SaddleBrooke Republican Club » President Obama

Chart of the Week: Obama’s Abuse of FEMA Declarations

Rob Bluey — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:40:15 +0000

President Obama has used his executive power in many ways to expand the role of government. But there’s one area that stands out: Obama’s frequent and repeated use of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to issue emergency and disaster declarations. Heritage’s Matt Mayer reports that Obama “eviscerated the record books by issuing 243 declarations in 2011,” continuing an alarming pattern that begin under President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. Mayer says FEMA has become a “political pork-barrel spending agency.” The trend is illustrated in this week’s chart, which … More

Obama’s Neocon Moment

Christopher Preble — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:33:08 +0000

By Christopher Preble

In his State of the Union address, President Obama emphatically declared, “Anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about.” Obama sought to put to rest the notion that he is embracing American decline, as GOP candidates Romney, Gingrich and Santorum have accused [...]

Obama’s Neocon Moment is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Obama’s Nominee for Safety Agency Would Ensure Pro-Regulatory Majority

Rob Bluey — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:45:51 +0000

President Obama’s choice of a Michigan trial lawyer to serve on the Consumer Product Safety Commission would shift the balance of power at the agency and ensure a pro-regulatory majority through most of 2013, regardless of who is in the White House next year. Last week Obama nominated Marietta S. Robinson to take the seat of Thomas H. Moore, who left the CPSC last fall. The commission is currently operating with four members — two Democrats and two Republicans. If confirmed by the Senate, Robinson would give Democrats a 3-to-2 … More

House Committee Examines Obama’s Unconstitutional Appointments

Alison Meyer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:20:35 +0000

President Obama’s illegal non-recess appointments are unconstitutional and defy the process the Founding Fathers intended, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) told a House committee Wednesday. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee invited a handful of constitutional law experts to discuss the four controversial appointments Obama made in January. Citing delays in the Senate, Obama installed Richard Cordray (pictured) as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Richard Griffin Jr., Sharon Block, and Terence F. Flynn as members of the National Labor Relations Board. Lee, a constitutional expert and scholar, … More

On Afghanistan, Panetta Leaves Questions Unanswered

Christopher Preble — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:58:32 +0000

By Christopher Preble

Secretary Panetta’s announcement that the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan will end as early as mid-2013 is a positive development. But it is long overdue and still leaves too many questions unanswered. After more than ten years of war in Afghanistan, the administration should follow through on its commitment to end combat operations and withdraw [...]

On Afghanistan, Panetta Leaves Questions Unanswered is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Contraceptives Mandate Brings ObamaCare’s Coercive Power into Sharper Focus

Michael F. Cannon — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:58:24 +0000

By Michael F. Cannon

President Obama is catching some well-earned blowback for his decision to force religious institutions “to pay for health insurance that covers sterilization, contraceptives and abortifacients.” You see, ObamaCare penalizes individuals (employers) who don’t purchase (offer) a certain minimum package of health insurance coverage. The Obama administration is demanding that coverage must include the aforementioned reproductive care [...]

Contraceptives Mandate Brings ObamaCare’s Coercive Power into Sharper Focus is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Chart of the Week: Top 1 Percent Paid 38 Percent of Taxes

Rob Bluey — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:06:42 +0000

President Obama used his State of the Union address Tuesday to outline his idea of fairness. To put it simply, that means redistributing wealth by raising taxes on the most successful Americans. “If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes,” Obama declared. He added: “Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense.” Heritage’s Curtis Dubay … More

Obama Administration Cannot Continue to “Hollow Out the Force”

Brian Slattery — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:30:27 +0000

In discussing the Department of Defense’s upcoming budget request, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stated “our approach was to use this as an opportunity to maintain the strongest military in the world, to not hollow out the force.” In reality, America’s enemies will quickly determine that the United States will not be able to cover its responsibilities worldwide. The Secretary’s projections, which account for only preexisting Obama Administration cuts, include a reduction of Army ground forces from 562,000 to 490,000 troops—despite the fact that U.S. military readiness is already in a … More

The President’s Spilled-Milk Joke

Walter Olson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:13:00 +0000

By Walter Olson

One of President Obama’s better applause lines the other night came when he stepped into the unaccustomed public role of a deregulator: We got rid of one rule from 40 years ...

The President’s Spilled-Milk Joke is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Obama’s State of the Union Signals Grand Strategy Status Quo

Christopher Preble — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:15:44 +0000

By Christopher Preble

It was clever, though a bit too opportunistic, for the president to begin and end his State of the Union address with references to Iraq, and the sacrifices of the troops. The war has been a disaster for the United States, and for the Iraqi people, of course. But the subject has always been a [...]

Obama’s State of the Union Signals Grand Strategy Status Quo is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog