Category: Politics & Government

Opinions on contemporary political happenings and the workings of civil government.

Administration Attacks on Pro-Life Continue

  

The Obama administration continues its war against pro-lifers on two fronts. According to the Los Angeles Times: Taking another step into the abortion debate, the Obama administration today [Monday, March 2] will move to rescind a controversial rule that allows healthcare workers to deny abortion counseling or other family planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs, according to administration officials. So if Obama gets his way, no pro-life doctor or nurse will be able to opt out… Read more »

The Reagan Perspective

  

One of my students asked me this week if the Obama administration would do so much damage to the country that there would be no hope of repairing it after he leaves office. I was of two minds as I tried to answer. First, I think the potential damage is so staggering that America might not ever recover. The massive debt, the inevitable leftist court appointments, the unrestricted access to abortion [which has begun already], and the stamp of approval… Read more »

Twisting Lincoln's Legacy

  

Yesterday, I spoke of my respect for Abraham Lincoln. Today, I want to make sure it is understood that I respect Lincoln’s actual words and deeds, not some new interpretation of what he believed. President Obama has wrapped himself in the Lincoln legacy ever since his train ride to the inauguration. Yet he is using Lincoln for his own political purposes. For instance, on Lincoln’s birthday, he spoke in Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln’s home. He used the occasion to say that… Read more »

The Bush Presidency: An Analysis (Part VII)

  

My final critique of the Bush presidency has to do with communication. A president must be able to connect with the American people and explain what he is doing. He will not convince everyone of the rightness of his policies, but he must make the effort, which most people will at least respect. George Bush started well. After 9/11, his speech to a joint session of Congress was one of the best presidential speeches in recent memory. He was at… Read more »

The Bush Presidency: An Analysis (Part VI)

  

Then there is the issue of immigration. There is a misperception out there (even promoted by Bush) that conservatives don’t like immigrants. That is not the case, and it is not the issue. The key is that immigrants need to follow the laws in order to become citizens. When President Bush pushed for his comprehensive immigration bill, he tried to make it seem as though it was a tough approach to lawbreakers, but it was not. In fact, as many… Read more »

The Bush Presidency: An Analysis (Part V)

  

Total federal spending per household has risen 115% since 1965. The sharpest increase occurred during the Bush administration–11%. That comes to an average of $23,500 per household in 2007. Now, is President Bush to blame for all of this? Only in conjunction with Congress, which decided to go along with the spending spree. The saddest part of this to me is that Congress was controlled by the Republicans until the 2006 elections. They must share the blame. And then, of… Read more »

The Bush Presidency: An Analysis (Part IV)

  

I have praised President Bush for his policies to keep America safe from terrorism and for his Supreme Court appointments. Where, in my estimation, did he fall short? Right from the start, I was bothered by his terminology, particularly his emphasis on “compassionate conservatism.” Now I know that may not seem like much to some people, and I also know that he took the title from an excellent Christian author, Marvin Olasky. Yet it seemed to come across as a… Read more »