and rare. 201. “No matter what some agency may say, Internet. 171. The hijacking of Abraham Lincoln. we’ve always been and always will be a triple- 238. He thinks government is what makes us
CAROLYN KASTER 172. The hijacking of Ronald Reagan. A country.” great.
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239. For pretending his name has been an elec- 290. Eric Holder’s stonewalling about Fast and toral liability. Furious. 240. Because the IRS audit of Harry Reid is 291. Bogus claims of executive privilege in re: long overdue. Fast and Furious. 241. The Constitution. 292. Obama’s ambassador to London said that 242. Bailing out Chrysler and giving it to an “all key issues must run through Europe.” Italian car company. 293. “In America, there’s a failure to appreci- 243. Because Fisker Automotive is offshoring ate Europe’s leading role in the world,” said the (Mitt can explain) its manufacturing to Finland alleged leader of the free world. after Obama “invested” our money in it. 294. Giving the Russians information on 244. The auto bailout initially cost $14 billion Britain’s nuclear deterrent to persuade them to but eventually will cost taxpayers $25.1 bil- sign a treaty. lion. 295. David Plouffe. 245. Because we believe him when he says: 296. Joe Biden. “The American auto industry has come roaring 297. Falsely claiming that 90 percent of back. Now I want to do the same thing with try with no accomplishments is now thinking, “I Mexican crime guns come from the United manufacturing jobs, not just in the auto indus- could be president within four years.” States. try, but in every industry.” 270. Even Entertainment Weekly thinks it is 298. Working to make that lie a reality. 246. GM’s share price is tanking. time for the president to stop doing fluff inter- 299. Wanting to reinstate the assault-weapons 247. GM’s market share is tanking. views. ban. 248. We’re not hearing the roar. 271. Because we are not “a nation of cow- 300. Expressing support for Washington’s 249. The auto bailout saved union benefits, but ards.” handgun ban and claiming that it was constitu- employees of parts supplier Delphi saw up to 70 272. Dropping prosecution of the New Black tional. percent of their pensions yanked away. Panthers. 301. Opposing concealed-carry laws and sup- 250. Shortchanging private bondholders to pre- 273. His Justice and Education departments porting a national law that prohibits the prac- serve UAW contracts. issued a report encouraging post-secondary tice. 251. Attacking the bondholders for “hold[ing] institutions to evade restrictions on racial pref- 302. Supporting the United Nations Arms out for the prospect of an unjustified taxpayer- erences. Trade Treaty (the “small-arms treaty”). funded bailout.” 274. Attempting to try KSM in New York City. 303. An “F” rating from the NRA. 252. Elena Kagan. 275. Dumping the Defense of Marriage Act, 304. We rather liked Article I, Section 8 of the 253. Kagan’s declaration that the Constitution despite an obligation to defend it. Constitution. is “defective.” 276. Opposing voter ID. 305. “I am president. I am not king. I can’t do 254. The Wise Latina™. 277. The Obama DOJ does not consider these things just by myself.” 255. Number of justices older than 75: three. putting a GPS tracker on your car a “search.” 306. The DREAM Act executive order. 256. So Antonin Scalia can retire in peace. The Supreme Court disagrees, 9–0. 307. Gutting the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. 257. He values “empathy” over “abstract legal 278. Because we like religious liberty. 308. 29 recess appointments, some of them theory,” a.k.a. the law. 279. In Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, the adminis- without an actual recess. 258. He considers the Warren Court to have tration argued that federal “discrimination” laws 309. War Powers Act? Who needs it? been a failure because it did not achieve “redis- applied to religious organizations’ selection of 310. “We’re not going to use signing state- tribution of wealth.” their leaders. The Supreme Court disagrees, ments as a way of doing an end run around 259. And because “it didn’t break free from the 9–0. Congress.” essential constraints that were placed by the 280. President Obama’s DOJ sued the State of 311. He has used signing statements 21 times Founding Fathers in the Constitution,” a.k.a. the Florida because it attempted to purge state vot- so far. Constitution. ing rolls of foreigners and deceased citizens. 312. Cynical gay-marriage flip-flop. 260. Alleging that a decision overturning 281. The DOJ blocked a voter-ID law in South 313. Cynical Gitmo flip-flop. Obamacare would be “unprecedented.” Carolina, even though the state provided free 314. The possibility of gay marriages in 261. Falsely claiming that Citizens United voter IDs. Gitmo. allows “foreign countries and companies 282. Former Justice attorney Christopher 315. Obama’s first presidential decision: Joe bankrolling national campaigns.” Coates says that there is a “hostile atmosphere Biden. 262. Describing Citizens United as “a major . . . against race-neutral enforcement of the 316. Biden will finally be free to say whatever victory for Big Oil, Wall Street banks, health- Voting Rights Act.” he wants. insurance companies.” 283. Suing Arizona in federal court for enforc- 317. “Middle Class Joe.” 263. Gracelessly attacking members of the ing federal immigration law. 318. “Barack America.” Supreme Court at the 2010 State of the Union 284. Arguing that the IRS takes priority over 319. The “first mainstream African American speech. other creditors when farmers in bankruptcy sell who is articulate and bright and clean and a 264. Attorney General Eric Holder. their farms. nice-looking guy.” 265. Supreme Court Justice Eric Holder. 285. Joe Biden. 320. “Big f***ing deal.” 266. Celebrating his birthday for a week. 286. Fast and Furious. 321. “They gonna put y’all back in chains.” 267. “Anyone can grow up to be president,” 287. Lying about Fast and Furious. 322. Biden has a lousy fake black accent. but we didn’t need someone to prove it. 288. Dishonestly denying that ATF allowed 323. Biden wanted us to avoid “confined
AP 268. guns to “walk” as part of Fast and Furious.
/ Mocking Nancy Reagan at a news confer- spaces” because of swine flu, a panic-inducing ence. 289. The death of Brian Terry because of Fast recommendation completely contradictory to
EVAN VUCCI 269. Every ambitious state senator in the coun- and Furious. CDC instructions.
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324. Biden called tea-party Republicans in “fully understands” their draconian one-child 384. Giving the Queen of England an iPod Congress “terrorists.” policy. containing his speeches. 325. Biden was asked by the manager of a cus- 358. Joe Biden. 385. Making a speech during the British tard shop outside of Milwaukee if he was going 359. Canada today seems well governed in national anthem while visiting Buckingham to lower taxes. He called the man a “smartass.” comparison. Palace. 326. Biden: “We have to go spend money to 360. Speaking at the DNC in front of Greco- 386. Michelle Obama hugged the Queen. keep from going bankrupt.” Roman columns. 387. For sending back the Churchill bust. 327. Biden: “Jobs” is a “three-letter word.” 361. We’ll get to watch Chris Matthews cry. 388. For lying about sending back the 328. Biden: The bin Laden hit was the most 362. We’ll get to watch Chris Matthews lose Churchill bust. “audacious plan” in 500 years. his tingle. 389. For refusing to admit lying about sending 329. Biden considers Brussels to be the “capi- 363. We’ll get to watch Ed Schultz go crazy. back the Churchill bust. tal of the free world.” Crazier. Whatever. 390. Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented 330. Giving Joe a head start on “Biden 2016.” 364. Because he’s nicer to Harvard professors Obama with a penholder made from the timbers 331. “The war on women.” than to Cambridge cops. of the 19th-century British warship HMS 332. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. 365. “A teachable moment.” Gannet. President Obama gave Gordon Brown 333. Favoring reintroduction of the Equal 366. “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” 25 DVDs that didn’t play on British DVD Rights Amendment. players. 334. Saying that there is a crisis in “access to 391. “The Maldives.” contraception,” when Walmart sells the contra- 392. Calling France our strongest friend and ceptive pill for $9 per month. ally. 335. The HHS mandate. 393. Fort Hood was “workplace violence.” 336. We rather liked the First Amendment. 394. “Man-caused disasters.” 337. Calling up Sandra Fluke. 395. So we can reopen Guantanamo Bay! Oh, 338. The fee for violating the HHS mandate is wait . . . $100 per day, per employee. 396. “Overseas contingency operations.” 339. The question of when life begins is 397. So the State Department will no longer “above [the president’s] pay grade.” apologize to Chinese Communists for Arizona’s 340. But proclaiming, “Abortions should be immigration laws. legally available in accordance with Roe v. 398. Janet Napolitano’s “the system worked.” Wade.” 399. “A failure to connect the dots.” 341. And opposing all parental-notification 400. “We can absorb a terrorist attack.” laws. 401. NASA trying to make Muslims “feel 342. And describing becoming pregnant as good about their historic contribution to being “punished with a baby.” 367. Personally pitching Chicago as an science, math, and engineering.” 