gdp's Comments

Commentary Magazine : GOP Needs a Primary in Pennsylvania

Fri, 1 Nov 2013 00:11:31 +0000

A Republican gubernatorial Primary in Pennsylvania is fantasy.

Commentary Magazine : The War on Rational Conservatism

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 14:29:36 +0000

“Leninist type schism” seems harsh and could be a bit over the top.

Commentary Magazine : The High Price of American Friendship

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 14:27:24 +0000

It is unclear to me why Sec. Kerry and the Obama Administration think releasing murderers is a good idea. I would like to know.

Commentary Magazine : Giving Obama the Benefit of the Doubt

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 14:25:31 +0000

Dead on. Peter Wehner's post, a simple statement of what everyone sees, is it not. That he has to say it is a sad commentary exposing a disingenuous media. The environmentally unfriendly, dead wood POTUS media, once again, misleads American citizens to whom it purports to inform.

Commentary Magazine : The War on Rational Conservatism

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:58:52 +0000

“Leninist type schism” seems harsh and could be a bit over the top. Some see our country as if on the Titanic and the fiscal iceberg ahead can be seen by those who want to see what can be seen. Many seem to be arguing who is to be at the helm when we strike disaster. Others are looking at what are we to do to avert disaster. The hard and unpleasant answer is to spend less and borrow less and to have more people working harder and more productively. Some of us think that mean radically less government intrusion into the free market. Looking at the record, rather than the rhetoric, we see: From 2001 to 2007, the McConnell Boehner Republicans had control of the US House, the US Senate and the Presidency. As of 30 September 2000, three months before President GW Bush was sworn into office, the national debt was $5,674,178,209,886.86 and as of 20 September 2008, three months before President GW Bush left office, the national debt was $10,024,724,896,912.49. National debt had increased by $4.4 billion. As of 30 September 1983, three months before Sen. Mitch McConnell was sworn into office, the national debt was $1,377,210,000,000.00; as of 28 October 2013, the national debt is 17,081,509,219,288.50. [Source TreasuryDirect http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/debt/current] The size, scope and cost of government, as measured by spending and debt, as well as growth of federal government regulations [growth in federal regulations 2013 will NOT be record year] in all facets of our lives, has expanded to an historical, and unprecedented level. [Source OpenMarket.Org, the blog of the Competitive Enterprise Institute Regulation.] http://www.openmarket.org/category/regulation/ Some think it would be beneficial to both peace and prosperity, and to building a community based on voluntary, rather than mandated, interactions to return to America’s Exceptional principles of Constitutional Limited Government of Enumerated Powers, the Separation and Balance of Powers including Federalism of the 10th Amendment, Rule of Law, Economic Freedom. “Free Markets for Free People” and radically reduced government intervention in the economy and an embrace of Judeo Christian principles because without self-restraint there cannot be self-governance.

Commentary Magazine : The High Price of American Friendship

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:45:17 +0000

It is unclear to me why Sec. Kerry and the Obama Administration think releasing murderers is a good idea. I would like to know. Prime Minister Netanyahu had to make the tough decision and he did. We need to support him at the same time understandingly, clearly, that KM Bennett is right that releasing murderers is a humiliation and an outrage. There is such a thing as "the loyal opposition" and dissent is good because it avoids lockstep group think and continually questions alternatives. Naftali Bennett gives voice to those who are afraid of the consequences. We remain vigilant.

Commentary Magazine : Is It Wrong to Root for ObamaCare to Fail?

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:14:12 +0000

Yet, when Ted Cruz and Mike Lee proposed defunding ObamaCare, some called it a "stupid tactic" and are now fulminate with sound and fury that signifies nothing proposing no "smart" tactic.

Commentary Magazine : ObamaCare's Self-Sabotage

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:13:20 +0000

Yet, when Ted Cruz and Mike Lee proposed defunding ObamaCare, some called it a "stupid tactic" and are now fulminate with sound and fury that signifies nothing proposing nothing..

Commentary Magazine : Tea Party v. Establishment — What's Next?

Fri, 18 Oct 2013 15:16:53 +0000

The Republican Establishment had the majority in the House , the Senate and the Presidency from 2001 to 2007 and what happened with spending, debt and deficits and Medicare PrescriptIon D? What lesson would the Tea Party learn from that historical experience? And what am I to think of those who defend the McConnell- Boehner tactics 2001-2007? Jonathan Tobin's winning tactic was to fund Obamacare and to raise the debt ceiling. I think that was the Obama Democrats' plan, too, was it not?

Commentary Magazine : Assessing the GOP’s Shutdown Blues

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 22:43:32 +0000

What happens to the country, to us, if the Republicans cave and raise the debt ceiling?

Commentary Magazine : Must Republicans Blink on the Shutdown?

Tue, 1 Oct 2013 23:00:19 +0000

"In 1995, more than a third of House Republicans hailed from congressional districts that had been won by President Bill Clinton three years earlier. Today, just 17 House Republicans come from districts won last year by President Obama, according to Cook Political Report analyst David Wasserman."http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/less-conservative-republicans-may-be-key-to-solving-federal-fiscal-drama/2013/09/30/8fd5e8dc-2a11-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html

Commentary Magazine : Must Republicans Blink on the Shutdown?

