President Trump has apparently whittled his Supreme Court nominee down to three. Thomas Hardiman, William Pryor, and Thomas Hardiman are each Federal appellate court judges who are well regarded in conservative circles. But what will be Trump’s Supreme Court strategy? Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer has laid down the gauntlet to President Trump: “If the nominee is not bipartisan and mainstream, we will absolutely keep the seat open.” Further, “we are not going to make it easy for them to pick a Supreme Court justice” he said previously. “It’s hard for me to imagine” Democrats supporting any nomination submitted by President Trump. With the filibuster rule in place, at least for now, how will President Trump elect to play this nomination game? Continue reading “Trump’s Supreme Court Strategy – The Game is On”
Does Populism Lead to Hitler – Pope Francis Thinks it Might
Pope Francis believes that growing populism threatens global stability. His fear, which seems to be widely echoed, is that populism will lead to irrationality. In turn, irrationality will lead to the election of another Hitler. Is he right? Should we fear populism? Did it previously lead to the election of Adolf Hitler? In today’s world does populism lead to Hitler? Continue reading “Does Populism Lead to Hitler – Pope Francis Thinks it Might”
How Did WikiLeaks Get the DNC Emails? President Obama Extends the Mystery
So how did WikiLeaks get the DNC emails? The DNC-Russian hacking analysis remains incomplete. One thing is certain. The United States intelligence community does not know how WikiLeaks received the Democratic National Committee emails. Former President Obama confessed as much in his last press conference:
The conclusions of the intelligence community with respect to the Russian hacking were not conclusive as to whether WikiLeaks was witting or not in being the conduit through which we heard about the DNC e-mails that were leaked.
How Did WikiLeaks Get the DNC Emails?- Electronic Transmission
If the Russians electronically transmitted emails to WikiLeaks, it is reasonable to conclude that the National Security Agency (NSA) knows it. It may even be likely that the NSA knows it. Here’s the analysis. Continue reading “How Did WikiLeaks Get the DNC Emails? President Obama Extends the Mystery”
Shift in U.S. Policy towards Iran – What Direction Will Trump Take?
It is time for a shift in U.S. policy towards Iran. We are not referring simply to the Iranian nuclear agreement, the subject of controversy and continuing debate. More importantly, America’s strategic Iranian policy requires a reorientation in order to reassert and defend American (and allied) interests in the Middle East.
U.S. Policy Towards Iran – President Obama’s Strategic Approach
Before addressing a new American policy, President Obama’s approach must be understood. There were two key components of President Obama’s Iranian strategy. We take a brief look at both. Continue reading “Shift in U.S. Policy towards Iran – What Direction Will Trump Take?”
Was The Election Result Illegitimate? More Political Hypocrisy
It has been a remarkable, perhaps unprecedented, year in American politics. Rancor, if not outright fear and hatred, prevails. Half-truths, mis-truths, name calling and a litany of much worse. A centerpiece of this blog is that those who would lead can only lead with integrity. So we have taken up the tasks of identifying and exposing political hypocrisy. We have written about it here and now focus on it again with Donald Trump days away from the Presidency. The context here is the simple question, was the election result illegitimate?
The Third Presidential Debate and the Threat to Democracy
We recall the famous remark during the third Presidential debate. It sparked furious claims that the foundations of our democracy were being jeopardized.
[Chris Wallace]: Will you absolutely accept the results of this election?
[Donald Trump]: I will look at it at the time.
And then came Mrs. Clinton’s equally famous reply:
That is not the way our democracy works. [The United States has been] around for 240 years. We’ve had free and fair elections. We’ve accepted the outcomes when we may not have liked them. And that is what must be expected [from a Presidential candidate].
Mr. Trump’s comment was claimed to be monumental. Some called it “a stunning moment that has never been seen in the weeks before a modern presidential election.” Mr. Trump’s position was so bad that it “threatens to cast doubt on one of the fundamental principles of American politics – the peaceful, undisputed transfer of power from one president to a successor who is recognized as legitimate after winning an election.”
So here we are after the election and, guess what? We have a challenge to our democracy – but this time from the losing Democratic side that had not expected to lose. Continue reading “Was The Election Result Illegitimate? More Political Hypocrisy”
Infrastructure Spending Was Unnecessary: Krugman and Keynes Were Wrong
So we’re stuck in a liquidity trap and there’s no way out. And we can’t get to full employment, no matter how low we drive interest rates. We may even have to jump down that rabbit hole of negative interest rates. Oh my! But wait – we’ve got Sir John Maynard Keynes’ magnum opus of modern economics, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. And even better, there’s Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman with his own take on Sir John’s theories to get us out of this mess! Krugman and Keynes; whew, what a relief! We need fiscal spending! But maybe that hoped-for infrastructure spending was unnecessary after all?
