Cagle World

Making Sense, by Michael Reagan

The Obama administration has seen a frustrating lack of progress in diplomatic relations. After spending so much time bashing the Bush administration for failing to achieve unity in matters of great international importance, this administration is failing to realize the types of diplomatic gains they predicted.

Cartoon by Cam Cardow - Ottawa Citizen (click to purchase)

Repeatedly, anything claimed as a success has involved movement on America’s part, not on the part of a foreign power, be it friendly or hostile. From a lackluster climate

agreement to Iranian flouting of international pressure, President Obama’s vaunted international prestige has proven itself no more than meaningless popularity.

The current iteration of America’s disappointing negotiations involves China. Recently, American officials have indicated China might be open to placing new sanctions on Iran. As Iranian nuclear ambitions become increasingly obvious, this type of international pressure is necessary.

But in complete contradiction to American hopes and the Obama administration’s claims, this week China renewed their opposition to sanctions on Iran. Chinese officials say they oppose Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, but they believe negotiations, not sanctions, are the correct approach. However, after years of negotiations, the situation with Iran has only worsened.

Moreover, in exchange for Iranian oil to fuel their growing economy, China has poured money and technology into Iran. This trade, as well as similar benefits from Russia, makes any sanctions placed on the country nearly worthless without the cooperation of all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

China is not the first country to back out of proposed sanctions. Just last week, the president of Russia told the world that there was only so far they would go with Iranian sanctions — and it wasn’t as far as American leaders has pushed, nor the victory they had claimed. Just Monday night, Secretary Clinton and leaders from China, Russia, France and the U.K. met again to discuss Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Given the extent of the threat posed by Iran, I can only hope this endeavor was more successful than past attempts.

We can not afford to step lightly on this issue. As president, my father knew how to confront international threats. He did not incite conflict, and he did not rampage against the rest of the world. But he made American intentions clear, and he did not back down.

President Obama has scored PR points, and a Nobel Prize, with his emphasis on curbing nuclear weapons. I concur in the assessment that nuclear weapons, in the wrong hands, are an active threat to our security, not just as Americans but as humans.

But my father, Ronald Reagan, showed us all how a leader can oppose nuclear weapons, work actively for disarmament, develop strong alliances, and captivate the imagination of the world, while still keeping America safe, strong and secure. President Obama still has much to learn on that front.

This world is a dangerous place. The threats against us are real. We can not afford to let other nations call the shots. I believe in the value of international cooperation, but on some issues we simply must not — can not — compromise.

—–

Mike Reagan, the elder son of the late President Ronald Reagan, is spokesperson for The Reagan PAC (www.thereaganpac.com) and chairman and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation (www.reaganlegacyfoundation.org). Look for Mike’s books and other information at www.Reagan.com. E-mail comments to [email protected].

©2010 Mike Reagan. If you’re not a paying subscriber to our service, you must contact us to print or Web post this column. Mike’s column is distributed exclusively by: Cagle Cartoons, Inc., newspaper syndicate. For info contact Cari Dawson Bartley. E-mail [email protected], (800) 696-7561.

Making Sense, by Michael Reagan

Democrats in Washington haven’t wanted to be terribly forthcoming as to how they intend to pay for the new health care entitlement program and other massive spending programs being passed. It seems our national debt ceiling is now raised every few months, and the federal deficit is higher than it’s ever been — exponentially so.

Cartoon by Daryl Cagle - msnbc.com (click to purchase)

Well, we can now see why the liberal establishment hasn’t wanted to address the issue head-on with the American people. At a private event the other evening, it has been reported that one of the Obama Administration’s lead economic counselors, Paul Volcker, indicated the support for a Value-Added Tax (VAT) may be more achievable than in the past.

This statement does not surprise me in the least. You see, in order to fund the record spending of the federal government, hard-working families and small businesses are going to be required to foot more of the bill. It is that simple. After passage of a nearly $1 trillion health care bill, the Obama administration cannot longer deny this. The only question in my mind has been how much will our taxes be raised — and when.