343. While claiming abortion is “health care.” Olympics host in Copenhagen. 402. Pool report, December 28, 2009: “A half- 344. He advocates nullification of almost all 368. Failing spectacularly while pitching hour after President Obama vowed to catch the federal and state limitations on abortion. Chicago as an Olympics host in Copenhagen. terrorists behind a plot to blow up a plane on 345. He opposes the partial-birth-abortion ban. 369. With Michelle, using some form of “I” 70 Christmas, he arrived at 10:40 A.M. at the Luana 346. He overturned the Dornan amendment, times in 89 sentences in Copenhagen. Hills Country Club.” Perhaps he suspected a which had outlawed taxpayer-funded abortions 370. To Hispanics: “We’re gonna punish our caddy was involved? in Washington, D.C., for 13 years. enemies, and we’re gonna reward our friends 403. “Reset.” 347. A 100 percent pro-abortion rating from who stand with us on issues that are important 404. Due to a translation error, the “Reset” both NARAL and Planned Parenthood. to us.” button actually said “Overloaded.” 348. A 0 percent rating from National Right to 371. The apology tour. 405. The New START treaty, by which Life. 372. The Nobel Peace Prize? Really? America gives and Russia gets. 349. Overturning the Mexico City Policy. 373. Bowing before the king of Saudi Arabia. 406. Ignoring Russia’s tactical-nuclear- 350. Opposing the Hyde Amendment. 374. Bowing before Chinese Communist weapons advantage. 351. Supporting public funding for Planned leader Hu Jintao. 407. North Korea has 2,000 uranium- Parenthood. 375. Bowing before the emperor of Japan. enrichment centrifuges and is constructing a 352. $487 million to Planned Parenthood in 376. Bowing before the president of Mexico. 100-megawatt light-water reactor. 2010. 377. Bowing before the mayor of Tampa. 408. So he can finally see Israel. 353. Federal funding for embryonic-stem-cell 378. Bowing before every union boss in the 409. Because “Israel is a strong friend of research. known universe. Israel’s.” 354. “Science czar” John Holdren, who wrote 379. Because then maybe the Dalai Lama 410. “The Middle East is obviously an issue a book advocating forced abortion and steriliza- won’t have to leave the White House by a back that has plagued the region for centuries.” tion while arguing for a one-world government. door, next to piled-up garbage. 411. Humiliating Benjamin Netanyahu. 355. His first deputy secretary of state, James 380. Listening calmly for 50 minutes while 412. No more bitching about Israeli prime B. Steinberg, told the Senate that taxpayers Daniel Ortega issued a diatribe against the ministers to French presidents. NEWSCOM / should be forced to fund abortions. United States at the OAS. 413. Insisting on the settlement freeze. EPA / 356. $50 million in funds to the United Nations 381. Wanting to relax travel restrictions to Cuba. 414. Because the Israeli capital is Jerusalem. Population Fund, which supports China’s “One 382. Shaking Hugo Chávez’s hand. 415. “Leading from behind.” Child” policy. 383. Because a new president will respect 416. Canceling the missile-defense program in
MATTHEW CAVANAUGH 357. Joe Biden telling the Chinese that he Honduran democracy. Poland and the Czech Republic.
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417. “A Polish death camp.” 457. “Cap and trade.” 482. Because we only needed to be told once 418. Abandoning Iraq. 458. “Electricity rates would necessarily sky- that Chu won a Nobel Prize. 419. The Afghan deadline. rocket.” 483. The country deserves an energy secretary 420. Never saying “victory.” 459. The war on coal. who owns a car. 421. Assad the reformer. 460. Opposing the Sacramento–San Joaquin 484. Because Thomas Edison must be 422. Naïve outreach to Iran. Water Reliability Act. avenged. 423. His blatant bad faith on stopping the 461. Solyndra. 485. The Chevy Volt. Iranian nuclear program. 462. Biden on Solyndra: The “jobs are going to 486. The Korean batteries in the Chevy Volt. 424. Sending a team of dolphins to the Strait of be permanent jobs. These are the jobs of the 487. The recall of every Chevy Volt ever built. Hormuz. future. These are the green jobs. These are the 488. EPA regulation of carbon. 425. When a drone crashed in Iran: “We’ve jobs that won’t be exported. These are the jobs 489. The EPA running free of congressional asked for it back. We’ll see how the Iranians that are going to define the 21st century and the oversight. respond.” jobs that are going to allow America to compete 490. Classifying carbon dioxide and methane, 426. Negotiating with the Taliban. and to lead like we did in the 20th century.” two products of the human body, as “danger- 427. Expanding combat roles for women. 463. George Kaiser, the billionaire Obama ous” to human health. 428. Using Israel’s pre-1967 borders as a fundraiser who held the biggest stake in 491. Bypassing Congress to regulate emissions debate “starting point.” Solyndra. through the United Nations Environment 429. Inviting the Muslim Brotherhood to 464. Refusing to hand over internal White Program. Washington, D.C. House documents about Solyndra. 492. “We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as 430. Because the Muslim Brotherhood is not 465. 71 percent of energy grants and loans much as we want and keep our homes on 72 largely “secular.” were given to Democratic donors, bundlers, or degrees at all times.” 431. Shrinking the Marine Corps by 10 percent. members of Obama’s National Finance 493. The War on the Suburbs. 432. The Navy’s shipbuilding budget will con- Committee. 494. Because of whatshisname, who runs tinue to fall behind the rate at which ships are 466. Raser Technology of Utah received a $33 HUD. being retired. million grant. It filed for bankruptcy in 2011. 495. Blocking the Keystone pipeline. 433. Global Zero. 467. Sun Power received $1.2 billion in tax- 496. Installing wind turbines that kill bald 434. “No one nation can or should try to domi- payer guarantees. Today, it owes more than it’s eagles. nate another nation.” worth. 435. The Cairo speech. 468. Aptera liquidated itself in 2011. It had 436. Lending legitimacy to the atrocious U.N. received a $150 million conditional loan from Human Rights Council. the federal government. 437. Failing to support the Green Revolution 469. Pressuring an Air Force general to change in Iran. his testimony to favor LightSquared, a wireless 438. Referring to Iran as “the Islamic Republic company, run by major Democratic donor of Iran.” Sanjiv Ahuja. 439. New Year’s greetings to “the people and 470. Ener1 received a $118.5 million grant leaders of Iran.” from the Department of Energy. It went bank- 440. Politically correct taboos against use of rupt in January. the term “radical Islam.” 471. BrightSource received $1.6 billion in 441. Leaking Stuxnet. guarantees and turned it into a $177 million 442. Leaking about the bin Laden raid. loss. 443. Leaking about the drone program. 472. Beacon Power received $43 million in 497. “Cash for Clunkers.” 444. Leaking about the Yemeni double agent. loan guarantees. It’s now bankrupt. 498. Purchasing 450,000 gallons of biofuel for 445. Because Tom Donilon finally might shut 473. ECOtality received $126.2 million of tax- Navy ships at a cost of $15 per gallon. The stan- the f*** up. payers’ money. It posted $45 million in losses dard JP-5 fuel costs $4 a gallon. 446. Because by 2020 the interest payments on and will never be profitable. 499. Some of that biofuel came from the debt will be bigger than the entire military 474. Abound Solar received $400 million in Solazyme, which the administration awarded a budget. loan guarantees to build photovoltaic-panel fac- $22 million stimulus grant. 447. By 2015, the interest on the national debt tories. The company has filed for bankruptcy 500. Gas prices up 100 percent since will finance the Chinese army in its entirety. and laid off all 305 of its employees. Inauguration Day. 448. Railing against waterboarding but blow- 475. Nevada Geothermal received a $98.5 mil- 501. A six-month ban on offshore drilling in ing up over 2,000 suspected terrorists. lion guarantee in 2010. The company is failing. Louisiana . . . 449. Van Jones. 476. Stretching CAFE standards beyond all 502. . . . while applauding increased drilling 450. The word “um” needs a break. reasonable limits. off the coast of Brazil. 451. The Mexicans prefer Cinco de Mayo to 477. “British Petroleum.” 503. Lying about his panel of experts’ recom- Cinco de Cuatro. 478. Taking lots of campaign schmundo from mending an offshore-drilling ban. 452. Even Maureen Dowd has lost faith. “British Petroleum.” 504. Rejecting “sound science” to close Yucca 453. And David Brooks is wavering. 479. Instructing BP to create a $20 billion es - Mountain because Harry Reid told him to. 454. He’s lost “Obama Girl.” crow fund to be distributed by the government. 505. The Communist party endorsed him. 455. He hasn’t lost Joe Biden. 480. Hilda Solis, the AFL-CIO’s “humble 506. Desire to “fundamentally transform” 456. The next time a candidate runs under the servant.” America.
