Obama’s Foreign Policy Highlights Undermined by Problems With Russia and China

It is convenient for the President that during a week in which the latest employment report shows 8.1% unemployment with a 30-year low in participation rate, the focus was on the anniversary of the death of bin Laden. The President seized the occasion of this anniversary to make a speech from Afghanistan announcing both a continued presence and a military withdrawal conveniently timed to his campaign schedule. All arguments about spiking the football aside, the Obama administration was clearly trying to highlight its foreign policy credentials and President Obama’s leadership as Commander-in-Chief. Apparently that celebration was short-lived.

On the heels of the President’s self-congratulation were problems with Russia and China that don’t further the message of strong, successful foreign policy. Despite having signed the contentious New START with Russia, the President will now have to explain why Russia is threatening to strike NATO missile defense sites in Eastern Europe. The President has already conceded missile defenses to appease Russia, and yet here is more conflict. In addition, there is a very unfortunate situation brewing with a Chinese activist that, while unclear, appears to make the administration look disorganized and weak by mishandling it.

If the China and Russia stories generate more attention, then President Obama’s attempt to gain campaign momentum  based on foreign policy may be undercut. Perhaps this means he’ll go back to the phony war on women, or college students, or whatever other distraction he can come up with to keep our eyes off the dreadful employment numbers between now and November.

Two other quick points. First, the Obama campaign probably wants to not only score points on bin Laden, but to dare Romney to appear more hawkish in an attempt to make Obama look weak on foreign policy. Team Obama knows there isn’t much voter support for such hawkishness right now, so it’s better for Romney to keep his comments limited on that subject and return focus to the economy. There will be time for Romney to elaborate on foreign policy (such as taking advantage of the Russia news, especially when he made clear arguments against New START at the time). Second, the Russia news probably doesn’t help Senator Lugar, who is trailing in recent polls in Indiana, and who supported New START (he actually addressed Romney’s arguments against it at the time). Senator Lugar will probably have to explain his position on that issue yet again.

Constructing the GOP’s Future

This year’s election meltdown for the Grand Old Party had as much to do with the public rejection of the status quo as it did to any Republican failings.  The combination of an unpopular president, a seemingly endless war, and a depressing economy were too much to overcome.  However, the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Reagan must alter their identity if they plan on regaining the majority control they have held for the better part of the last three decades.
 
The GOP of the new millennium has proven to be fiscally irresponsible and oblivious to limited government policy.  These are some of the core beliefs of the modern American conservative, and many of the current Congressional members got what was coming for them when they rejected those central tenets of conservatism.
 
This party needs a new revolution.  Call it “Reagan Revolution II: The Comeback.” Whatever suits your fancy, the Republican party is due for some mandatory house cleaning in order to reinvent itself to the American public in 2010 as it did in 1994. That was the GOP that this county identified with.
 
They must reinvent themselves, rejuvenate the base, and get back to the principles that made them so popular amongst everyday Americans:  small government, low taxes, strong national security, free market capitalism, and local control of education.  These were the ideals that this center-right country fell in love with when Ronald Reagan came to rescue America from its Jimmy Carter nightmares in 1981.  These were the principles that Newt Gingrich and the GOP Congress promised in its “Contract With America.”
 
Sometime in between then and now a pandering, politically minded GOP ascended on Capitol Hill, poisoning the pillars of conservatism.  They started spending out of control, expanding government bureaucracy, and currying favor to corrupt lobbyists.  And because of this, the American public spoke in this year’s election to the tune of “hope” and “change” in the form of Barack Obama.  Senator Obama didn’t win this election because the country is moving in a new direction.  He didn’t even win because the majority of Americans buy into his message of hope and change.  Senator Obama won this year because Reagan Democrats, Independents, and Clinton Republicans became disillusioned with the ever-changing Republican identity.
 
Exit polls by CNN found that 78% of voters were either conservative or moderate.  Further, election polls strongly suggested that a clear majority of voters indentified with common conservative principles.  Despite this, Obama won with 53% of the popular vote.  What gives?  The crumbling Republican brand.  This brand is in need of a serious makeover if it wants to compete in 2010 and 2012.  The mission starts today.

Guest Posted by Brad Christie

Pelosi’s Failed Leadership

As I watched the distinguished Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) give a floor speech the other night, I am continually amazed at her failed tenure as Speaker of the House.  We are in a serious economic crisis, and she feels the need to spend twenty minutes out of the day to go to the floor and stumble through a prepared speech with the sole intention of spewing partisan attacks and making ill-advised attempts to place blame on one side of the aisle.

Madam Speaker, this is not the time.