A VAT is a tax that is added to a good at each stage of the production process. So when a hypothetical widget’s first component is put together a tax is added. That’s just the start. At each further stage of assembly, development and distribution, a new tax is added, all the way through until final sale. Not surprisingly, VAT taxes are not borne wholly by the producers themselves. Rather those incremental taxes are passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices.

Even most troubling, this tax comes with a complete lack of transparency. Unlike a sales tax, which the consumer sees as a line item on their sales receipt beyond the retail price, a VAT is simply a hidden tax. It is another way for the federal government to take our money and deliberately leave taxpayers in the dark about their share of footing the bloated federal budget.

Now keep in mind, the addition of a VAT would be on top of our already overly burdensome federal tax system — meaning that you would continue to pay your federal income, payroll, capital gains, and estate taxes. Don’t be deceived into seeing this as a sister to the FairTax reform. This is an entirely new accounting which will significantly increase the price of every good you buy.

Some will argue that this unofficial statement by Mr. Volcker was merely just an administration official discussing possible new revenue streams with a friendly audience — not portending things to come. Not so. Things rarely happen from our leaders in Washington by accident. This was the first salvo in what many of us have feared — Democrats gearing up to increase our tax burden by creating a new form of federal taxation.

Those of us who believe that the federal government should learn to do its job with less money, just as the private sector is forced to do, must begin to prepare for this battle. We almost stopped the passage of health care reform despite little time to gear up a national effort in opposition. Short of a procedural maneuver, we would have succeeded.

Here, we have the advantage of time on our side and we must get ready to fight. Fight for smaller, smarter government; fight to keep more of our hard earned dollars; fight against yet another policy that moves us closer to the European Socialist model.

Join me at Reagan PAC at www.thereaganpac.com to join a grassroots force that will help lead the charge in keeping the VAT in Europe from being imported to our shores.

—–

Mike Reagan, the elder son of the late President Ronald Reagan, is spokesperson for The Reagan PAC (www.thereaganpac.com) and chairman and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation (www.reaganlegacyfoundation.org). Look for Mike’s books and other information at www.Reagan.com. E-mail comments to [email protected].

©2010 Mike Reagan. If you’re not a paying subscriber to our service, you must contact us to print or Web post this column. Mike’s column is distributed exclusively by: Cagle Cartoons, Inc., newspaper syndicate. For info contact Cari Dawson Bartley. E-mail [email protected], (800) 696-7561.

Making Sense, by Michael Reagan

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder was killed while serving in Iraq in 2006. His grieving father, Albert Snyder, did what too many military families have had to do over the past several years — bury his child. But this sad story takes a cruel and despicable turn.

Cartoon by John Darkow - Columbia Daily Tribune (click to purchase)

You see, a group identified as the Westboro Baptist Church out of Topeka, Kan. had taken to demonstrating at military funerals in their attempt to attract attention to their anti-homosexual views. The group claims that the loss of life in overseas military operations is directly attributable to America’s refusal to universally condemn homosexuality. Taking it a disturbing step further, this group even carries signs that read “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and, as reported by The Christian Science Monitor, the group has an online press release that concludes with the phrase “Thank God for IEDs” (Improvised Explosive Devices).

In the face of this shameful treatment of his son’s death, Mr. Snyder retaliated not with violence, but with legal system. He filed suit against the Westboro demonstrators and won a multi-million dollar judgment against them. Sadly, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals just recently reversed the lower court’s finding by asserting that the First Amendment rights of the demonstrators would be violated with a finding in favor of Mr. Snyder. This reversal also required Mr. Snyder to pay Westboro’s court fees in excess of $16,000 — an amount that he has stated he will not pay unless the Supreme Court of the United States orders him to do so.

With the Supreme Court recently agreeing to hear his appeal next term, Mr. Snyder will have his day in front of the highest court in the land.

Our First Amendment rights are critically important to ensuring that each of us is able to present our views in the public forum without government restriction or interference. Each day, thousands of Americans do just that, on matters ranging from new contracts for union workers to folks letting the government know of their position on national health care legislation.