NEWSCOM 481. 507. / banner of “Yes We Can!” the American people Steven “The Public Needs to Be Praising Malcom X’s “repeated acts of
ZUMA might ask: “What, precisely?” Educated” Chu. self-creation.”
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Republican Convention Special
508. “I want you to argue with them [your 540. “I believe all the choices we’ve made have 563. For inserting himself into the biographies neighbors] and get in their face.” been the right ones.” of other presidents on whitehouse.gov. 509. “Hostage takers.” 541. “We can’t wait!” 564. Stephanie Cutter. 510. One day after telling debt-ceiling- 542. Because “there is no secret, brilliant strate- 565. Attack Watch. negotiation participants to “leave our political gy. This White House is in a bubble.” So said 566. Truth Team. rhetoric at the door,” Obama says at a town hall former MSNBC host Cenk Uygur, September 1, 567. Everything he does is touted as “unprece- that Republicans are treating the debt ceiling as 2011. dented” and “daring”—even locating his reelec- “a gun against the heads of the American people 543. For holding more fundraisers than the last tion headquarters in Chicago. to extract tax breaks for corporate-jet owners.” five presidents combined. 568. Teleprompter speeches to schoolchildren. 511. He hates corporate jets. 544. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews characterized 569. Joe Biden. 512. One great American manufacturing suc- the change in Obama’s political approach as 570. Raúl Castro’s daughter endorsed him cess story: corporate jets. “going from hope and change to dig-up-and- while in the United States . . . 513. He said Occupy Wall Street “expresses the destroy.” 571. . . . and she was here because the Obama frustrations that the American people feel.” 545. Being afraid of press conferences. administration gave her a visa. 514. Telling Occupiers, “you’re the reason I ran 546. Within weeks of becoming president, 572. Isn’t it time for the oceans to rise again? for office.” Obama appointed 17 lobbyists, after having 573. Repeatedly saying the federal government 515. Being “unaware of the tea parties.” promised to eliminate their influence. must codify in law the idea that we are “my 516. “Teabaggers!” 547. Meeting with lobbyists across from the brother’s keeper, my sister’s keeper,” while his 517. “When you spread the wealth around it’s White House in coffee shops in order to avoid own brother lives in a shack. good for everybody.” producing Secret Service logs. 574. Daring to besmirch the reputation of 518. “We’re not going to run around doing neg- 548. Giving his first official television inter- Rutherford B. Hayes. ative ads. We’re going to keep it positive, we’re view to Al-Arabiya. 575. “Some billionaires have a tax rate as low going to talk about the issues.” 549. “I won.” as 1 percent.” 519. Americans are “bitter, they cling to guns 550. Saying Jessica Simpson is in a “weight 576. The TSA touches our junk. or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like battle.” 577. We need a Treasury Secretary who hasn’t them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade 551. Mocking the Special Olympics. been caught taking illegal deductions on his sentiment.” 552. We can’t survive more than three Hilary taxes. 520. The “smartest president ever” wrote only Rosens. 578. Getting contradicted by Caterpillar’s CEO. one article for the Harvard Law Review . . . 553. Awarding the Presidential Medal of 579. Asking Americans, and blacks specifical- 521. . . . and that article was a paean to abor- Freedom to Harvey Milk. ly, to “have his back.” tion. 554. Awarding the Presidential Medal of 580. Saying Americans should “rise and fall as 522. “Citizen of the world.” Freedom to Mary Robinson. one unit.” 523. Because he campaigned in Berlin. 555. Awarding the Presidential Medal of 581. Because his authenticity is rooted in con- 524. Because he never stopped campaigning. Freedom to Dolores Huerta. descension. 525. Thinking there’s an Austrian language. 556. Hiring a former ACORN associate to run 582. Because he’s a post-partisan poseur. 526. “Greek exceptionalism.” his 2012 “Project Vote” campaign. 583. If he could have “any superpower” it 527. At this rate, Greece might not be so excep- 557. For the sheer joy of sticking it to Colin would be to speak a foreign language. tional . . . Powell, Jim Leach, Ken Adelman, and the 584. Because the vaunted intellectual speaks 528. “There’s nothing special about Britain. Obamacon community. fewer foreign languages than George W. Bush. You’re just the same as the other 190 countries 558. For mocking Scott Brown’s truck. 585. Misattributing a quotation on the Oval in the world. You shouldn’t expect special treat- 559. Appointing a La Raza lobbyist to direct Office carpet. ment.” his Domestic Policy Council. 586. The czars. 529. It’s time for an administration more inter- 560. Bypassing the Senate to appoint Steven 587. The fundraisers. ested in building pipelines than narratives. Rattner, who was under SEC investigation for 588. Because he hates Eric Cantor. 530. The Salahis need some turnover in White kickbacks and pensions fraud. 589. Endorsed by the NEA. House Protocol staffers to get their groove back. 561. Believing the United Nations has prevent- 590. Endorsed by AFL-CIO. 531. The Obama–Clinton primary fight was so ed a Third World War. 591. Endorsed by SEIU. much fun, this way we can do it again in 2016. 562. For this little nugget from Jodi Kantor’s 592. Taking $60 million from the SEIU. 532. He makes Bill Clinton look like a states- The Obamas, page 156: “There were many 593. Telling the SEIU: “We look after each man. times the president seemed to be giving up on other!” True enough. 533. We need a president who knows the prop- the public.” 594. “I’ve been fighting with ACORN, along- er usage of “enormity.” side ACORN, on issues you care about, my 534. And a vice president who knows what entire career.” “literally” means. 595. We need a vice president who is hated by 535. Because he was born in Asia—at least, Tom Morello. that’s where he seems to think Hawaii is. 596. Janeane Garofalo is adorable when she 536. Good time for the Obamas to transition, weeps. with nothing in season during January in the 597. He’d “appreciate a little break and some White House kitchen garden. Tuscan sun.” NEWSCOM / 537. 392 speeches in 2009. 598. Because he doesn’t know more about REUTERS
/ 538. 491 speeches in 2010. Judaism than any other president. 539. Thinking his mistake was failure “to tell a 599. For his runaway narcissism, e.g.
