RealClearPolitics - Articlestag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//22009-04-13T12:44:34ZMovable Type 3.2American Optimism Makes a Comebacktag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.955072009-04-13T13:30:51Z2009-04-13T12:44:34ZAmericans' attitude about the nation's future has steadily recovered in recent weeks. Happy days are not yet here again. But from the course of the country to the economy, polls show the public's mood is decidedly better now than at any point in the past year.
American satisfaction with the direction of the country is the highest it has been since April 2007, according to Gallup tracking. Only 26 percent of Americans say they are satisfied today. But a mere 15 percent expressed satisfaction in mid-February. A third of Americans now believe the economy is improving, twice the portion that said the same in mid-January.
Six months ago, after the financial crisis, nearly every American was pessimistic about the nation's future. In October of last year, only 7 percent of the public thought the United States was heading in the right direction. That marked the most pessimistic American outlook since the question was first asked in 1979. It was also the only period when satisfaction plummeted to single digits. A nation defined by its optimism was anything but.
Americans' attitude about the nation's future has steadily recovered in recent weeks. Happy days are not yet here again. But from the course of the country to the economy, polls show the public's mood is decidedly better now than at any point in the past year.
American satisfaction with the direction of the country is the highest it has been since April 2007, according to Gallup tracking. Only 26 percent of Americans say they are satisfied today. But a mere 15 percent expressed satisfaction in mid-February. A third of Americans now believe the economy is improving, twice the portion that said the same in mid-January.
Six months ago, after the financial crisis, nearly every American was pessimistic about the nation's future. In October of last year, only 7 percent of the public thought the United States was heading in the right direction. That marked the most pessimistic American outlook since the question was first asked in 1979. It was also the only period when satisfaction plummeted to single digits. A nation defined by its optimism was anything but.
Obama's Economic Miragetag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954872009-04-13T06:50:00Z2009-04-13T04:47:41ZWASHINGTON -- President Obama has made no secret of his vision for America's 21st century economy. We will lead the world in "green" technologies to stop global warming. Advancing medical breakthroughs will improve our well-being, control health spending and enable us to expand insurance coverage. These investments in energy and health care, as well as education, will revive the economy and create millions of well-paying new jobs for middle-class Americans.
It's a dazzling rhetorical vista that excites the young and fits the country's present mood, which blames "capitalist greed" for the economic crisis. Obama promises communal goals and a more widely shared prosperity. The trouble is that it may not work as well in practice as it does in Obama's speeches. Still, congressional Democrats press ahead to curb global warming and achieve near-universal health insurance. We should not be stampeded into far-reaching changes that have little to do with today's crisis.
WASHINGTON -- President Obama has made no secret of his vision for America's 21st century economy. We will lead the world in "green" technologies to stop global warming. Advancing medical breakthroughs will improve our well-being, control health spending and enable us to expand insurance coverage. These investments in energy and health care, as well as education, will revive the economy and create millions of well-paying new jobs for middle-class Americans.
It's a dazzling rhetorical vista that excites the young and fits the country's present mood, which blames "capitalist greed" for the economic crisis. Obama promises communal goals and a more widely shared prosperity. The trouble is that it may not work as well in practice as it does in Obama's speeches. Still, congressional Democrats press ahead to curb global warming and achieve near-universal health insurance. We should not be stampeded into far-reaching changes that have little to do with today's crisis.
Jon Stewart Goes to Washingtontag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.955062009-04-13T06:30:58Z2009-04-13T12:38:10ZOn Tuesday night I was bestowed the honor of being ridiculed on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. The segment in which I was featured had Mr. Stewart mocking those of us who dare criticize the new president. In the era of Obama, mainstream American political humor is now officially on the defensive.
Stewart lumped me with Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and Rep. Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Republican -- a cross section of people you might expect to be critical of an administration implementing very liberal policies in a very short time.
