From Steve Chapman and Reason Magazine…

Mired in excruciating negotiations over the budget and the debt ceiling, President Barack Obama might reflect that things didn’t have to turn out this way. The impasse grows mainly out of one major decision he made early on: pushing through a giant stimulus.

When he took office in January 2009, this was his first priority. The following month, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, with a price tag eventually put at $862 billion.

It was, he said at the time, the most sweeping economic recovery package in our history,” and would “create or save three and a half million jobs over the next two years.”

The president was right about the first claim. As a share of gross domestic output, it was the largest fiscal stimulus program ever tried in this country. But the second claim (more…)

In 2008, America voted for CHANGE. How’s that change working out for you?

Last night, I attend a GOOOH meeting. Granted, I did not stay for the entire meeting, but I have some concerns about their objective. Their stated mission is to replace all 435 members of the US Congress.

This is a grass-roots, relatively conservative group- and I support their intent, as I do the 9-12 Project and the tea-parties. The objective is change. The question I have is: (continue reading…)

As North Carolina Republicans prepare for the 2009 State Convention next weekend, it is critical that we realize what is at stake: Nothing less than the greatest opportunity of our lifetime. It is the opportunity to get right what has gone wrong, to draw a sharp contrast with the current administration; the opportunity to get on the same page before it is too late; the opportunity to fix Republicanism- rest assured it is broken.

Unfortunately, these will not occur.

This weekend we will elect a new chairman, consider as many as 22 resolutions and go home. Frankly, I am frustrated with our candidates for Chair. We must, however, select (continue reading…)