JASON REED story to the American people.” December 20, 2011: “I would put our legislative
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and foreign-policy accomplishments in our first 650. Race-based quotas for school discipline. two years against any president—with the possi- 651. “I am a strong supporter of affirmative ble exceptions of Johnson, FDR, and Lincoln.” action.” 600. Free Cory Booker! 652. Because he wants to squeeze the fruit 601. Panthers Stadium. again. 602. Have we mentioned Joe Biden? 653. We don’t need a “civilian national-security 603. Comparing himself to Martin Luther King. force.” 604. Because not all of our foreign allies can 654. We don’t need an Internet kill switch. “punch above their weight.” 655. The FCC’s attempting to impose “net neu- 605. He needs more time to hang out with trality.” celebrities. 656. “Nobody accused Mr. Romney of being a 606. Accepting Harry Reid’s lies about felon” (except Obama’s deputy campaign man- Romney’s tax returns. ager). 607. “I’m LeBron, baby.” ly inspired to get married by “Bloody Sunday” 657. Trying to move the census from the 608. Because since becoming president, Obama in Selma, Ala., which happened four years after Department of Commerce to the White House. has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay their actual wedding. 658. Valerie Jarrett. Leno and The Late Show with David 627. For $40,000-a-plate fundraising dinners in 659. He tried to appoint Tom Daschle. Letterman, taped a question-and-answer promot- Hollywood. 660. “I don’t think you or anybody who’s been ing Conan O’Brien’s transition to The Tonight 628. “A lot of people in this room have seen watching the campaign would say yes, that in Show, taped a promotion for George Lopez, and directly the damage that’s been done as a conse- any way we have tried to divide the country. taped a video for The Colbert Report. quence of this recession,” said President Obama, We’ve always tried to bring the country 609. He has also taped a prime-time special speaking at a $38,500-per-plate fundraiser held together.” with Oprah, been the subject of an NBC News at the home of Ralph Schlosstein, CEO of 661. Mom jeans. prime-time special, been the subject of an HBO Evercore Partners, the investment bank that 662. Eating dog. documentary, and grilled with Food Network advised General Motors during its bankruptcy 663. He picked his dog from the same litter as star Bobby Flay. and subsequent bailout. Ted Kennedy. 610. And he has popped up in commercials 629. The GSA spent $823,000 on a conference 664. To give salmon regulators a break. during Thanksgiving football, and filled out his for 300 employees at a luxury Las Vegas hotel. 665. To shut up the Birthers . . . NCAA basketball tournament picks on ESPN; 630. Airfare and lodging for the planning trips 666. . . . especially Trump . . . and now he is appearing on American Idol. alone cost $147,000. 667. . . . until Rubio runs. (Again.) 631. The GSA spent $3,200 on a mind reader. 668. So he can blame it on Bush. 611. Because we don’t want to eat our vegeta- 632. The GSA spent $6,300 on commemorative 669. It’s time for a Choom Gang reunion. bles. coins. 670. For governing “Present.” 612. So Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas 633. The GSA spent $75,000 on a training 671. If you’re going to fill your autobiography can once again enjoy an Egg McMuffin in exercise to build a bicycle. with fake women, you could at least make them peace. 634. The GSA treated 120 interns to a confer- more appealing. 613. Believing reducing “obesity” will save ence at a Palm Springs resort. 672. That Jimmy Fallon appearance. $1 trillion per year. 635. Richard Trumka is a frequent White 673. “Cominskey.” 614. Lying about Romney’s position on abor- House guest. 674. Do it for Andrew Breitbart. tion. 636. e. christi cunningham 675. He throws like a girl. 615. Borrowing arguments from Elizabeth 637. Persecuting Boeing for expanding opera- 676. He bowls like a four-and-a-half-year-old. Warren. tions in a right-to-work state. 677. He wore a White Sox hat with a Nationals 616. Being on the same team as Elizabeth 638. Card check. jersey to throw out his first pitch. Warren. 639. Appointing Sharon Block and Richard 678. Roman Genn is really good at drawing 617. Because the Constitution was not “put to Griffin to the National Labor Relations Board . . . Romney and Ryan. paper more than 20 centuries ago.” 640. . . . as recess appointments. 679. We can’t take any more cowbell. 618. Because encouraging Americans to buy 641. The DISCLOSE Act. 680. The presidency is really starting to eat into “thingamajigs” is not an economic plan. 642. Nationalizing the student-loan industry. his golf game. 619. We can’t survive Obama’s dealing with 643. Using the loan market to push young peo- 681. Comedians will be able to joke about the foreign leaders for “the next eight to ten years.” ple into the “helping” professions. president again. 620. Because Georgia isn’t in Russia. 644. Because his wife’s last job paid in the mid- 682. Bill Clinton needs this. 621. We rather like the words “created,” dle six figures but she advised a roomful of 683. We need change we can believe in. “Creator,” and “Life” in the Declaration of working women to abjure financial gain to 684. Recovery November. Independence. engage in public service. 685. The president can hook up again with Bill 622. Accusing Mitt Romney of killing a 645. Trying to end the D.C. Opportunity Ayers, “a guy who lives in [his] neighborhood.” woman. Scholarship Program. 686. He’ll be able to spend more time with his 623. Because his main opponent is not “cyni- 646. And doing so while sending his daughters family. cism.” to Sidwell Friends. 687. Because that first public cigarette will be POLARIS / 624. Government is most definitely not “cool 647. Joe Biden. smooooooth. again.” 648. Filing briefs in support of affirmative action 688. Because the post-election NATIONAL
WHITE HOUSE 625. / Demagoguing the PATRIOT Act and then and race-based quotas in public universities. REVIEW cruise can’t stock enough liquor if it quietly signing an extension. 649. A new federal office specifically dedicated goes the other way.
PETE SOUZA 626. Because Obama’s parents were supposed- to educational efforts for African Americans. 689. Because you built that.
5 9 caribbean 2012_2 page September 10 issue_carribian 2p+application.qxd 8/20/2012 3:47 PM Page 1
Sailing November 11–18 on THE NATIONAL REVIEW Holland America’s luxurious Nieuw Amsterdam 2012 Post-Election Cruise JOIN Jonah Goldberg, Rich Lowry, Bernard Lewis, Victor Davis Hanson, Ralph Reed, John Yoo, Scott Rasmussen, Daniel Hannan, Peter Robinson, James L. Buckley, Ed Gillespie, Cal Thomas, Elliott Abrams, Brian Anderson, James Lileks, Mona Charen, John O’Sullivan, Mark Krikorian, John Fund, Bing West, Alan Reynolds, James Pethokoukis, Jay Nordlinger, Michael Walsh, Rob Long, Robert Costa, Ed Whelan, John J. Miller, Ramesh Ponnuru, Roger Kimball, Andrew McCarthy, Kevin D. Williamson, Jim Geraghty, Kathryn Jean Lopez, Kevin Hassett, Andrew Stuttaford, and Anne Bayefsky as we visit the beautiful and sunny Caribbean ports of Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Roatan (Honduras), Half Moon Cay, and Ft. Lauderdale
ign up for what’s certain to be one of the most exciting sea- Anderson, The New Criterion editor Roger Kimball, immigration faring adventures you will ever experience: the National expert Mark Krikorian, author Michael Walsh, NRO editor-at- S Review 2012 Post-Election Cruise. Featuring a cast of all- large Jonah Goldberg, NR editor Rich Lowry, political correspon- star conservative speakers, this affordable trip—prices start at dent John Fund, former NR editor John O’Sullivan, “Long View” $1,999 a person—will take place November 11–18, 2012, aboard columnist Rob Long, senior editors Jay Nordlinger and Ramesh Holland America Line’s MS Nieuw Amsterdam, the Ponnuru, NRO “Exchequer” blogger Kevin Williamson, acclaimed ship of one of the world’s leading cruise NRO editor-at-large Kathryn Jean Lopez, political lines. From politics, the elections, the presidency, and reporter Robert Costa, NRO “Campaign Spot” blogger domestic policy to economics, national security, and Jim Geraghty, and national correspondent John J. foreign affairs, there’s so much to discuss. That’s pre- Miller. And, as a special treat, our contingent will cisely what our array of three dozen leading conservative include someone who is so close to the history of both analysts, writers, and experts will do on the Nieuw Amsterdam, National Review and the conservative movement: former U.S. your floating luxury getaway for scintillating discussion of major Senator, federal judge, and Reagan Administration official James events, trends, and the 2012 elections. L. Buckley. We’ll have a wonderful group of speakers on board to help No wonder we’ve had over 300 cabins booked so far! make sense of politics, elections, and world affairs. Our stellar The “typical” NR cruise alumnus (there are thousands) has line-up includes Islam scholar Bernard Lewis, historian Victor gone on four of our voyages and knows that NR trips are marked Davis Hanson, pollster Scott Rasmussen, former RNC chairman by riveting political shoptalk, wonderful socializing, intimate Ed Gillespie, political guru Ralph Reed, European Parliament dining with editors and speakers, making new friends, rekindling conservative Daniel Hannan, columnists Cal Thomas, James old friendships, and grand cruising. That and much more awaits Lileks, and Mona Charen, military expert Bing West, foreign you on the National Review 2012 Post-Election Cruise. affairs experts Elliott Abrams and Anne Bayefsky, Uncommon Here’s our exclusive event program: nine scintillating seminars Knowledge host Peter Robinson,legal scholars John Yoo and Ed featuring NR’s editors and guest speakers; two fun-filled “Night Whelan, economics experts James Pethokoukis, Alan Reynolds, Owl” sessions; three revelrous pool-side cocktail receptions; a Kevin Hassett, and Andrew Stuttaford, City Journal editor Brian late-night “smoker” featuring world-class H. Upmann cigars (and complimentary cognac); and inti- JOIN U S FOR SEVEN BALMY DAYS AND COOL C ON SERVAT IVE N IGHT S mate dining on two evenings with a guest speaker or editor. DAY/DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART SPECIAL EVENT The best reason to come is the SUN/Nov. 11 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 5:00PM evening cocktail reception luminary line-up. This tremendous ensemble (we’re awaiting RSVPs MON/Nov. 12 Half Moon Cay 8:00AM 4:00PM afternoon seminar “Night Owl” session from many more invited guests) guarantee fascinating and informa- TUE/Nov. 13 AT SEA morning/afternoon seminars tive seminar sessions. WED/Nov. 14 Ocho Rios (Jamaica) 7:00AM 4:00PM afternoon seminar a Some of our primo prior cruise evening cocktail reception experiences have been the informed THU/Nov. 15 Grand Cayman 7:00AM 3:00PM afternoon seminar interchanges between Bernard Lewis late-night Smoker and Victor Davis Hanson on the FRI/Nov. 16 Roatan (Honduras) 9:00AM 3:00PM afternoon seminar brutal, age-old struggle between “Night Owl” session Islam and the West. SAT/Nov. 17 AT SEA morning/afternoon seminars a Watch John Miller, Brian evening cocktail reception Anderson, Peter Robinson, and SUN/Nov. 18 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 8:00AM Debark Roger Kimball discuss just how deep the media is in the liberal tank. caribbean 2012_2 page September 10 issue_carribian 2p+application.qxd 8/20/2012 3:47 PM Page 2
