Thought of the Day: Republicans Rolled

Our founders were certainly wary of too much power accruing to the executive branch, but they were equally concerned with what James Madison called a tyranny of the majority. Protecting minority rights is an essential aspect to republicanism. A President who won reelection by taking less than 51% of the majority vote does not have a mandate to impose his will. 2 Jan 2013

Thought of the Day: Size of Government Is the Real Debate

The trend has been toward big government, which is where we are headed. Conservatives are concerned they will appear aloof, cold and indifferent. The Left understands Socialism is alien to the American experience. So we drift, inexorably, down the stream toward a welfare state, seduced by the gifts government grants. Serious debate, as to the ultimate destination and consequences, is missing. 22 Dec 2012

HSBC: Too Big to Jail

What HSBC did was knowingly launder money for drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia, and provide banking services for countries known to harbor terrorists and for exporting terrorism. Both are in contradiction with stated American policy, but more importantly, both violate common rules of humanity. 15 Dec 2012

Thought of the Day: US Births, Positives Outweigh the Negatives

In the long term, as John Maynard Keynes once wrote, we are dead. But it is also true that over the long term economic growth depends upon on an expanding population. Historically, the United States has been unique among developed countries in the West in maintaining birthrates in excess of what’s needed to prevent the population from declining. An abundance of births has provided the fundamentals needed for long term economic growth. 3 Dec 2012

Thought of the Day: Who Is Grover Norquist? Part II

Mainstream media and the Democratic Party despise Grover Norquist. He has made a career of illuminating the wastrel ways of government and his pledges threaten the lifestyle of those we send to Washington. He is portrayed as a Rasputin hypnotizing dupable Republicans. The great irony is that he has the voice of reason on his side – that it is spending which is the principal culprit that has the country in trouble, not tax rates that are too low. 30 Nov 2012

Thought of the Day: Who Is Grover Norquist?

While I don’t believe Mr. Norquist is evil, as Steve Kroft implied, his intransigent inflexibility does not serve the interests of fiscal conservatives, who share his belief in smaller government, but who recognize that a refusal to negotiate means nothing gets accomplished. The art of the possible in today’s political environment requires enlisting the support of independents. The President, with his flirtations with Socialism, is vulnerable. Republicans, with a center-right candidate, can move the country forward with far greater momentum than can an obstructionist like Grover Norquist. 30 Nov 2012

Thought of the Day: Taxpayers to Be Stuck with Another Bill

The FHA is the largest insurer of mortgages in the world, providing lenders protection against losses incurred in the case of default. It currently insures about 4.8 million homes and 13,000 multi-family units, with a value just under $700 billion. The Agency was established in 1934, becoming part of HUD in 1965. Its mission is to insure mortgages for low-income and first-time buyers. According to the HUD website, the “FHA is the only government agency that operates entirely from its self-generated income and costs the taxpayers nothing” – a dubious statement, in light of its just-released annual report. 26 Nov 2012

Thought of The Day -- The Fiscal Cliff: A Compromise?

The fiscal cliff, according to conventional wisdom, poses little risk for the President. He is in his last term. He has, as he whispered to then Russian President Dmitri Medvedev last March, “more flexibility” now that the election is over. Should we slip over the edge and into the abyss, the effect would likely be a recession. Everybody’s taxes would rise, which could be blamed on Congressional Republicans. Defense spending would be cut, which would be okay with Mr. Obama. Entitlements would not be touched, so the spending spree would continue. 16 Nov 2012

Thought of the Day: Pocahontas Goes to Washington

For all her blather about understanding and representing the “little person”, this is a woman who operates in her own elitist cocoon, having “rigged the system” to her advantage, and now, patronizingly, declaims that she (and government) are best able to decide what should and should not be done when it comes to protecting people from themselves. Perhaps that is what Massachusetts wanted. I would be embarrassed. 9 Nov 2012

Thought of the Day: The Election, a Victory for Incivility

It was a victory for Chicago-style politics, in particular for David Axelrod’s campaign ruthlessness. The persistent blaming of George Bush for today’s economic woes worked in that exit surveys showed 53% of the public blamed Mr. Bush for today’s economy, while 38% blamed Mr. Obama. Mr. Axelrod’s strategy was a reaffirmation of Joseph Goebel’s dictum: if you repeat a lie often enough, people will come to believe it as truth. 7 Nov 2012