Tue, 1 Oct 2013 22:58:31 +0000

The experts don't think the government shutdown will hurt the economy. It may even help. NASDAQ is up. http://spectator.org/blog/2013/10/01/shutdown-apo...

Commentary Magazine : Must Republicans Blink on the Shutdown?

Tue, 1 Oct 2013 22:57:15 +0000

Ted Cruz and Jim DeMint are masterminding the House strategy and they are not Newt Gingrich. House Republicans are strategically rolling out segmented CRs sequentially funding government services piecemeal starting with Parks Services, the one program that seems to affecting real people. This strategy seems to have been developed by Jim DeMint and Ted Cruz. A strategic rollout of funding government piecemeal except funding for Treasury and HHS which implement Obamacare means the government is funded and Obamacare, to the extent House has control, is not. No money for IRS agents to enforce would put a crimp in the program. http://thehill.com/homenews/house/325897-house-go...

Commentary Magazine : Cancel the Flood: Higher Education Isn’t a Scam

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 15:49:28 +0000

There is no discussion about MOOCs and what seems to be a very productive creative destruction. Almost every bricks and mortar university offers some online courses and the technology and pedagogic techniques for online learning are being perfected. Prof. Vedder writes a lot about the cost both to individuals and their families and to the taxpayers in general. As government subsidies have increased, so has tuition and so has the number of administrators and non teaching faculty. Football coaches seem to be the highest paid employees at most colleges and universities. Prof. Vedder offers free market solutions to the need for higher education and is hardly a gap tooth know nothing. People learn in many different ways and the conventional and very expensive bricks and mortar need to, and are, accommodating as is entrepreneurial free market innovation. I think the author is not in touch with the many who want an education who can't get it. Not everyone is a genius or rich. Everyone can benefit from learning more. Especially the "know it alls" elitists out of touch with ordinary people.

Commentary Magazine : Why Republicans Are Sniping at Cruz

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 00:47:29 +0000

A slow down not a shutdown "If Congress doesn't pass a new spending bill in the next week, the federal government will shut down on Oct. 1. That is, 41% of it will. An estimated 59% of non-defense federal employees would be exempt from the shutdown and would go to work as usual, according to a USA TODAY analysis of shutdown contingency plans filed with the Office of Management and Budget." READ MORE http://www.gopusa.com/news/2013/09/24/government-...

Commentary Magazine : Why Republicans Are Sniping at Cruz

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 22:12:32 +0000

The Path to Victory: A Campaign Centered on the Constitution. Constitutional Republicans campaign for a Constitutional limited government of enumerated powers, checks, balances and the separation of powers including 10th amendment federalism, Rule of Law, economic freedom and and the divine rights of the individual, the value and importance of every individual, as explicated in the Hebrew Scriptures.The Exceptional American Constitutional Republic is unlike any in the world or any in history. A campaign centered on the Constitution and economic freedom and personal values is one that grows and strengthens our nation and can win elections. We have an opportunity to re-invigorate our Constitution Republic which we have, undeservedly, inherited from geniuses. We have been give a Constitutional Republic. It is up us to honor our American ancestors and keep it.

Commentary Magazine : Why Republicans Are Sniping at Cruz

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 21:51:17 +0000

I have felt your pain.

Commentary Magazine : Why Republicans Are Sniping at Cruz

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 21:50:50 +0000

There is an End Game; it is called Victory, Defunding Obamacare, that is, defunding the implementation of the government mechanisms that are needed to execute the Obama's quasi-Marxist,Statist, centralized command and control of the US health care system. Politico iterates the brilliant strategy of Mike Lee and Ted Cruz in passing CRs to fund government departments serially, sequentially, selectively, strategically, to prevent a shutdown of any government services other than Obamacare. The Ds cannot vote NO to funding government department by department starting with the military. Then the House votes to fund each department, sequentially and strategically, except Treasury and HHS which implement Obamacare. If they have no money to implement Obamacare, Obamacare’s complicated and inefficient plan cannot put into effect. Speaker Boehner must be in on this plan. And the Speaker may emerge as a shrewd and imaginative tactician and ride the Cruz coattail. I think they pull it off. And if 41% of the government “shuts down”, who will notice? We have had partial slow down of some non-essential government offices before and who remembers any of them? Politico Sunday 23 September: “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Friday that the House should pass a government funding measure for only the military if the Senate sends back a spending bill that does not defund ObamaCare. “I hope they respond to the Senate, if Harry Reid does try to force a government shutdown, by passing one continuing resolution (CR) after another funding each specific piece of government, starting off with funding the military,” Cruz said on Fox News.” Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/budget-appro...

Commentary Magazine : The Excuses for Failure Are About to Begin

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 15:10:49 +0000

But what if we are right and it is not all theater and cheap thrills? What if there is substance to the argument that Obamacare is a disaster fiscally, economically and politically with its centralizing and concentrating power, privilege and money in the apparatchiks of the federal government?

Commentary Magazine : The Excuses for Failure Are About to Begin

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 15:08:32 +0000

well said. Doing nothing means fiscal disaster for the government and slow growth and a lower stand of living for all of us. I haven't seen the Democrats making any concessions on anything. The don't compromise; they are defeated. Sounds like a plan to me If every single Republican elected official were to repeat over and over again that "Obama and the Democrats would rather shut down the government than give up an unworkable law that shovels tons of money and benefits to their friends"