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The Long View BY ROB LONG
Alicia Keys began doing a kind of Questions: None. Self-explanatory. highly eroticized dance. Suddenly the crowd was in chains and I leapt from FRIDAY NIGHT the stage and began loosening the chains with the bolt cutters I sudden- I officiate at a gay wedding. Goes From the ly had in my hands. Later, I was in a well. Suddenly I realize that it’s my Dream Journal of Jacuzzi with Harriet Tubman, Dionne gay wedding, and I’m racing around Warwick, and the late Nell Carter, the venue trying to find my wife to ex - Joseph Biden which is when I woke up. plain what’s happening, but I can’t find her. But the reception turns into a Questions: Where did I get the bolt campaign rally, and I’m trying to get TUESDAY NIGHT cutters? What do they signify? Is it onto the stage but I realize that I’m possible to get into contact with Alicia standing thigh-deep in sand. They Last night, I was standing on the div- Keys? keep calling my name and asking for ing board during the Olympics and me to come onto the stage, but as hard I was totally aware that my little MONDAY NIGHT as I try, I can’t make it. Suddenly, my Speedo was riding up and up and up mother is there and she’s holding two on me, and I was nervous and could Hillary Clinton and I are at a Papa ferocious dogs on a leash and they’re hear the crowd. And then suddenly I Gino’s pizza in Wilmington and we barking and baring their teeth at me, was trying to open a jar of peanut but- can’t agree on what toppings to get. and she’s saying, “Everyone wants ter in front of everyone and the crowd She’s being really condescending and a piece of you, Joe. Especially the was jeering and cat-calling because infuriating and I want to throw the little dogs,” and the dogs get closer and I couldn’t do it, and I wanted to cry jar of parmesan cheese at her, but for closer until the actress Kathy Bates but I didn’t. And then, suddenly I was some reason I can’t raise my arm to appears and takes the dogs away and flying through the air and swanning do it. She keeps taunting me about it my mother helps me out of the sand down towards the water and my and belittling me because I clearly am and walks me to kindergarten which is Speedo was flying off and I was a immobilized in some way. Suddenly, when I wake up. beautiful naked man flying, arms out- I realize that my other arm is mobile, stretched, towards the water and then and I use it to pick up the jar of pepper Questions: Why Kathy Bates and I woke up! flakes and I throw it at her but she’s not not Morgan Fairchild? Does “sand” there anymore. It’s Barack. And I hit mean “wisdom,” as in I’m “trapped” Questions: What’s the significance him in the face with the jar and he looks by “wisdom”? of the peanut butter? (Check into pos- at me but won’t say anything, and then sible peanut allergy.) Why was I em - the Secret Service grabs me and tells SATURDAY NIGHT barrassed by the Speedo? I’m never me that I’m late for my inauguration as embarrassed to wear those. president. I can’t find anything to wear Suddenly, I’m covered in blood and so I decide to do the swearing-in cere- holding a knife and standing over the SUNDAY NIGHT mony nude, but it’s cold and everyone dismembered corpse of Wolf Blitzer. tells me that would be a bad idea, but I Barack is there, shaking his head at me I walked into what looked like the just feel so naked and free, and I walk and saying, “Now you’ve done it, Joe. Essence Music Festival into a sea out onto the platform totally naked and Now you’ve done it.” Suddenly, I see of smiling and wonderful African- the crowd roars its approval and they’re Wolf Blitzer move a bit and I’m sure American faces. And I walked up to cheering and cheering and I look back he’s alive but no one will believe me. the stage and stood next to Alicia into the stands and my grandfather is And then I’m in the electric chair and I Keys, the female rapper Khia, and there shaking his head. I look back at wake up right before Morgan Fairchild Harriet Tubman, and I began to tell the crowd and everyone is now laugh- throws the switch. them from my heart why they all ing at me and pointing at me, which is needed to reelect me and as I wept when Morgan Fairchild comes up to Questions: I’ve always liked Wolf Harriet Tubman began to massage me and leads me slowly away. And Blitzer. Maybe no more spicy burritos my back and shoulders as Khia and then I wake up. before bed.
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Athwart BY JAMES LILEKS At Least Drones Hit Their Target
uT yourself in the shoes of an Obama support- issues, like wind power. Smart! As people line up for er. First of all, you didn’t lace them. Someone four-buck-a-gallon gas, you hear the angry murmurs: else did. (Is that tired yet? Never gets tired.) When are we going to get government checks to put sails P Second, you’re concerned his reputation as his- on the top of our minivans? I’ve been studying my ropes tory’s greatest orator might turn out to be a disadvantage. and rigging—hell, I got Master and Commander on Remember 2008, when golden beams of light came out of audiobook, the whole series. Who’s preventing wind his mouth and cured leprosy? Remember his inauguration power from taking its rightful place as our automotive speech, when he exhorted us to be exhorted? propulsion system? Expectations must be reduced, then. That’s the best Wind is pure and good, the elegant turbine blades explanation for the August 20 press conference. turned by the beating of Pegasus wings. But some people It was hastily convened to assure everyone he’s not in hear tales out of North Dakota, where rough men wrest favor of rape. A Republican candidate had said something the crude from the stony breast of Gaia, and they think: stupid about rape that proved all conservatives want banks That oil stuff comes in handy. More of that, if you don’t to foreclose on uteruses, or something. One of those natur- mind. al extrapolations, just as Mitt’s dog-on-the-roof story Alas: The Keystone XL pipeline is still running through means he wants to pit chfork the poor into mass graves. But the regulatory hurdles, and will probably have another the presser went on long enough to remind people that the public-commentary period to collect the outraged opinions president’s speaking style resembles his favorite Pentagon of people who think a 900-foot-tall statue of Dick Cheney toy: deadly drones. stands in the NoDak oilfields, flames shooting from his At least drones hit their target. The president’s perfor- leering maw. Jobs it may produce, but they’re the wrong mance reminded us what he thinks the campaign is about, kind. The right kind of job: designing websites for govern- based on careful study of Huffington Post opinion-piece ment programs, where you say things like “leveraging headlines. Mitt Romney’s taxes, for example. This is a big social media” in a meeting and everyone gives Cyndia a thing on the left, because it has to do with other people’s hard look because she was supposed to bring artisanal cup- money, and how to get some of it. Sly calumny: cakes and she brought store-bought. “I think people want to know that everybody has been In love with the sound of boilerplate hit ting the carpet playing by the same rules,” he said. Because maybe, with a soft thud, the president also said that he’s focused y’know, Mitt made up his own rules and used Jedi mind on hiring more teachers. That’s why the economy is a cold tricks to make IRS auditors believe these were not the blue thing on a slab: We laid off too many teachers, and returns they were looking for. now kids learn only the first twelve letters of the ABC The tax issue reminds people that Mitt might pay less song. If we’d raise taxes on millionaires—who, under the under the Ryan plan, which means the nation hurls off the Romney plan, get a sack of gold coins hand-delivered fiscal cliff at 11:42 A.M. 2025 instead of five past noon. weekly by a guy in a Scrooge McDuck costume—the Really? Mitt’s doing this for money? Picture the meeting economy would sputter to life. with the financial adviser: “Mitt, you have a few hundred Perhaps. But here’s an interesting story from Capcon, a million. We could invest it carefully and ensure your finan- Michigan news service: “Despite having no horses, the cial security, or spend it on two presidential campaigns on water and sewerage department for the City of Detroit the chance you might pass a law that lowers your tax rate. employs a horseshoer. Yet even with a department so I’d go with the latter, but you know me, I favor the aggres- bloated that it has a horseshoer and no horses, the local sive approach.” union president said it is ‘not possible’ to eliminate posi- The president concluded the tax-return portion of his tions. . . . The horseshoer’s job description is ‘to shoe hors- remarks by quoting Mitt Romney’s father on the matter of es and to do general blacksmith work . . . and to perform releasing more records, which reminds people that Mitt related work as required.’ The description was last updat- Romney’s father wasn’t a selfish seed-scattering socialist ed in 1967.” who killed himself driving drunk. Or would remind them, Ah. Making citizens pay someone not to do something if anyone knew anything about Obama père. He also noted to a horse that doesn’t exist: the nobility of the irreplace- that the history of a presidential candidate should be an able public sector. Hiring several people to take care of “open book”—just like the book of his own past, which is real horses that perform dressage: out-of-touch parasite. open in a safe on the bottom of the ocean guarded by In short: hoary bromides d elivered with the passion and radioactive electric eels. Who are composites of other elec- conviction normally associated with the guy on the drive- tric eels he may have known. through loudspeaker who asks if you’d like to try the new Then he reminded us he’s focusing on the important McLiver sandwich. At least it rekindles the press corps’s resolve. Enough of being fooled! We’ll be much harder on Mr. Lileks blogs at www.lileks.com. Romney.