This is the time for real leadership, fresh ideas, and a little bit of compromise. Despite your disdain for capitalism and the desire to see the GOP’s unapologetic advocacy of free markets crumble, most of America would like to see your party show a little backbone when the going gets tough.  This is a difficult issue; no one is going to deny that. Hell, many members of Congress might even lose their jobs this November based on how they vote. But true leaders stand up in these tumultuous times, and attack the problem. Instead, you have chosen to call names and point fingers when your poor leadership failed to garner support from 40 percent of your own party.

“For too long, this government in 8 years has followed a right wing ideology of anything goes, no supervision, no discipline, no regulation,” says the Speaker. I guess she didn’t spend too much time on her beloved House floor in 2005 when many GOP members were calling for more oversight and credit limits on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, while many Democrats, including Rep. Barney Frank (who she referred to in her speech for taking charge during this crisis), were in complete opposition to increasing supervision. 
The fact is, free markets did not cause this problem. Overzealous advocacy of cheap credit and easy lending standards that were both strongly encouraged by Fannie and Freddie are at the heart of this crisis. And who let Fannie and Freddie spiral out of control? Congress. Congressional refusal to increase regulatory controls and limit the credit line for both these government-regulated enterprises (GRE’s) are at the heart of this debacle.

Despite Pelosi’s disagreement to this concept—that government, not free markets are to blame—she had a responsibility to work with both sides of the aisle to get this bill passed. Making campaign stump speeches on the House floor before that vote was not a wise strategy.

It’s time for members of Congress, like Rep. Pelosi, to drop the cliché’s such as “golden parachutes,” “help Wall Street while hurting Main Street,” “the party is over,” et al and to sit down and come to agreement on this bailout package.  And maybe, just maybe, Rep. Pelosi could squeeze some time in to the day to do what she was elected to do: serve this republic we call the United States of America.

Guest posted by: Brad Christie, UST School of Law ’10

The Irony of the Liberal Media Campaign

If we have learned nothing else during the 2008 presidential election, we do know that the liberal media outlets of America gave every effort they had to get Barack Obama, the Chosen One, elected as the 44^th President of the United States of America.

First it was their reluctance, if not complete refusal, to fulfill the journalistic duty to dig up the background of a candidate for political office.  Connections to the corrupt political machine in Chicago? No serious efforts made to find out answers to whom he was tied to, who he supported, and received campaign contributions from.  Questionable authenticity to his “working class” roots as a child (although he was raised early on by a single mother, he spent considerable time with his grandparents attending a fairly elite private school in Hawaii)?  Let the past be the past.  Or maybe his hollow record as a state and U.S. senator?  Oh, but he gives such moving speeches.  My favorite would have to be his changing positions on gun rights, immigration, telecommunication immunity, meeting with rogue foreign dictators, et al during his campaign.  Not one of these problematic areas of the Chosen One’s rhetoric and background have be truly challenged by the liberal outlets.  And for that we are worse off as a public relying on them to inform us of those who intend to lead this nation’s government.

But the recent, deplorable coverage of Governor Sarah Palin’s background is where the liberal media stepped over the line with their disguised tactics in this election year, and for that I think the GOP will be thanking them in November.

Yes, that is right.  The GOP will be inviting any and all members of the liberal broadcast and print journalism industry to their victory party in early November.  That is because their efforts will, ironically, work in opposition to their media darling, the Chosen One.

Early polling is showing that the American public is well aware of the unfair coverage, and does not like it.  What the media is doing is endearing the voters to Sarah Palin, and thus to John McCain and the GOP ticket.  It’s simple, really.  People see Gov. Palin as a courageous working mom who stands up to bullies, is honest and down-to-earth to the people she serves, and really has genuine aspirations of helping this country by changing the ways of the Beltway. But, unlike the Chosen One, she has actually done the things she promises to bring to Washington, instead of just talking about doing these great wonders.  Call in the overzealous media elite to level the playing field. 

The unmerited attempts of media outlets to bring down Palin by fabricating stories such as her membership to the Alaska Independence Party (which has unsuccessfully attempted to secede from the Union in the past), revealing her husband’s DUI arrest 20 years ago, and even questioning whether she is the true mother of Trig are disgusting at best. Oh, and did I mention they have spent some time covering the pre-marital relations of her daughter, Bristol?

Unfortunately for the media elites, they don’t understand people.  They can play dirty politics all day long, but it is only helping strengthen the base of the GOP, and further, engendering more respect and adulation for Gov. Palin’s strength to stand up to those who are trying to undermine her.  It is only going to drive people towards Palin, not away.  And, in such a close election as this is turning out to be, it might just be one factor that tips the election in favor of McCain.  And for that, the GOP will reserve many bottles of champagne for that same media come November.

Guest posted by Brad Christie, South Texas College of Law ’10

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