The "joke" was that these right-wing zealots weren't giving the new president enough time, that the previous president did worse things, and that I, in particular, was ridiculous for blaming the president for "St. Patrick's Day" becoming "Potato Day" at my kids' public school. (Yes, the name change took place. No, I did not blame President Obama -- specifically.)
On Tuesday night I was bestowed the honor of being ridiculed on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. The segment in which I was featured had Mr. Stewart mocking those of us who dare criticize the new president. In the era of Obama, mainstream American political humor is now officially on the defensive.
Stewart lumped me with Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and Rep. Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Republican -- a cross section of people you might expect to be critical of an administration implementing very liberal policies in a very short time.
The "joke" was that these right-wing zealots weren't giving the new president enough time, that the previous president did worse things, and that I, in particular, was ridiculous for blaming the president for "St. Patrick's Day" becoming "Potato Day" at my kids' public school. (Yes, the name change took place. No, I did not blame President Obama -- specifically.)
North Korea Acts With Impunitytag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954692009-04-13T05:45:00Z2009-04-13T12:45:12ZOnce again, North Koreans led by Kim Jong Il have defied the rest of the world and, as they have for much of the last forty years, will evidently get away with it as the US, Japan, and South Korea have done little but talk and shake their fingers at the "Dear Leader."
Last weekend, as is widely known now, the North Koreans fired a missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean. For a North Korea that cannot feed itself, whose archaic industry is limping, whose trade is anemic except for imports from China, whose people suffer from endemic diseases, and which goes dark for lack of electricity when the sun goes down, this was a spectacular achievement.
Once again, North Koreans led by Kim Jong Il have defied the rest of the world and, as they have for much of the last forty years, will evidently get away with it as the US, Japan, and South Korea have done little but talk and shake their fingers at the "Dear Leader."
Last weekend, as is widely known now, the North Koreans fired a missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean. For a North Korea that cannot feed itself, whose archaic industry is limping, whose trade is anemic except for imports from China, whose people suffer from endemic diseases, and which goes dark for lack of electricity when the sun goes down, this was a spectacular achievement.
In Defense of Pax Americanatag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954902009-04-13T05:30:43Z2009-04-13T12:45:01ZLast week, I was chatting with a Frenchman who recalled shining Nazis' shoes as a little boy for scraps during World War II. He told me, with a smile, of running home to his mother after he had earned a few pieces of bread. To him, America is still the liberator. But he added, "People forget."
At the same time I was having this conversation, President Obama was touring Europe with a tone of atonement about him. Obama inherited a nation severed from its elevated post-war stature. And so it was fitting that Obama's first diplomatic tour from London to Baghdad was consumed with the public relations effort to revitalize brand USA. He appeared the statesman, brokering a small deal with the heads of state of China and France. He put forward a magnificent image, on no occasion more than when visiting a Turkish mosque and not forgetting to remove his shoes. But in Obama's effort to bridle the impression of American hubris he also hinted at the decline of the nation itself.
Last week, I was chatting with a Frenchman who recalled shining Nazis' shoes as a little boy for scraps during World War II. He told me, with a smile, of running home to his mother after he had earned a few pieces of bread. To him, America is still the liberator. But he added, "People forget."
At the same time I was having this conversation, President Obama was touring Europe with a tone of atonement about him. Obama inherited a nation severed from its elevated post-war stature. And so it was fitting that Obama's first diplomatic tour from London to Baghdad was consumed with the public relations effort to revitalize brand USA. He appeared the statesman, brokering a small deal with the heads of state of China and France. He put forward a magnificent image, on no occasion more than when visiting a Turkish mosque and not forgetting to remove his shoes. But in Obama's effort to bridle the impression of American hubris he also hinted at the decline of the nation itself.