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Perhaps anticipating the attention that ple as it is obvious: Obama and Rubio are would be lavished upon the senator this living proof that the Horatio alger “myth” Rubio summer, and maybe hoping that there is actually still alive and well in this coun- would be even more to come, two authors try. Rubio’s memoir reminds us that, for Rising dedicated books to exploring and flesh- all the stories of american decline, this ing out the contours of the rising GOP country still remains a place where a fam- SEAN TRENDE star. ily can rise from obscure roots to the high- One book, An American Son, is a est echelons of power in a breathtakingly memoir from the senator himself. Its tale short period of time. begins over 100 years ago, with the birth But the book ultimately disappoints in of his maternal grandfather, Pedro Victor many ways, mostly because it chooses to Garcia. From there, we learn the (partial) play it so safe. Nostrums about faith and story of his grandparents’ immigration family, platitudes about big government, to the U.S. We learn the basic details and carefully edited biographical presen- of Rubio’s childhood: his time in the tations are standard fare for a political south-Florida Cuban community, the memoir. With a politician like Rubio, years spent in las Vegas, his love for however, who rose to fame with the auda- football, and his family’s dalliance with cious decision to launch a primary chal- mor monism and return to the Catholic lenge against a governor with a nearly 70 Church. percent approval rating, a reader goes in An American Son: A Memoir, these are in many ways the most en - expecting more. by Marco Rubio (Sentinel, lightening portions of the book, as this the degree to which the book lacks 320 pp., $26.95) is where the reader develops a sense of any surprising revelations or unconven- how Rubio became who he is today. the tional political stances is jarring. even on The Rise of Marco Rubio, author conveys a powerful sense of the the issue of immigration, Rubio seems by Manuel Roig-Franzia importance of his family in his develop- more interested in pleasing both sides (Simon & Schuster, 304 pp., $25) ment; the portions describing the death than anything else. He calls immigration of his grandfather and the effect it had “a difficult issue” and spends a chapter mmedIately after mitt Romney on his family are particularly touching. giving nods to both sides’ concerns, while clinched the Republican nomina- Ru bio’s grandfather’s feelings toward attempting to straddle the fence. much of tion in may, we political analysts Ronald Reagan were especially important Rubio’s appeal is rooted in the belief that I found ourselves immersed in the in shaping Rubio’s views; this subject is he can help immunize the Republican veepstakes. this is essentially a gussied- revisited throughout the book. party against its supposed weakness on up form of entrail reading, and the ana- From there, it is a surprisingly quick the issue, but the evidence from this book lysts haven’t come close to getting the read, detailing Rubio’s journey through is equivocal at best. Republican choice correct in 32 years. college, the Florida House of Repre- the other book, The Rise of Marco the process does, however, fill copy dur- sentatives, and on to the U.S. Senate. the Rubio, by manuel Roig-Franzia, is short- ing the summer doldrums. book’s roughly 100 pages on the Senate er but more substantive. like Rubio, this year, much of the attention focused race are particularly engrossing, as the Roig-Franzia begins his tale some gen- on the junior senator from Florida, marco reader receives a rare insider’s view of the erations back, and traces the story of Rubio. Rubio, who pulled off one of the Rubio campaign’s repeated near-death Rubio’s family and his rise to power. the more spectacular “david against Goliath” experiences and fully enjoys the come- theme of the book is simple: throughout campaigns in 2010 when he effectively back story. his career, “Rubio’s timing has been good, drove Governor Charlie Crist out of the Re - If marco Rubio were not a political his execution has been even better.” publican party, seemed to check off many wunderkind who apparently came within Roig-Franzia made headlines earlier of the boxes for Romney: young, telegenic, a whisker’s breadth of becoming the this year when the Washington Post broke articulate, from a swing state, and from GOP’s vice-presidential nominee this the revelation that Rubio’s family had a crucial and growing demographic. In year, this would still be a fine, even inspir- emigrated not after Fidel Castro came to the end, Rubio was not chosen—on that, ing memoir. Whatever Rubio’s detractors power, as the senator had at times inti - more later—but he clearly was on the may say, his story is in many ways a mated, but rather before the Cuban Rev - campaign’s shortlist until the end. Republican version of Barack Obama’s. olution. Unsurprisingly, Roig-Franzia Obama likes to observe in speeches that spends a good portion of the book back- Mr. Trende is senior elections analyst for his grandfather was a goatherd in Kenya, ing up this claim, in sometimes excruciat- RealClearPolitics.com and the author of The Lost while Rubio relays the story of a grandfa- ing detail. By the end, the reader is left with Majority: Why the Future of Government ther who was born beneath a palm-frond little doubt that Rubio’s family is made Is Up for Grabs—and Who Will Take It. roof. the reason this resonates is as sim- up of pre-Castro immigrants. Beyond
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this, the book covers much of the same depiction of south Florida’s Cuban com- doesn’t just need Latino faces on its tick- ground as Rubio’s, though from a more munity is particularly engrossing, and et or a revamped stance on immigra- detached and less politically sensitive per- leaves the reader with a sense of why tion—though these things wouldn’t hurt. spective. that community is unique among Amer - What it really needs are more upscale It is at the same time too long and too ican Latinos, especially in its political Latino voters. Of course Rubio can do short. At times, the reader will likely find attachment to the Republican party. That little directly to help with this. himself flipping quickly through pages of attachment springs not only from the Still, one emerges from these books seemingly endless minutiae and random Republicans’ hardline anti-Castro stance, with an appreciation of Rubio’s strengths facts. A paragraph is expended describing but also from the Cuban community’s that extends well beyond the demograph- a young Marco Rubio’s trip to the Ken - financial success. Within 20 years of Ba- ic argument. He is, as the Miami Herald nedy Space Center, a thread that is never tista’s fall, Roig-Franzia explains, there once put it, a powerful orator who can woven back into the narrative. Four pages were 200 millionaires in the Cuban “turn an anecdote about planting trees in are spent describing Rubio’s high-school community, and 18,000 Cuban-run busi- one sun-parched neighborhood into a football team, and we learn the sad history nesses. reverie about the power of public ser- of the now-defunct Tarkio College (which This last point may be the critical one in vice.” He emerges from these narratives Rubio briefly attended). understanding the promise—and limita- as someone who can thoughtfully explain Even the “big scoop” on Rubio’s immi- tions—of Marco Rubio. Roig-Franzia conservative ideas to average Americans gration story is in many ways bludgeoned hints at this, but Republicans would do in ways that recent national Republican to death. Family history can be a tricky well to understand that their problems figures have not been able to. thing—my own family believed we were with Latino voters spring not only from Americans won’t get a chance to see related to Kaiser Wilhelm II, until my cultural issues but also from economic how Rubio performs on a national stage research made clear we were descended facts. Poor Latino voters vote much as in 2012. If Romney loses, we will almost from hardscrabble Prussian farmers—and poor white voters do, and the same is certainly get a chance to see Rubio in Rubio doesn’t seem to have maliciously true of rich Latino voters and rich white 2016. Based on the depiction of Rubio in overstated his case. voters. these two books, it would probably be All of that excessive detail might be In other words, the Republican party risky to place a bet against him. excused, except that so many other inter- esting aspects of Rubio’s career are dis- patched in a few sentences. Beyond the MEMORIES OF ENGLAND botched family history, Rubio’s short- comings are only hinted at. Rubio’s rela- So, having tackled most of Churchill’s History, tionships with political associates who Surfed the net for tickets and a book, have faced corruption charges, including Hopped a jet and, spellbound by the mystery now-congressman David Rivera, are also glossed over. Similarly, the political Of dynasty and tomb, gulped with a look committees that were alleged to have The English weather with its burly clouds, done little work—while employing Ru - The Tower, Saint Paul’s, which swallowed us and shook, bio family members—are given short shrift. And the overflowing Thames, bridged by crowds, At times Roig-Franzia also hints that We’d had enough. Such a long list of dates, the senator is a bit of a lightweight, which Stamped like bills to pay, while here the dust shrouds could ultimately explain Romney’s not choosing him. Roig-Franzia relays an An unfriendly square where a bus-queue waits, important debate that Rubio’s colleagues And there, scaffolding clatters up the skies, hoped he would join, only to find that the And farther still, pressed under smoke-gray plates, binder he was studying contained draft sheets for the Miami Dolphins. In another A yellow manuscript tilts at your eyes anecdote, Rubio is stumped by Mike With pencil lines that make you want to rub. Allen of Politico when asked what the If any memories haunt us, they arise acronym in the AGREE Act, which Rubio From a stray evening wasted in a pub, co-authored, stood for. These may be Away from where a million tourists massed: isolated incidents, but the reader wonders Our pints had shallowed—the rush and hubbub if there are more coming. Yet these shortcomings are over- Lifted like fog—when England shone at last, whelmed by the book’s virtues. Roig- Engrained in the oak, like a root of good Franzia deftly constructs a compelling, That held the light and always would hold fast. readable narrative of Rubio’s life and career. More important, he does an out- Or somehow we imagined that it would. standing job placing that life in historical context—both American and Cuban. His —LEE OSER