Thesis: Infrastructure Spending was Unnecessary
The state of the economy in January, 2017 proves that infrastructure spending was unnecessary to escape the Great Recession. It is not, per se, necessary to get out of a recession and create full employment. A liquidity trap, as defined by Mr. Krugman, can be escaped without a heavy dose of infrastructure spending. Large infrastructure spending programs are not a universal salve in all economic crises. Krugman and Keynes were wrong.
Continue reading “Infrastructure Spending Was Unnecessary: Krugman and Keynes Were Wrong”
A Debate on the REINS Act – The Future of the Administrative State
Should Congress Pass The REINS Act?
A series of proposals centered on regulatory reform are squarely in the cross-hairs on Capital Hill. This includes the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (the “REINS Act”). Long-brewing concerns about over-regulation, law-making, lack of accountability, rule-making abuses, waivers and more are driving lawmakers as they consider a variety of proposals. The over-riding consideration is this: over the past 80-plus years a major transformation in the structure of the federal government has occurred at the most basic constitutional level. There has been a continuing transfer of power from the legislative branch to the executive branch of government. This transformation has occurred without the passage of a single Constitutional amendment.
The REINS Act is the subject of the following debate. The REINS Act recently passed in the House and now awaits Senate consideration. The general goal of the REINS Act is to allow Congress to re-gain direct oversight of the regulatory process. Continue reading “A Debate on the REINS Act – The Future of the Administrative State”
Jefferson’s Advice to President Trump – Words from the Sage of Monticello
The powers and responsibilities of the Presidency are just days away for Donald Trump. While the winds of invectiveness continue to howl, what better source of soothing balm for the President-elect than the words of President Jefferson? We bring forward Jefferson’s advice from his first inaugural address.
Jefferson’s Advice
March 4, 1801 was Jefferson’s first inauguration day. It was the first inauguration to witness a change in power across political parties. It was also the first inauguration held in Washington, D.C. Jefferson walked to the ceremony early that afternoon to deliver his address.
So here is Thomas Jefferson’s advice to President Trump, words that resonate for any President in the role of President: Continue reading “Jefferson’s Advice to President Trump – Words from the Sage of Monticello”
American Leadership in the World – Lessons from Obama, Bush and JFK
The preservation of the American Constitution and American freedom is the paramount duty of any American President. American foreign policy is the mechanism through which these goals are prosecuted. American leadership is the means through which American goals are accomplished. The challenge for each president is to take the measure of his times, learn from the mistakes of the past, and foster and apply policies that are most likely to enhance the probability of achieving these objectives.
Too often over the course of American history presidents have misunderstood their times. They have either drawn the wrong lessons from the past or failed to understand the mistakes made by their predecessors. The recent past contains a pair of guiding lessons.
American Leadership: A Lesson from George W. Bush
In the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001, President Bush determined to illustrate to the world that America would use its strength and power against any foe that it believed was a direct and immediate threat to American freedom and survival. But with this objective, his decision to invade Iraq became a stark example of a failure to apply lessons previously learned. Continue reading “American Leadership in the World – Lessons from Obama, Bush and JFK”
Leadership and Hypocrisy – The Sad Tale of Senator Schumer
Leadership and Hypocrisy
What makes a great leader? There are scores of books and articles on this subject. We could compile a list of most desirable qualities. We could draw references to George Washington, or quotes from Winston Churchill (well, we did borrow from Sir Winston, below). Our focus would start with integrity. But two qualities that don’t go together are these: leadership and hypocrisy. Which draws us to the sad tale of Senator Schumer, the minority leader in the United States Senate.
Integrity, Wherefore Art Thou . . .
What is integrity? At its core lies honesty. Honesty is being consistent in one’s moral and ethical standards. It is truthfulness or accuracy in one’s actions. Internal consistency as a virtue. Where one has conflicting values, it means accounting for the discrepancy.
So how to identify integrity? No scientific method is available. We must look subjectively, and utilize this basic test: what could be more deficient in a leader than a failure to follow his own expressed rules and principles? Certainly, leadership and hypocrisy can’t work in tandem. So let’s look toward New York’s Senator Schumer. Continue reading “Leadership and Hypocrisy – The Sad Tale of Senator Schumer”