Interview with Interior Secretary Salazartag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.955042009-04-13T02:14:48Z2009-04-13T02:16:02ZKING: You hear a lot of talk these days about the green economy. You might remember just a few weeks back we went to a factory just outside of Philadelphia where they're making those giant wind turbines. The goal, to help reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign oil. But foreign oil will be with us for quite some time. One way to reduce that dependence is to find more domestic sources. And look at the map here. This is off shore oil. They believe there are 10.5 billion barrels offshore in the Pacific, 41 billion in the Western Gulf of Mexico, 3.8 billion here. So we went off shore with the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to talk about this and other energy and environment debates and from an oil rig right here in the Gulf of Mexico, Secretary Salazar gets "The Last Word."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING: How much of a part of the future is this?
KING: You hear a lot of talk these days about the green economy. You might remember just a few weeks back we went to a factory just outside of Philadelphia where they're making those giant wind turbines. The goal, to help reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign oil. But foreign oil will be with us for quite some time. One way to reduce that dependence is to find more domestic sources. And look at the map here. This is off shore oil. They believe there are 10.5 billion barrels offshore in the Pacific, 41 billion in the Western Gulf of Mexico, 3.8 billion here. So we went off shore with the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to talk about this and other energy and environment debates and from an oil rig right here in the Gulf of Mexico, Secretary Salazar gets "The Last Word."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING: How much of a part of the future is this?
Interview with Admiral Allen, Commandant of the Coast Guardtag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.955032009-04-13T02:04:15Z2009-04-13T02:05:52ZSTEPHANOPOULOS: So it's watching and waiting for now. Jim Sciutto. Thanks.
And for more on this we are now joined by one of the top U.S. officials in the anti-piracy effort. Admiral Thad Allen, the command of the U.S. Coast Guard. Welcome back to THIS WEEK.
ADM. THAD ALLEN, COMMANDANT, U.S. COAST GUARD: Good morning, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's stick with the situation on the ground -- or at sea right now off the coast of Somalia and Kenya. Is there anything else U.S. officials can do besides waiting and hoping that negotiations bear fruit?
STEPHANOPOULOS: So it's watching and waiting for now. Jim Sciutto. Thanks.
And for more on this we are now joined by one of the top U.S. officials in the anti-piracy effort. Admiral Thad Allen, the command of the U.S. Coast Guard. Welcome back to THIS WEEK.
ADM. THAD ALLEN, COMMANDANT, U.S. COAST GUARD: Good morning, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's stick with the situation on the ground -- or at sea right now off the coast of Somalia and Kenya. Is there anything else U.S. officials can do besides waiting and hoping that negotiations bear fruit?
Sens. Bayh and Coburn on "Fox News Sunday"tag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.955022009-04-13T02:01:23Z2009-04-13T02:02:41ZWALLACE: Tough issues face America this holiday weekend, from a global financial crisis to challenges on nuclear arms and the open sea. We'll tackle it all with two key members of the U.S. Senate, Democrat Evan Bayh and Republican Tom Coburn .
Then, Wall Street and other economic indicators show an uptick. Is the worst behind us? We'll go to the FOX Business Network for answers when we talk with Liz Claman and Jenna Lee.
Plus, former top Bush adviser Karl Rove calls out Vice President Biden.
WALLACE: Tough issues face America this holiday weekend, from a global financial crisis to challenges on nuclear arms and the open sea. We'll tackle it all with two key members of the U.S. Senate, Democrat Evan Bayh and Republican Tom Coburn .
Then, Wall Street and other economic indicators show an uptick. Is the worst behind us? We'll go to the FOX Business Network for answers when we talk with Liz Claman and Jenna Lee.
Plus, former top Bush adviser Karl Rove calls out Vice President Biden.
Interview with the Mexican Ambassadortag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.955012009-04-13T02:00:29Z2009-04-13T02:01:19ZSCHIEFFER: And, good morning again. The ambassador from Mexico is in New York this morning, Arturo Sarukhan. Mr. Ambassador, thank you so much for joining us. The president goes to Mexico this week at a time when the Mexican government is fighting these drug cartels, nearly 7,000 people killed in the violence down there last year. Number one, what do you want from the United States on this front? And what will your president be telling President Obama when he gets there?