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MAGNOLIA PICTURES BOOKS, ARTS & MANNERS & ARTS BOOKS, a view of the Disney World fireworks. theirbedroom windows could openonto stoppedbeing ablemaketo their month- t ly payments. And since Siegel, like many grandeur in suburban orlando, where orlando, suburban in grandeur they had been inspired by a visit to Louis overconfident entrepreneurs overconfident i’ esils wih o bedazzled so which Versailles, XiV’s ih h ro bas n hue that house a on beams roof the high taken much money out of his business his of out money much taken aki See, spugnra time- septuagenarian a Siegel, Jack ie promised to be the largest in America. in largest the be to promised i rn hg rtrs hn t clients its when returns high liv ering himself in danger of losing almost every- S having laid the foundations and raised and foundations the laid having theofmiss Americapageant; hisspouse a former model turned trophy wife turned 6 6 refeds ouetr oes and opens documentary Greenfield’s share tycoon and his middle-aged, much- during the good times, he soon found soon he times, good the during still half built when it ends, because thebecauseends, it whenbuilt half still nies raise them for you);theirlifestyleraiseforniesthem a kids, she tells the cameras, when the nan- mother of eight (because it’s easy to have economiccrisisinterposedthe itself and Vegas-and-Floridajets,private of round augmentedwife. Atthetime, theSiegels Siegels’totime-shareoutturnedempire ing sprees. the Siegels were in the process of achiev- shopping outrageous and dogs, fluffy emd ie ova rce cartoon riche nouveau like seemed lecherousempire-builder whosefavorite glad-handing, a husband the characters: be dependent on the same easy money easy same the on dependent be charitable p bubble inflated. Like so many Sun Belt Sun many so Like inflated.bubble etrs wa hd en h “Rolls- the been had what ventures, real-estate the of rest the kept had that Royce of time-share companies,” selling cation “va to - chance the on people working he couple they resolved to recreate its recreate to resolved they couple he hi esils s hal is Versailles their WhenGreenfield beganfilming them, the ultimate in meretricious grandeur, like a Rockefeller,” stopped de de stopped - Rockefeller,” a like T A H T U O D S S O R Change Regime Greenfield insinuated her her self insinuated Greenfield no h lvs f ai and David of lives the into ometime tary filmmaker named Lauren named filmmaker tary ursuit is reviving the fortunes Film | in 2007, a documen- a 2007, in .nationalre .com o c w. e i ev r l a n o i t a n w. w w bit when built f , had never had , She rovesShethroughrecession-ravaged his thing—from his newly built Vegas tower o i fml’ lfsye o Versailles to lifestyle family’s his to stead of by private jet, splurge at Walmart business empire, visiting the overlever- the visiting empire, business itself. instead of on Rodeo Drive, and dismissand Drive, Rodeo on ofinstead keeponfilming after their personal bub- most of the retainers who manage their manage whoretainers the of most gdVgs ihrs, h sls center sales the high-rise, Vegas aged t makescalls topotential investors, curses bicles where debt collectors cold-call collectors debt where bicles ble started leaking air. She trails the real- delinquent time-share owners. And she And owners. time-share delinquent ona decaying, Grey Gardens feel—dead current sprawling home, which soon takes the banks circling his properties, and properties, his circling banks the come to grips, not with poverty exactly,povertywith notgrips, to come they as children her and Jackie follows broods amid huge piles of documents, of piles huge amid broods he where study, his into mogul estate charmed existence: they fly coach fly they existence: charmed their in downgrade marked a with but vows to make back e backmaketovows hat’s become a ghost town, and the cu the and town, ghost hat’sa become - Amazingly, the Siegels let GreenfieldletAmazingly,Siegels the The Queen of Jackie Queenof Versailles Siegel inThe verythinghe’s lost. in in - T films to date about the Great Re Re ces Great - the about date to films 2000s. Rises rich get theirs” film it could have been in our present pass. the key to the film, the to key the pass. present our sion—uptherewith build and then potentially lose their over- much more than the kind of “watch the “watch of kind the than more much leveraged Versailles. We meet some of some meet Versailles.Weleveraged own house when the economy tanked. station were implicated in, and seduced and in, implicated were station Rather, it’s a film that captures how com- revolutionaryresonancestheof unwashed dishes everywhere. gin Call gin with an unexpected depth and a fascinat- leveragedhotel suites andmountain cab- notwithstanding,this isn’t a movie about leg she’s us. son from an earliermarriage—whoanfrom sonsold ins, and the salesmen—including Siegel’s ltl mrcn o eey economic every of Americans pletely t more demagogic hands. (i can only imag- by, the real-estate dreams of the mid- the of dreams real-estate the by, portrait, but portrait, denfreudeGreenfield’sin end-of-empire themdreamaon that they couldn’t quite ing back story.backing She’sformerpro- iBma how the rich stuck it to the rest of us. of rest the to it stuck rich the how share mogul boasts that he helped deliver through means he refuses to identify.) to refuses he means through Siegel’s GoP ties: At one point, the time- have would moore michael what ine pidities (“maybe they’ll havethey’llpidities(“maybe though,Jackie,is whosepredictable stu- grammer and beauty queen, an abused an queen, beauty and grammer lrd t Gog W Bs i 2000, in Bush W. George to Florida afford.We visit Jackie’s childhood home done with the footage, especially given especiallyfootage, the with done and boxes fast-food and carpet, the on poop dog kids’aquarium, the in lizards n ptt NwYr, hr hr best her where York, New upstate in friend from high school is also under under also - is school high from friend ofleisure herinsecond. She’s somehow at once spoiled and hardworking, naïve hardworking, and spoiled once at lady turned marriage first her in spouse wateronher mortgage. Wediscover that and savvy, greedy and innocent, out of out innocent, and greedysavvy, and even the couple’s limo driver was caught up in the madness, buying and flipping and buyingmadness, the in up touch and deeply decent. Forget Ver Forget - decent. deeply and touch lrd pr Florida c sailles, in and words, other think Ameri - he people who bought shares in ove in shares bought who people he a: Jackie Siegel isn’tJackie marie a: Antoinette; he Queen of Versaillesof Queen he o e o’ js wth h Siegels the watch just don’t we So this top-to-bottom scope helps make helps top-to-bottomscope this there’sinevitablean element schaof - e,” she frets about her kids) coexist kids) her about frets she e,” in the skill with which it illuminates , and perhaps and , pris n te lsn his losing then and operties The Queen of Versaillesof Queen Up in theAir in Up R E B M E T P E S The Dark Knight Dark The one of the best the of one to go col- go to 0 1 its title its , , Mar - 2 1 0 2 r- is books9-10_QXP-1127940387.qxp 8/21/2012 10:11 PM Page 67
the colony is the story of Peter Minuit’s Charles II and James II. He used their City Desk buying Manhattan from the Indians in patronage as an opportunity to create 1626 for $24 worth of beads and buttons. Pennsylvania. In this haphazard fashion The art of the deal: In hoc signo vinces. english North America was settled. Import- over time Dutch traders were joined by It did not seem particularly dynamic. farmers. The Bowery is now a gentrified New France was untouchable under the Export millennial street; before that it was flop- restoration: Charles II took subsidies houses; before that it was the old Dutch from louis XIV so as not to have to word for farm. But buying and selling, summon troublesome parliaments. New not sowing and reaping, was what made Amsterdam made a tempting target but New Amsterdam tick. a hard one to hold. england captured it New France along the St. lawrence in 1664, renaming it New York. But in had its farmers too; Quebec license 1673, the Dutch took it back. They ceded plates, if not Quebec drivers, still say Je it to england a year later, in exchange for me souviens—I remember. But France, Surinam. Peace at last? Not quite. In like Holland, was running a fur empire. 