LIFSON: Obama’s Next Two Years
Matthew Lifson, Columnist
When Republicans storm Congress, we will learn whether Obama is a leader capable of growing his office or just a lucky figurehead temporarily enabled by overwhelming Democratic majorities.
BAIN: The Blame Game
Sam Bain, Columnist
When a grown man acts immature, you have what is called a man child. And when you have a President who blames the opposition party instead of tackling problems, you have Barack Obama. President Obama’s two year mark in office is coming up quicker than he seems to know. With his approval rating dropping to 41% and democrats breaking ranks with the party, the president has nowhere to look but inward when considering what went wrong.
MARIN & PETERSON: Recovering the Civil-Military Relationship
Paul Marin & Tim Peterson
To optimize the civil-military relationship is to reinforce its mutual incentive: victory. Both sides must uphold strategies of success over tactics of dominance to ensure a shared objective and recover trust.
McCAFFREY: First Their Hearts, Second in the Cities
A staple in Illinois politics, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced Tuesday that he would not seek re-election for his position. Daley has served twenty-one years as mayor, following in the footsteps of his father, Richard J. Daley, who also served as mayor for twenty-one years. While I have a strong contention for the type of Chicago “machine style” politics that the duo made famous, I am impressed by their ability to do what no recent Mayor of New York City has been able to do – retain popularity past a second term.
SIEFF: Austerity and the American Economy
Adam Sieff, Columnist
European nations, facing crisis, have adopted extreme austerity measures and there is a growing call in the US for sharp reductions in funding. But not all austerity is created equal. Hopefully, we won’t find out the hard way.
STROSTER: Craigslist Censorship to Stop Human Trafficking
Lianna Stroster, Columnist
Craigslist users have seen a change in the website’s homepage over the past few days. Under the “services” section, there is now a black “censored” label over the “adult services” tab. Is this new “censored” label a violation of the website’s First Amendment right, or is it not protected because the section has been aiding human trafficking through the World Wide Web?
PETERSON: City of Angles
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
A writer prepares to head home to Los Angeles to see how his hometown’s changed: how it’s grown and how it’s shrunk.
RUSHFORD: Who Are You Calling Middle Class?
Stephanie Rushford, Columnist
Many Democrats see $200,000 as the cut off for defining how much individual middle-class Americans make. However, this does not take in account the high cost of living for many Americans.
ROGERS: ‘More of the Same’ Could Save Obama
Conor Rogers, Editor
If President Obama doesn’t want to become synonymous with President Carter, there’s about one thing left the President can do. Barack Obama should come out in favor of a one-year extension of the Bush Tax Cuts.
RUSHFORD: No Taxes for Old (Wealthy) Men
Stephanie Rushford, Columnist
The deficit is a real concern for many fiscal conservatives of all political parties, but many Republicans, like Senator Kyl, are not making the tough choices to eradicate the national debt. If Congress wants to truly balance the budget, then they must forget about November and start making painful cuts to spending.
RUSHFORD: Sue You, Arizona
Stephanie Rushford, Columnist
Illegal immigration is rooted in economics. US immigration policy errs in focusing too much on undocumented workers and not enough on their law-breaking employers.
PETERSON: The Problem With Pensions
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
If states do not close the pension gap, then more taxes will be raised and more spending will be cut. It’s possible that eventually entire state revenues will bankroll guaranteed pension plans.
SIEFF: Energy Innovation and America’s Future
Adam Sieff, Columnist
The coming weeks are an opportunity to present a comprehensive energy plan that frames the toughest issues the country currently faces as components of a single problem facing all Americans: dependence on foreign carbon-based energy.
SIEFF: Poise and the President
Adam Sieff, Columnist
With oil flooding the Gulf and many Americans still out of work, the next two to three months will test President Obama’s deliberative style and his focus on economic recovery. He must not abandon either.
THERRIAULT: Memo to Incumbents – It’s Unemployment, Stupid!
Patrick Therriault, Columnist
If incumbents would like to stay in office past November, they would be wise to avoid touting any supposed economic recovery. Unemployment – the issue most personally effecting typical voters – remains high, and tangible benefits of recovery have yet to reach many districts.
PANDYA: Were the Euroskeptics Right?
Om Pandya, Conservative
Looking back at the debate and presently at the crisis facing the EU, it seems as if those who pushed for the independence of British currency have every right to gloat.
PANDYA: Team Obama – Bench Your Starters
Om Pandya, Conservative
When Obama was elected in 2008, voters who fretted over his lack of experience hoped that he would at least pick advisors from both sides of the aisle that knew what they were doing.
HOLLINSHEAD: A To-Do List for Obama, Dems
Kevin Hollinshead, Progressive
If an anti-reform Republican was able to win the seat of universal health care’s greatest champion, what do this November and November of 2012 hold for Democrats? Unless the Obama administration shakes things up, they’re on thin ice.
Autiello: The Key to Economic Recovery – Education 2.0
The new 21st century paradigm that will reset how we teach our kids and the future of education in America.
WALK: Breaking the Addiction
America needs to break its addiction to government economic “stimulus.”
BARON: I Love You, VISA
One might joke about drowning one’s sorrows in drink, yet the reality is that the credit card is the new booze. Our society is addicted, and it’s killing us, one at a time.