But I do not believe that these rights are unlimited, without regard to our basic humanity. I do not believe that they allow free Americans to cross the bounds of decency while intruding on the privacy of fellow citizens. In short, I don’t believe that our Constitution affords disturbed protesters the right to interfere with a peaceful memorial service for a fallen Marine. I can only hope and pray that the Supreme Court will agree and rule in favor of Mr. Snyder.

But regardless of the High Court’s ruling, these demonstrations are not likely to stop whether they receive a favorable or unfavorable ruling.

After learning of this story, I asked myself what my readers could do to help. It appears that Bill O’Reilly of Fox News has already volunteered to pay the outstanding legal fees on behalf of Mr. Snyder, should he be ordered to do so. And for that I applaud Mr. O’Reilly. But there is more.

A group called Patriot Guard Riders (www.patriotguard.org) has joined together for a worthy cause. They are motorcycle riders from across America whose main mission is, if invited by the grieving families, to attend the funerals of our service men and women and provide an escort for the fallen military member and their family, so as to ensure that no protests or demonstrations can disrupt the services. These are men and women who simply recognized that groups such as Westboro were hurting families at a time when they were most vulnerable and grieving. I ask each of you to visit the Patriot Guard’s website and join their ranks. You need not own a motorcycle or even have ridden one in the past. Rather, they proudly state that their only prerequisite to membership is “respect.”

My hope is that someday we will not require Supreme Court rulings and Patriot Guard Riders to protect our fallen heroes when they return home. But right now we do, and so I appeal to the Court to recognize and respect the constitutional rights of grieving families, and I appeal to each of you to become a member of the Patriot Guard.

—–

Mike Reagan, the elder son of the late President Ronald Reagan, is spokesperson for The Reagan PAC (www.thereaganpac.com) and chairman and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation (www.reaganlegacyfoundation.org). Look for Mike’s books and other information at www.Reagan.com. E-mail comments to [email protected].

©2010 Mike Reagan. If you’re not a paying subscriber to our service, you must contact us to print or Web post this column. Mike’s column is distributed exclusively by: Cagle Cartoons, Inc., newspaper syndicate. For info contact Cari Dawson Bartley. E-mail [email protected], (800) 696-7561.

Making Sense, by Michael Reagan

Well, Democrats in Washington did it. They unilaterally passed a $938 billion health care plan that was overwhelmingly disapproved by Americans.

But not to worry, the United Nations Health Organization proclaimed our leaders courageous for their actions. I will prefer to call them extinct.

Voters fought, called, protested, and debated up until the moment of the vote. With willful blindness, many in the Democratically-controlled Congress simply chose to ignore their constituents.

Cartoon by Nate Beller - Washington Examiner (click to purchase)

It is easy to argue that the health care bill was the wrong prescription for our ailing economy and growing deficit. It is just as easy to argue against such a seismic shift to the size and influence of our government; anything that required so much intra-Democratic Party arm-twisting, threats and bribes to get it through their own caucus can’t be good for our nation. But Democrats in Washington aren’t satisfied there. Today our banks, auto industry, student loans all join our health care as being instruments of the federal government.

We’ve watched as, one by one, new segments of the economy have moved into the government’s balance sheet. The American people have been overlooked in favor of new power, new control, and new taxes. We’ve seen rough economic times, are still seeing them, but in spite of inappropriate government action we will make it through.

And come this November, voters will have a choice. A choice between a Republican Party that hopefully will have returned to its roots of smaller and limited government and responsible fiscal policies versus a Democratic Party that will stop at nothing to grow our government and grow our debt.

The time is now for us to act. Each of us has a responsibility to get engaged, help Republicans get elected and demand that Washington recoil from its massive expansion. I will do my part as well. Our PAC, Reagan PAC, is dedicated to finding and supporting Republican candidates that recognize the contemporary conservative principles of Ronald Reagan and are committed to their realization. We will target Democratic candidates in key swing districts across the nation who recently voted in support of this dangerous health care legislation, and seek to find qualified conservative candidates in these districts and states and others who can help return America on a path to prosperity.

