http://www.rightwriting.com RSS for Weekly Opinion / Editorial http://www.rightwriting.com/04_30_07.html Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:00:00 GMT It appears that Congress will once again take up the immigration issue in May. Members of the Bush administration, led by Florida Senator Mel Martinez, are currently trying to reach accommodation with conservatives in Congress. Unfortunately, the reforms that are ultimately agreed to this year may prove too draconian for the illegal immigrants in the United States. For example, the visa fees illegal immigrants would be required to pay could be in excess of a thousand dollars per year. If demography is destiny as Mark Steyn rightly asserts in his book "America Alone", then the United States would do well to officially welcome the vast majority of its immigrants, especially those from Latin America. Rather than categorizing Brasilian, Venezuelan, and Costa Rican immigrants that as OTM's Other Than Mexicans -- we should be rejoicing that they are Other Than Muslim. http://www.rightwriting.com/05_07_07.html Mon, 07 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are contemplating their next move in the wake of President Bush's veto of their war appropriations bill. http://www.rightwriting.com/05_14_07.html Mon, 14 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT British Prime Minister Tony Blair last week returned to his constituency of Sedgefield to announce he would tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth next month. Blair's decision brings an end to his 10 year leadership of government that included an unparalleled run of 3 consecutive election victories. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown will likely succeed. http://www.rightwriting.com/05_21_07.html Mon, 21 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT Congress should pass the immigration bill about to go the Senate floor. As with any compromise measure, there are aspects that both sides don't like. However, the bottom line is immigrants are making vital contributions to the country and they should be recognized for doing so. http://www.rightwriting.com/05_28_07.html Mon, 28 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT With Democrats in control of Congress, an embattled President Bush is unable to achieve any of his foreign and domestic policy goals. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is hanging on by his nails, other investigations are mounting, and the war in Iraq is lost according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. http://www.rightwriting.com/06_04_07.html Mon, 04 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT Scooter Libby, convicted in March on charges of lying and obstructing justice while serving as the vice president's chief of staff, is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow. He faces a maximum of three years in federal prison as recommended by Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor appointed by the Justice Department to investigate allegations that the White House conspired to exact retribution against former Ambassador Joe Wilson by outing his wife, Valerie Plame, a CIA employee. http://www.rightwriting.com/06_11_07.html Mon, 11 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week shelved the immigration reform bill after it failed to survive a vote to end debate and move to final passage. The legislation, unveiled a mere two weeks ago, caused a firestorm of protest fanned primarily by conservative bloggers and talk radio hosts, most of whom I agree with 99 percent of the time. http://www.rightwriting.com/06_18_07.html Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT The United States Senate may once again have the opportunity to vote on the immigration reform package that failed two weeks ago on a cloture vote that would have moved the legislation to another vote on final passage. http://www.rightwriting.com/06_25_07.html Mon, 25 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT Democrats in Congress are seeking to reestablish the 'Fairness Doctrine', formerly a regulation of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that was repealed under the aegis of the Reagan administration in 1987. The doctrine stipulated that media producers must provide 'equal time' for opposing points of view on controversial subjects of public importance. Not surprisingly, President Reagan understood the doctrine violated the First Amendment and constituted excessive control of the media. http://www.rightwriting.com/07_02_07.html Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT Two terror plots in the United Kingdom last week fortunately failed to achieve their objective of killing hundreds of people, but they serve as a reminder that the war on terror will be long, difficult, and oftentimes tragic. In the first botched attack on Friday, two car bombs outside a popular nightclub in central London did not detonate. In the second on Saturday, a flaming Jeep was driven into a barricade at the Glasgow airport. Authorities conducting the preliminary investigations believe the two attempted attacks were linked. http://www.rightwriting.com/07_09_07.html Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT Gordon Brown, the new British prime minister, has been in Tony Blair's shadow for a long time. In fact, Blair's quick rise to power was due largely to Brown's willingness to step aside for him. http://www.rightwriting.com/07_16_07.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT The Democrats are at it again. The House voted last week 223 to 201 to pass HR 2956 "The Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act," which, if enacted into law, would require troop withdrawals to begin from Iraq within 180 days. http://www.rightwriting.com/07_23_07.html Mon, 23 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT After the United States House of Representatives last week voted to withdraw American troops from Iraq, a similar measure in the Senate received a majority, but failed to get the 60 votes necessary to move to final passage. http://www.rightwriting.com/07_30_07.html Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT In interviews last week, Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend declared no options off the table in response to recent reporting that the United States may take military action in Pakistan to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden, who is believed to be hiding in remote tribal areas in the mountainous north. http://www.rightwriting.com/08_06_07.html