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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 11, 2009
/ 15 Adar 5769
GOP lacks leader but has potential
By
Kevin Ferris
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
At least we know now why no one at the White House had time to ask job applicants if they paid their taxes. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was too busy pushing earmarks he couldn't get as a congressman and organizing attacks on Rush Limbaugh.
Those things take time, especially if you also have to convince taxpayers that you're serious about budget reform while cramming almost 9,000 earmarks into a bloated spending bill.
And with Emperor W and Darth Cheney gone, a new face of the Republican Dark Side is needed.
The Rush thing is likely a fallback. If President Obama revives the economy, wins the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, prevents Iran from going nuclear, brings peace to the Middle East, and stops the oceans from rising, then start writing that second inaugural address. But if Obama falls short, the reason will be obvious: That guy on the radio.
It's possible the public would buy that. But what if, in 2010 or 2012, the country wants an alternative? Will Republicans be ready to step up?
The answer could be found at last weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference - if one looked beyond Emanuel's talking-points memo on the event.
For now, the answer is no. There are numerous internal disagreements. There's no real national election strategy. In terms of policy, conservatives are on the sidelines. They have sound alternatives to offer, but they don't have the floor.
However, they are laying the groundwork to take advantage of any openings next year.
Start with policy. The conference's keynote speaker was Paul Ryan, the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, who ripped his party for "losing direction, sacrificing principles, and failing to offer a vision relevant to most Americans."
But signing on to an irresponsible stimulus package - the opening salvo of Obama's "new era of responsibility" - was not the way to go, Ryan said. He noted, "My 7-year-old daughter showed more restraint when she put together her Christmas list for Santa Claus."
Then he offered some budgetary and economic alternatives:
Tie the dollar to a standard of stable value to help prevent wild fluctuations of prices for gasoline and other commodities. (If Ryan can make this into a winning sound bite, he deserves to run the House.)
Simplify the tax code down to two lower rates, 10 and 25 percent, depending on income.
Develop market-based, portable, universal health-care insurance.
Reform the federal budget process, and impose a spending cap of about 18 percent of GDP.
(Yes, he does have details. Go to www.house.gov/ryan and click on "A road map for America's future.")
Also at the conference, Newt Gingrich offered his own pro-growth agenda, including investments in energy and transportation; payroll-, income- and business-tax relief; abolishing capital gains taxes; homeowner assistance; promoting U.S. energy resources; tying antifraud and antitheft policies to state aid; and saving the secret ballot for workers in union elections. (See www.americansolutions.com.)
On the politics side, there were plenty of calls to arms and shots at Democrats. Gingrich, for example, urged voters to elect people who will read bills before they vote.
But there were also more-measured bits of electoral wisdom. One came from Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who is in charge of the Republicans' Senate campaign.
Cornyn said his goal was to find candidates who fit their states - not his conservative ideology. In 2006, a similar strategy allowed liberal, pro-choice Democrats to turn to candidates such as the pro-life Bob Casey in Pennsylvania and conservative Jim Webb in Virginia, and ultimately to win the Senate.
Acknowledging the anger at the three GOP senators who voted for the stimulus package, including Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, Cornyn nevertheless warned, "I'm occasionally frustrated by the way my colleagues vote. But a circular firing squad is no solution to the problems the party has."
TV host and former congressman Joe Scarborough advised candidates to think about tone as they campaign. Remember the optimism and can-do spirit of Ronald Reagan, he advised. And drop the name-calling.
Most of the weekend's speakers took that advice. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was perhaps the most eloquent, in a moving address about fighting for principles and ideals, which evoked American heroes ranging from Civil War officer Joshua Chamberlain to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
If anything, the weekend showed that no one person is calling the shots among conservatives and Republicans. They are a movement and a party in recovery. But there's also plenty of potential - should an opportunity arise.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
Kevin Ferris is commentary page editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Previously:
03/05/09: A dangerous naivete in foreign policy
02/25/09: Beware dialogue on race
12/29/08: Chicago II: A governor's story
12/11/08: Operator: Welcome to transition hotline
12/03/08: How Obama will fight a growing front in Afghanistan
11/25/08: GOP ahead of curve for change
11/13/08: Prayers for President-elect Barack Obama
10/03/08: Obama's lowball attacks: Suggesting that McCain is a bigot runs afoul of the high-minded unity tripe
09/06/08: It's unlikely that a President McCain would be driven by political ideology
09/04/08: Bold McCain will sharpen the contrasts
© 2008, Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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