We will also be working to defend the Republican candidates who have stood for sound, limited government in the face of an overwhelming big-government presence so that our worthy elected officials can stand against the volley liberal Democrats are sure to fling their way. And throughout this country, I will be on the ground working with activists, both conservative and independent, to build a new coalition for individual liberty.

I am eager to get to work, to further my father’s legacy and restore the greatness of this country.

This fight is important. This fight will not be easy, but the outcome will determine the shape of our nation for decades to come. This fight cannot be won without all of us becoming engaged come this November. I ask that in the coming days you visit www.thereaganpac.com to join the fight to renew America.

—–

Mike Reagan, the elder son of the late President Ronald Reagan, is spokesperson for The Reagan Nation and chairman and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation (www.reaganlegacyfoundation.org). Look for Mike’s books and other information at www.Reagan.com. E-mail comments to [email protected].

©2010 Mike Reagan. If you’re not a paying subscriber to our service, you must contact us to print or Web post this column. Mike’s column is distributed exclusively by: Cagle Cartoons, Inc., newspaper syndicate. For info contact Cari Dawson Bartley. E-mail [email protected], (800) 696-7561.

Making Sense, by Michael Reagan

Anyone that knows my politics understands that I consider myself pro-life; however, as I have written often, I also recognize that millions of Americans feel differently than I do and that we must continue to respect each other as Americans even though we share this fundamental difference of opinion.

But today I am deeply concerned about the use of tax dollars to fund elective abortions.

Earlier this week, the House Budget Committee narrowly defeated the inclusion of language from the Stupak-Pitts amendment in the health care reconciliation bill. That language, drafted by Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan, would have effectively prevented any use of federal funds for abortion in the package of “fixes” being considered for the Senate bill.

In November 2009, pro-life members of both parties were able to defeat the misleading Capps amendment to the final House bill, which would have allowed federal funding of elective abortions through a loophole regarding direct funds. This was yet another progressive, Liberal trick to use our hard-earned tax dollars to support elective abortions and more federal mandates on an issue that pro-choice folks ironically say is a matter of private reflection rather than government control.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment replaced the Capps amendment, but the language of the Senate bill — the bill House members are being asked to accept through the ambiguous “reconciliation” process — undoes many of the strides made by Bart Stupak. It, in fact, offers little more protection than the Hyde amendment, a temporary law attached to the budget which could be thrown out during any year and which too many insurers and pro-choice legislators have already figured out how to dance nimbly around.

Thankfully, the Stupak-Pitts amendment may get the attention of the full House of Representatives later this week, and it is imperative that Americans from across the nation let their representatives know that regardless of their position on the issue of life versus choice, it is entirely inappropriate for our tax dollars to be used to pay for these procedures.

We’ve had decades of debate over abortion, and we are likely to see decades more. In our courtrooms and legislative chambers, this heated issue has far to go, and we must see that debate through.

But what we cannot, must not, debate or tolerate for one single moment is the spending of our federal tax dollars to subsidize purely elective abortions. In that, the question is no longer a matter of an individual’s choice but about the full involvement of society. I am not alone in my staunch objection. In fact, the overwhelming majority of Americans clearly support this position.

A recent poll taken by Quinnipiac University showed that voters oppose public money in the health care bill to pay for abortions by 67 percent to 27 percent. Other polls have consistently shown a majority of Americans opposing federal health care dollars for elective abortions. These Americans, all 67 percent of them, need to have their voices heard now or it will be too late.

While I do see this as a matter of life and death, I also see it is a matter of an increasingly intrusive federal government that is forcing a nation that is divided on the issue of abortion to use our collective monies to pay for them.

This is no small matter, and no small majority. Given the opposition Democrats are already facing from the American public with their attempt to ram this health care legislation down our throats, I find it even more amazing that they seem content to move forward with elements that would expand health coverage to women seeking elective abortions.

This is stupid politics. This is bad governance. This is immoral.

—–

Mike Reagan, the elder son of the late President Ronald Reagan, is spokesperson for The Reagan Nation and chairman and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation (www.reaganlegacyfoundation.org). Look for Mike’s books and other information at www.Reagan.com. E-mail comments to [email protected].