Mon, 06 Aug 2007 09:00:00 GMT Brookings Institution scholars Michael O'Hanlon and Ken Pollack published an article in the New York Times last week entitled "Stability in Iraq: A War We Just Might Win." The piece made news by highlighting the progress that is being made in Iraq. Conservatives trumpeted the news on talk radio, while liberals unsurprisingly discounted O'Hanlon's and Pollack's conclusions by reminding Americans of all the problems that remain. http://www.rightwriting.com/08_13_07.html Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:00:00 GMT Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell got caught up in a maelstrom on Capitol Hill last week after Democrats wrongly portrayed him as being in agreement with a surveillance bill he actually believed did not go far enough in protecting the country. http://www.rightwriting.com/08_20_07.html Mon, 20 Aug 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/08_27_07.html Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/09_03_07.html Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/09_10_07.html Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/09_17_07.html Mon, 17 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/09_24_07.html Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT Columbia University is considered one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the United States. That's why it's so inconceivable that its president, Lee Bollinger, could allow Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a free forum in which to speak. The Iranian president is a terrorist, a sponsor of terrorism, and an enemy of democracy and freedom; and his acceptance at Columbia is further proof that many of the elites in academia do not understand the true nature of the war on terror. http://www.rightwriting.com/10_01_07.html Mon, 01 OCT 2007 09:00:00 GMT During the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, thousands of nuclear weapons targeted millions of people. Not surprisingly, the fundamental characteristic of this confrontation was Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). If one nation were to attack with nuclear weapons, the other would certainly retaliate -- and neither the United Sates nor the Soviet Union would survive. http://www.rightwriting.com/10_08_07.html Mon, 08 OCT 2007 09:00:00 GMT The U.S. Supreme Court may soon weigh in on an appellate court decision that earlier this year struck down the District of Columbia law prohibiting handgun possession. In March, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd District by a 2 to 1 margin ruled unconstitutional the gun ban that had been in effect in the nation's capital for more than 30 years. http://www.rightwriting.com/10_15_07.html Mon, 15 OCT 2007 09:00:00 GMT Yasser Arafat, Jimmy Carter, and now Al Gore have won the Nobel Prize for Peace, but Mahatma Ghandi has not. Ghandi led hundreds of millions of his fellow Indians to independence through the employment of peaceful mass civil disobedience and is considered one of the greatest leaders of the past century. Arafat was a terrorist, Carter is an ineffectual sitting and former president, and Gore is a hypocritical environmentalist who reportedly does little to reduce his personal carbon footprint while profiting greatly on the hysteria of global warming. http://www.rightwriting.com/10_22_07.html Mon, 22 OCT 2007 09:00:00 GMT An Israeli air strike apparently destroyed a secret nuclear reactor construction site in Syria on September 6th. News of the attack has leaked out during the weeks since, but details remain sketchy. President Bush declined to answer questions about the mission during a recent news conference. http://www.rightwriting.com/10_29_07.html Mon, 29 OCT 2007 09:00:00 GMT The Portland School Committee in Maine voted 7 to 2 earlier this month to provide a full complement of contraceptives to all students at the King Middle School. Children as young as 11 will now have access to contraceptives without parental consent. If there ever was a case for home schooling, it is this. http://www.rightwriting.com/11_05_07.html Mon, 05 NOV 2007 09:00:00 GMT The Supreme Court of the United States has decided to stay the execution of a Mississippi man and hear a death penalty appeal from Kentucky contending lethal injection constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. http://www.rightwriting.com/11_12_07.html Mon, 12 NOV 2007 09:00:00 GMT The United States became the greatest nation in the history of the world because its citizens embodied the ideals of freedom, independence, and self-reliance. Conservatives today seek to ensure Americans continue to espouse those values. Mitt Romney views conservatism as a philosophy of strength. And he has pledged to strengthen the foundation of America by providing for a strong military, a strong economy, and strong families. http://www.rightwriting.com/11_19_07.html Mon, 19 NOV 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/11_26_07.html Mon, 26 NOV 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/12_03_07.html Mon, 03 DEC 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/12_10_07.html Mon, 10 DEC 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/12_17_07.html Mon, 17 DEC 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/12_24_07.html Mon, 24 DEC 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/12_31_07.html Mon, 31 DEC 2007 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/01_07_08.html Mon, 07 JAN 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/01_14_08.html Mon, 14 JAN 2008 09:00:00 GMT Polls are showing that Mitt Romney has struck the right chord with voters in Michigan, which holds its presidential primary tomorrow. Romney's experience as a highly successful venture capitalist coupled with his optimism that jobs can return to a place like Michigan have been received positively by residents of his native state. http://www.rightwriting.com/01_21_08.html Mon, 21 JAN 2008 09:00:00 GMT President Bush and Congress are quickly working toward an agreement on an economic stimulus package to help prevent a recession. The package will include tax rebates for individuals, but they are unlikely to have much economic impact. A better long term solution would be to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, abolish the Death Tax, and cut the corporate rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. http://www.rightwriting.com/01_28_08.html Mon, 28 JAN 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/02_04_08.html Mon, 04 FEB 