1688, the Glorious Revolution elevated Its strategy was to befriend its native sup- a Dutchman to the english throne as pliers. The French converted the Indians, William III, in place of his father-in-law, RICHARD BROOKHISER slept with them, and allied with them. James II. A New York merchant, Jacob The webs of their traffic and diplomacy leisler, seized the city in support of its eoPle are not the only immi- spun over North America’s interior water - new Dutch-Anglo overlords. But lon - grants in the world. The age of ways, through the Great lakes to the don (and many of the locals) felt he had discovery began a transatlantic Mississippi and the Missouri. A require- been too impetuous, and in 1691 leisler P exchange of animals, plants, ment of keeping the Native Americans was hanged, then beheaded. and germs. Most of us know about the happy was not crowding them with new William’s eye was on grander things: devastating effects of old World dis- Americans. So New France, vast on the He wished to wage a world war against eases; the worst thing the white man ever map, was underpopulated. louis XIV and all the pomp of Versailles. gave the red man—worse than war or england’s practice was to send en - The struggle of the plucky underdog and liquor—was smallpox. The New World glishmen across the Atlantic. This was the dark empire was hailed by Winston returned the favor with syphilis. “We slow work, because who wanted to go Churchill (in Marlborough: His Life and have many pocky corses now-a-days,” there? The climate in england’s New Times) and, more remotely, by George says the gravedigger in Hamlet, “that will World—broiling in the summer, freezing lucas (Star Wars). William died in 1702; scarce hold the laying in.” Agriculture in the winter—was surprisingly unpleas- the task passed to his sister-in-law Anne. profited by the exchange. Horses, live- ant for a people coddled by the Gulf england’s future as an imperial power stock, and fruit trees went west, corn, Stream; englishmen perversely made blossomed, then hung in the balance. potatoes, and tomatoes east. But wilder- things worse for themselves by not Anne finally tired of glorious but expen- ness—the world we mistakenly call nat- adjusting their dress and diet to the new sive wars; there were rumors that she ural—changed too. We regularly read fun reality. No one got rich either. The back- might pass her crown to James II’s son, fillers or scare stories about the escape ers of the Jamestown Colony imagined living in exile in a French palace. of strange species: parakeets living in brisk imperial trade between their ven- The wheel of fortune never took that Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, ture and the home country, but these final backward spin. When Anne died in killer carp itching to break into the Great hopes would not begin to be realized 1714, the throne passed to the Georges, lakes. But the process began centuries until tobacco culture took hold decades remote German cousins, and england ago. down the road. For the longest time, the settled decisively into the course of europe was slowest to leave its mark main incentives for englishmen to cross empire. It took another generation, but on North America. Spain’s vast latin the ocean were religious or political. The by mid-century it had driven France Amer ican empire was rocking and rolling colonies were dumping grounds for mal- from North America. by the mid-1500s. lima and Mexico contents. one of the plants the english brought City each boast a university founded in Who was discontented at any given to their New World gardens was the 1551, months apart (lima nipped in just moment depended on the fortunes of carrot. When it escapes into the wild, it ahead). The pope had long before that politics back home. When High Toryism is tough and woody, but it can live assigned Brazil to Portugal. The nations and High Anglicanism reigned under almost anywhere, especially where the that colonized the north—France, Hol - Charles I, Puritans fled Babylon for soil is dry and obdurate. In late summer land, england—were slower to move, New england. When Cromwell clipped its large, flat flowers, compounded of and their footprint for many years was everyone’s hair (Charles’s shortest of dozens of small white blossoms, nod relatively light. all), Virginia opened its arms to royalists. on every roadside, looking for all the The Dutch and French stepped lightly Quakers, far on the radical end of the world as if they have always lived by design. New Amsterdam was a com- re ligious spectrum, were paradoxi cal - there. on some banks they crowd thick mercial venture to extract beaver pelts ly comfortable with the Restoration; enough to greet a bridal party: Queen from the interior. The founding myth of William Penn was friendly with both Anne’s lace.
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Happy Warrior BY MARK STEYN The Abhorre nt Vacuum
N the breast of the Western media, hopes of Arab Spring waning—America—and in its own vacuum competing suc- spring eternal. First we were told the Muslim Brother - cessors are jostling, as London and Paris did, for regional hood would contest only a third of the seats in the advantage: the Muslim Brothers taking power in the secular I Egyptian parliament, just to ensure they had some repre- kleptocracies; a soon-to-be-nuclear Iran, reluctant to let go of sentation in the legislature among all those students, women, its client regime in Syria; and an ever more Islamized Turkey and Copts. Then we were told it would be half the seats, but with neo-Ottoman ambitions in its old vilayets. don’t worry, they had no plans to contest the presidency. Next You don’t have to be an uncovered woman or a Coptic we were told they were taking a run at the presidency, but Christian to recognize that King Farouk to Mubarak to the most unlikely to win compared with all those far more appeal- Muslim Brothers is a pretty perverse notion of progress. After ing time-serving hacks from transnationalist bureaucracies 9/11, we chose to fight a war on “terror”—to campaign like the Arab League and the International Atomic Energy against the means rather than the ends. A decade later, men Agency who were itching to jump in the race. And finally, who share largely the same ends as al-Qaeda—the same view after the Brothers took the presidency and swept the parlia- of society—control the second-biggest recipient of U.S. aid. ment, we were assured that they could govern only in a fine- Turkey is supposedly governed by “soft Islamists,” although ly calibrated balance of power with the secularist military. Mr. Erdogan can butch it up when he wants to: “The mosques Inevitably, within a few weeks of taking the oath of office, are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bay- President Morsi fired the head of the Supreme Council of onets, and the faithful our soldiers.” And, whatever nuanced the Armed Forces, purged the top brass, differences one might detect, both Egypt in cluding the chief of staff and the heads and Turkey are now in the hands of con- of the air force and navy, and reversed such ventional Islamic imperialists: As Erdogan restraints on his power as they’d imposed. told cheering crowds after his last election, Equally inevitably, the view from Wash - “Believe me, Sarajevo won today as much ington was that this was no more than “a as Istanbul, Beirut won as much as Izmir, generational change in military leader- Damascus won as much as Ankara, the ship.” It is true that General Sisi is a West Bank and Jerusalem won as much as younger man than Field Marshal Tantawi. Diyarbakir!” However, the fact remains that, in his first That’s quite a sphere of influence he’s month in office, Mohamed Morsi has claiming. If Iran didn’t have compelling accomplished what it’s taken the post- reasons to defy the West and go nuclear Kemalist regime in Turkey its first decade Mohamed Morsi before the Arab Spring, it does now: The to pull off: the end of the army’s role as constitutional prototype Islamic Republic finds itself with rival models in guardian. Cairo and Ankara, and, in a contest for regional hegemony, Indeed, he seems to have ended the constitution, such as it imposing your nuclear umbrella on the Saudi monarchy and is. No piece of paper gives him the unilateral power to revoke Gulf emirates is a relatively simple method of brand differ- Article 25 of the constitution, but he did. No piece of paper entiation. I doubt the rivalry between the Sunni Brothers, the gives him the authority to dismiss the Supreme Council’s con- Shia ayatollahs, and the neo-Ottoman Turks can resolve stitutional declaration on parliament, but he did. Whatever itself peacefully, even before the nukes change the equation. new piece of paper eventually emerges will be written by men In an American election year, the Middle East is a side issue appointed by him alone. And why stop there? The indepen- in a nation ever broker and, in large part, weary of global re - dent newspaper al-Dustour (“The Constitution,” indeed) has sponsibilities it never sought. But, to modify Trotsky, you just had a print run seized for “harming the president through may not be interested in Islam, but Islam is interested in you. phrases and wording punishable by law.” In whatever lucid Would Morsi have moved so far so fast against a military moments he still enjoys in his prison cell, the unloved ex- bankrolled by U.S. taxpayers if he had thought Washington “Pharaoh” must marvel at that CNN coverage of the “Face - would push back? Probably not. But he read the Obama book Revolution”: As Zvi Mazel wrote in the Jerusalem Post, administration and correctly concluded he could do what he “Morsi now holds dictatorial powers surpassing by far those wanted and pay no price—as did Erdogan, a nominal NATO of erstwhile president Hosni Mubarak.” ally, when he all but formally broke off relations with Israel. Last year, an hour after Mubarak’s resignation, I was inter- As do the mullahs, daily. All three look at Washington and see viewed on Fox News and said that this was the dawn of the a late Ottoman sultan: soft, pampered, decadent, weak, loung- post-Western Middle East. The modern Middle East was cre- ing on his cushions, puffing his hookah, but unable to rouse ated by the British and French in the power vacuum left by the himself to impose his will. After Qaddafi, Hillary Clinton
AP collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Now another great power is offered the following clunker of a sound bite: “We came, we / saw, he died.” In reality, we’re gone, they saw, and the post- Mr. Steyn blogs at SteynOnline (www.steynonline.com). American world is being born. MAYA ALLERUZZO
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