ARTURO SARUKHAN, MEXICAN AMBASSADOR: First of all, Bob, that as most things in life, you need to two to tango. And as Mexico seeks to shut down the flow of drugs coming into the United States from Mexico, from South America, we need the support of the United States to shut down the flow of weapons and bulk cash. I think it is very clear that President Obama, who has been seized by the importance of the bilateral relationship, since even before his administration kicked off -- the flurry of visits by Secretary Clinton, Secretary Napolitano, Attorney General Holder, down to Mexico in previous weeks, I think have started to push the ball in the right direction.
SCHIEFFER: And, good morning again. The ambassador from Mexico is in New York this morning, Arturo Sarukhan. Mr. Ambassador, thank you so much for joining us. The president goes to Mexico this week at a time when the Mexican government is fighting these drug cartels, nearly 7,000 people killed in the violence down there last year. Number one, what do you want from the United States on this front? And what will your president be telling President Obama when he gets there?
ARTURO SARUKHAN, MEXICAN AMBASSADOR: First of all, Bob, that as most things in life, you need to two to tango. And as Mexico seeks to shut down the flow of drugs coming into the United States from Mexico, from South America, we need the support of the United States to shut down the flow of weapons and bulk cash. I think it is very clear that President Obama, who has been seized by the importance of the bilateral relationship, since even before his administration kicked off -- the flurry of visits by Secretary Clinton, Secretary Napolitano, Attorney General Holder, down to Mexico in previous weeks, I think have started to push the ball in the right direction.
The War Within Islamtag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954672009-04-12T06:50:00Z2009-04-12T11:39:40Z WASHINGTON -- "Leave me for the moment -- you can beat me again later," a 17-year-old woman begs between sobs in a video airing on Pakistan's private television networks and now posted on the Internet. But the local Taliban commander continues to flog her without mercy as a group of village men watch in silence.
These images were described in a recent New York Times dispatch, which noted that the alleged transgressions of the woman could not be definitively established. The range of possible violations of the Taliban's version of Islamic law -- from stepping outside her house without a male escort to having an illicit affair -- is appallingly vast.
WASHINGTON -- "Leave me for the moment -- you can beat me again later," a 17-year-old woman begs between sobs in a video airing on Pakistan's private television networks and now posted on the Internet. But the local Taliban commander continues to flog her without mercy as a group of village men watch in silence.
These images were described in a recent New York Times dispatch, which noted that the alleged transgressions of the woman could not be definitively established. The range of possible violations of the Taliban's version of Islamic law -- from stepping outside her house without a male escort to having an illicit affair -- is appallingly vast.
The Crucial Role of the Independentstag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954632009-04-12T06:30:00Z2009-04-12T11:27:00ZWASHINGTON -- It looks like perfect political symmetry -- party-line voting in Congress on the first key pieces of Barack Obama's agenda, matching a deep partisan divide within the electorate in judging his performance as president.
But, for reasons that require a little explanation, it may be wrong to conclude from this evidence, as many are doing, that the center has fallen out of American politics and Obama is on a fool's errand if he continues to pursue bipartisan support.
WASHINGTON -- It looks like perfect political symmetry -- party-line voting in Congress on the first key pieces of Barack Obama's agenda, matching a deep partisan divide within the electorate in judging his performance as president.
But, for reasons that require a little explanation, it may be wrong to conclude from this evidence, as many are doing, that the center has fallen out of American politics and Obama is on a fool's errand if he continues to pursue bipartisan support.
Racing Past the Constitutiontag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954662009-04-12T06:30:00Z2009-04-12T11:35:41ZWASHINGTON -- Rampant redistribution of wealth by government is now the norm. So is this: It inflames government's natural rapaciousness and subverts the rule of law. This degeneration of governance is illustrated by the Illinois Legislature's transfer of income from some disfavored riverboat casinos to racetracks.
