Red States, Blue Sates, Dissed States

At the 2004 Democratic National Convention, then-Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama famously started his road to the presidency with the speech that included the line: “There are no red states or blue states, just the United States.” If only that were true. Instead, we have a president who not only shows preference to blue states, but also punishes red states and, most damaging, dismisses many other states. Democrats have followed him in lock step, especially when... Read More

Who’s Really Waging the War Against Women?

For years, Democrats have accused Republicans of waging a war against women. But women are starting to take notice that the Obama administration has been no friend to women. This was brought home recently when the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that a record number of women —55.6 million — ared 16 years or older are not participating in the labor force. Is it any wonder that President Obama’s approval rating among women is below 49 percent? This is a big drop... Read More

Sacrificing Immigration Reform on the Altar of Cynical Politics

In February 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama said this about immigration: “Number one, it is important that we fix the legal immigration system, because right now we’ve got a backlog that means years for people to apply legally. And what’s worse is we keep on increasing the fees, so that if you’ve got a hard-working immigrant family, they’ve got to hire a lawyer; they’ve got to pay thousands of dollars in fees. They just can’t afford... Read More

Shutting Down Ex-Im Bank Punishes American Entrepreneurs and Job Seekers

With all the barriers stacked up against American entrepreneurs, a bright spot has been access to working capital through the Export-Import Bank, which is essential if American exporters are to compete in the global marketplace. Ex-Im provides working capital guarantees, insurance and direct loans to American manufacturers, helping to open new foreign markets that allow the U.S. economy to grow, while creating good-paying jobs. Yet some in Congress are leaning toward not... Read More

Corporate Tax Rate Driving American Companies Overseas

Time was when the United States was No. 1 in numerous economic categories. Unfortunately, we have traded our swagger in indicators that make us stronger for a tax code that makes us weaker: American companies face the highest statutory corporate income tax rate in the world — 39.1 percent. According to the Tax Foundation, this overall rate of 39.1 percent is a combination of the 35 percent federal rate plus the average rate levied by U.S. states. This puts the United States... Read More

American Trade Policy Stuck in Neutral

For a president who vowed to double exports in five years, you have to wonder why President Obama has been unable to make any progress in expanding U.S. trade. This week, Obama met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reaffirm their support for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) estimates has grown the U.S. economy from roughly $290 billion in 1993 to more than $1.1... Read More