On Sept. 11 America's vulnerability reappeared. Anti-American terrorism had stalked the world for decades, in Lebanon and Africa and Yemen, but now it had come home to us. We began to talk less of peace and harmony and more of terrorists and evil. Gone was blaming America for every international injustice; back were the values of 50 years ago, patriotism and religious faith.
The stimulus package appears to be dead. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle once again has refused to allow it to come up for a vote. As was the case before Christmas, when the Senate first refused to act, the main disagreement is over how to provide financial assistance for the uninsured.
Despite the appearance of solidarity among the more than 160 countries "committed" to completing the treaty, several nations, including, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia, voiced concerns similar to the U.S.'s about a number of treaty provisions.
To appear to be "sitting idly by as Rome burns," would be damaging to anyone's hopes of re-election. Bush, having witnessed his father's fate, understands this all too well.
Ever spend a week with only today's paper? I was on vacation last week down in the islands; hot, sunny, beautiful. But on this island there were no televisions, newspapers, or Internet connections. So my last link with reality was the Saturday, January 12th New York Times.
It's State of the Union time again, and boy has the state of our union changed since last year.
Russia and China currently have the capacity to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at an American city, and a third nation–North Korea–very nearly does. Iran and Iraq have limited-range missiles and within a few years will have ICBM capability. Libya and Syria have missile development programs. North Korea is selling its missile technology to other nations, and Iraq has substantial stockpiles of bioterrorism toxins that could be launched on a missile.
Americans are caught in a steel trap. Lower consumer prices are good for the economy–especially in a recession–and good for fighting wars. But the politically powerful steel industry is addicted to protective tariffs. So Congress and President Bush may use the cover of war and recession to raise the cost of living for all of us.
Tomorrow is going to be a special day, but today let me say a word about these commentaries.
Cheers to cops and firemen, jeers to Philadelphia's mayor. And what a World Series!
I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis. As I write this, I don't know who Time Magazine will pick as its man of the year. But I know who they should pick, and that's President George W. Bush.
I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis wishing you a Merry Christmas. I hope you're enjoying today at home, relaxing and celebrating the holiday. But I know some people aren't.
I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis. The House Ways and Means Committee is trying to give laid off workers a Christmas present. Will the house play Santa, or Grinch?
The market has returned an inflation-adjusted 10.1 percent on investments over the last 75 years. So does that translate into an acceptable standard of living for a retiree? A recent NCPA study says it does.
There's been an interesting by-product of September 11, and the evidence is right here in my home state. Liberal Delaware has seen gun sales rise 32 percent. And it's a national phenomenon: jumps in gun sales and permit applications.
The conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C., is that Social Security reform is dead. The surplus is gone and our attention has turned toward terrorism and national defense. However, as we'll see, the Social Security reform debate is about to heat up and the outcome will affect you – big time.
The fight over Florida and the presidential election seems worlds away now, especially after news organizations found Bush won after all. But the American enterprise institute has turned up one final, ironic coda.
It's been just over a year since the Supreme Court brought finality to the strangest presidential election in living memory, and the world-shattering events of 2001 make the Florida fiasco of 2000 look like an innocent diversion. But it's as good a time as any to stop and ask how President Bush is doing so far.
Senator Patrick Leahy has made himself particularly obnoxious by having playing partisan politics with the president's security program.
'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land, not a creature was stirring, not even Saddam. Special Forces were searching Tora Bora with care, in the hopes that Bin Ladin would soon be found there.
There are politicians and environmentalists who want to extend the corporate average fuel economy – or café – program, in which the government sets the minimum average mileage requirement for each car maker's fleet.
President bush wants to get rid of the alternative minimum tax as part of his stimulus package. Democrats are stalling. They shouldn't, because it's a bad tax that ought to go.
Today, a Detour from politics, and a belated note on the passing of George Harrison. I was too old to be a child of the '60s, but you had to live under a rock not to realize the Beatles changed music as nobody did, with the possible exception of Elvis.
What you are about to read will disturb you. It should, because it is additional evidence that the information which Americans use to form conclusions is being slanted and sometimes distorted to meet the requirements of political correctness.