Illinois has nine licensed riverboat casinos and five horse-racing tracks. In 2006, supposedly to "address the negative impact that riverboat gaming has had" on Illinois horse racing, the Legislature -- racing interests made huge contributions to Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- mandated a transfer of 3 percent of the gross receipts of the four most profitable casinos, those in the Chicago area, to the state's horse-racing tracks. This levy, subsequently extended to run until 2011, will confiscate substantially more than $100 million.
WASHINGTON -- Rampant redistribution of wealth by government is now the norm. So is this: It inflames government's natural rapaciousness and subverts the rule of law. This degeneration of governance is illustrated by the Illinois Legislature's transfer of income from some disfavored riverboat casinos to racetracks.
Illinois has nine licensed riverboat casinos and five horse-racing tracks. In 2006, supposedly to "address the negative impact that riverboat gaming has had" on Illinois horse racing, the Legislature -- racing interests made huge contributions to Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- mandated a transfer of 3 percent of the gross receipts of the four most profitable casinos, those in the Chicago area, to the state's horse-racing tracks. This levy, subsequently extended to run until 2011, will confiscate substantially more than $100 million.
A Resilient Christianitytag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954682009-04-12T06:30:00Z2009-04-12T11:44:01ZWASHINGTON -- Are we witnessing this Easter season the decline of Christianity in America, or is this rather a moment of reform and renewal, a time when the deterioration that has been under way is arrested?
The death and resurrection of religion, if not of Jesus Christ, has been a favorite subject of newsmagazines ever since Time, on April 8, 1966, momentously asked: "Is God Dead?"
WASHINGTON -- Are we witnessing this Easter season the decline of Christianity in America, or is this rather a moment of reform and renewal, a time when the deterioration that has been under way is arrested?
The death and resurrection of religion, if not of Jesus Christ, has been a favorite subject of newsmagazines ever since Time, on April 8, 1966, momentously asked: "Is God Dead?"
Innocents Abroadtag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954892009-04-12T06:20:44Z2009-04-12T12:10:40ZHillary Clinton has apparently spent the last week in a state of deep concern.
She was "deeply concerned" about North Korea's missile launch, in defiance of all agreements the psycho-dictatorship had made. She expressed "deep concern" about maritime conditions off Somalia, after the first American-flagged ship in about 200 years was boarded by pirates. She was moreover "deeply concerned" about the fate of an Iranian-American journalist, who was arrested for being a "spy" in Tehran, right after her boss's latest dialogue overture.
Hillary Clinton has apparently spent the last week in a state of deep concern.
She was "deeply concerned" about North Korea's missile launch, in defiance of all agreements the psycho-dictatorship had made. She expressed "deep concern" about maritime conditions off Somalia, after the first American-flagged ship in about 200 years was boarded by pirates. She was moreover "deeply concerned" about the fate of an Iranian-American journalist, who was arrested for being a "spy" in Tehran, right after her boss's latest dialogue overture.
Glenn Beck, Unfilteredtag:www.realclearpolitics.com,2009:/articles//2.954862009-04-12T06:20:00Z2009-04-12T11:54:31Z Asked why his new show on Fox News Channel is so popular, Glenn Beck is uncharacteristically muted: "I am just a guy."
Beck is a guy, but "just" is not the word that most people would use to describe him. Just ask any fan or foe.
The radio talk-show host, former host of a CNN Headline News program, and now Fox host owes his success largely to an every-man appeal, spoken without a filter.
Asked why his new show on Fox News Channel is so popular, Glenn Beck is uncharacteristically muted: "I am just a guy."
Beck is a guy, but "just" is not the word that most people would use to describe him. Just ask any fan or foe.
The radio talk-show host, former host of a CNN Headline News program, and now Fox host owes his success largely to an every-man appeal, spoken without a filter.