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/02_11_08.html Mon, 11 FEB 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/02_18_08.html Mon, 18 FEB 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/02_25_08.html Mon, 25 FEB 2008 09:00:00 GMT Cuban President Fidel Castro relinquished power last week, ending his 49 year reign as, consecutively, prime minister, first secretary, and president. His younger brother, Raul, was elected president yesterday by the National Assembly. Fidel Castro's dominion over the island nation coincided with nine American presidential administrations. http://www.rightwriting.com/03_03_08.html Mon, 03 MAR 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/03_10_08.html Mon, 10 MAR 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/03_17_08.html Mon, 17 MAR 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/03_24_08.html Mon, 24 MAR 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/03_31_08.html Mon, 31 MAR 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/04_07_08.html Mon, 07 APR 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/04_14_08.html Mon, 14 APR 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/04_21_08.html Mon, 21 APR 2008 09:00:00 GMT With the price of a barrel of oil nearing $118 and the U.S. economy teetering on the brink of recession if not already in one, Americans are entering a period of financial uncertainty not seen since the 1970's. High energy costs are inflating the price of many products, including food and clothing; and are acting as a brake on economic growth. 'Stagflation' may soon ensue. http://www.rightwriting.com/04_28_08.html Mon, 28 APR 2008 09:00:00 GMT On 15 April in a speech at Carnegie Mellon University, John McCain unveiled more details about his economic plan. http://www.rightwriting.com/05_05_08.html Mon, 05 MAY 2008 09:00:00 GMT Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia, known as the Mahdi Army, has been fighting U.S. and Iraqi forces in Basra and, more recently, in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City. http://www.rightwriting.com/05_12_08.html Mon, 12 MAY 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/05_19_08.html Mon, 19 MAY 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/05_26_08.html Mon, 26 MAY 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/06_02_08.html Mon, 02 JUN 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/06_09_08.html Mon, 09 JUN 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/06_16_08.html Mon, 16 JUN 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.rightwriting.com/06_23_08.html Mon, 23 JUN 2008 09:00:00 GMT The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act of 2008 passed the House by nearly a 3 to 1 margin last week is likely to pass the Senate. The original FISA, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Carter in 1978, was intended to prevent unlawful intelligence gathering as practiced by President Nixon. http://www.rightwriting.com/06_30_08.html Mon, 30 JUN 2008 09:00:00 GMT The Supreme Court of the United States ruled last week that the Washington, DC gun ban is unconstitutional on the grounds that it violated the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. This is an important, precedent-setting, and historic ruling. http://www.rightwriting.com/07_07_08.html Mon, 07 JUL 2008 09:00:00 GMT In a National Review article this past weekend, Kathryn Jean Lopez relates her interview with Mark Krikorian, author of a new book on immigration entitled "The New Case Against Immigration: Both Legal and Illegal." http://www.rightwriting.com/07_14_08.html Mon, 14 JUL 2008 09:00:00 GMT Taxation is a stodgy issue, but it's one voters should be keenly aware of because of the profound effect it has on the economy. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama have been touting their tax and economic plans since they clinched their respective nominations, and the contrast is stark. http://www.rightwriting.com/07_21_08.html Mon, 21 JUL 2008 09:00:00 GMT News broke last week that Congress was prepared to act in concert with the Bush administration to allow the Federal Reserve and Department of the Treasury to cover billions of dollars in losses at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the pseudo public organizations that securitize mortgages, by buying newly issued stock in the two companies. If the legislation becomes law, Fannie and Freddie will have expanded loans, expanded debt, and the guarantee of the federal government. http://www.rightwriting.com/07_28_08.html Mon, 28 JUL 2008 09:00:00 GMT The race for the Republican nomination was very competitive. At the outset, Mitt Romney was considered one of the front-runners; but after he was upset by Mike Huckabee in Iowa, Romney found himself in a two-front campaign against Huckabee and John McCain, both of whom seemed to relish attacking Romney in the debates. If Romney made a mistake it was probably going too negative in his television commercials, which backfired and helped McCain win New Hampshire. Despite the setbacks in Iowa and New Hampshire, however, Romney actually had the most popular votes going into Super Tuesday. http://www.rightwriting.com/08_04_08.html Mon, 04 AUG 2008 09:00:00 GMT The American economy has been teetering on the brink of recession for almost a year, but it has remained surprisingly resilient despite the collapse of the housing market, turmoil in the financial markets, a depreciating dollar, and skyrocketing oil prices. Economists define a recession as two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. And, while we’re not technically there yet, most Americans are feeling the pinch in a big way. Energy is essential to our lives and standard of living, so the high price of oil is once again at the center of our economic trouble. It adversely affects every one of us because almost all goods and services cost more. http://www.rightwriting.com/08_11_08.html Mon, 11 AUG 2008 09:00:00 GMT Governor Deval Patrick’s problems began at the outset of his administration with a $1.3 million inaugural that spanned 4 days. He then shamelessly exhibited his keen appreciation of the finer things in life with a new Cadillac, expensive office drapes, and by starting the construction of a mansion in the Berkshires. These public relations snafus and others have been well-documented by the State House press corps and have tarnished the governor’s image as a Democrat in touch with the people, earning him the monikers ‘Governor Deluxe’ and ‘Coupe Deval.’ http://www.rightwriting.com/08_18_08.html Mon, 18 AUG 2008 09:00:00 GMT