Monthly Archives: February 2012

Chuck Colson on Komen caving to pressure from Planned Parenthood

Liberals think that Komen has damaged their image with this whole mess and now conservatives are upset with Komen too.

Very good article from Breakpoint.org

Komen Caves

An Object Lesson for All of Us

By: Chuck Colson|Published: February 3, 2012 2:59 PM
 

Komen for the Cure’s stunning reversal to fund Planned Parenthood after all, has an important lesson for us all..

Chuck  Colson

No doubt you’ve been watching the unfolding drama of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation’s decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood — and then its stunning reversal.

What you saw last week was a concerted, intentional effort by an ideological minority — the radical pro-abortion forces — not just to make their case in public, but to destroy the opposition. Using incendiary language, accusing Komen of endangering the lives of women, they made no pretense to pursue civil discourse.

And it’s a tragedy that Komen for the Cure caved. Because all of the all of the rational arguments were on their side.

First of all, Planned Parenthood does not perform mammograms, its doctors simply provide breast cancer referrals. No wonder Komen for the Cure figured its money could be better spent on organizations that provide direct treatment.

And of course there’s the uncomfortable link between breast cancer and abortion. A 2009 study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center showed “a statistically significant 40% increased risk [of breast cancer] for women who have abortions.”

Second, Komen’s stated policy was not to contribute to organizations under investigation. Well, Planned Parenthood is under Congressional investigation for potentially misusing federal funds — funds that by law may not be used for abortions. In 2010, the organization received fully 46 percent of its funding — 487 million dollars — from government grants.

Yet according to Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report, the organization and its many affiliates performed more than 329,000 abortions in 2010 — or a full 91 percent of services rendered to pregnant women.

It sure sounds to me that they’re flaunting the law.

Finally, this never was about the money. Komen’s grant was a drop in Planned Parenthood’s bucket. As Tim Stanley of the UK Telegraph pointed out, Komen for the Cure’s annual grant made up a mere .058 percent of Planned Parenthood’s budget!

So what is this all about? Look friends, Komen is the kind of respectable and mainstream partner that Planned Parenthood desperately needs to continue its charade that it is all about “women’s health.” And it and its friends will bully and shout down anybody who dares to disagree with them.

What happened to Komen is a perfect example of the despotism of the modern left. Disagree with them, they vilify you and seek to intimidate you into silence. Tragically, Komen caved.

As I’ve been saying on BreakPoint for the last three or four months, we must break the spiral of silence. That’s why it is so important to speak out, even now. Let Komen know that you appreciated what they did to de-fund Planned Parenthood — come to BreakPoint.org and we’ll link you to their website — and that you are horrified that they didn’t have the courage to stick to their convictions.

Here is the lesson for us in all of this: We must have the courage of our convictions. Remember, courage is the first of the cardinal virtues, the virtue on which all others depend. We must never cave when it comes to defending the Truth, no matter what comes our way.

Just remember, we have no choice but to stand for what is true and just and to oppose evil no matter what the cost.

The Heritage Plan Keeps Spending Low and Ends Deficits Without Raising Taxes

The Heritage Plan Keeps Spending Low and Ends Deficits Without Raising Taxes

Everyone wants to know more about the budget and here is some key information with a chart from the Heritage Foundation and a video from the Cato Institute.

Bold, transformational reforms are needed to solve America’s spending crisis. The Heritage Plan achieves this through spending, entitlement, and tax reforms. It reduces the size of government, encourages personal fiscal responsibility, and fosters economic growth. It balances the federal budget by 2021 and keeps revenue at 18.5 percent of the economy.

REVENUE AND SPENDING AS A PERCENTAGE OF GDP

 
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The Heritage Plan Keeps Spending Low and Ends Deficits Without Raising Taxes

Source: Current projections: Congressional Budget Office (Alternative Fiscal Scenario). Heritage Plan: Calculations by the Center for Data Analysis based on data provided by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. For more information, go to savingthedream.org.

Chart 42 of 42

In Depth

27 club (Complete list)

It was so sad to lose these people so soon.

The Curse of 27

This page is in response to my most frequently asked questions – is there really a Curse of 27, how many musicians actually died at that age, and who are they.

When legendary Blues man, Robert Johnson, was killed at the age of 27, his death is said to have spawned a curse. The legend unfolds like this: Johnson, always enamored of the Blues and desiring the ability to play guitar was, unfortunately, a mediocre talent. He disappeared for a time, during which he sold his soul to the devil by making a crossroads deal, in exchange for an unparalleled talent with the guitar. Suddenly he was a Blues master, composing songs about the crossroads and hellhounds on his trail. Johnson’s ability made him popular with many (especially the ladies), but there were some who were suspicious and jealous of his talents (particularly the ladies’ husbands). In 1938, he was supposedly given a bottle of wine which had been poisoned by one such jealous spouse. Johnson died a long, agonizing death. He was 27.

Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson

Since that day, it is said that many musicians – especially those of particularly high quality – would succumb to the curse and die, at the height of their careers, at the age of 27. While it is true that many musicians did, in fact, die at this age, it is hardly a magical number. Just as strong a case – if not more compelling – could be made for the age of 28. Twenty-seven by no means stands out. I have catalogued all musicians in the Archive that have died at age 27 since Robert Johnson; the list isn’t nearly as long as one might think. Not including Johnson, there are 21 musicians who died at age 27 from 1938 to 2011 – that’s one person roughly every three-and-a-half years. And although many of these performers were wildly famous and indisputable legends, most were supporting players in moderately successful bands.

space saver

I give you The 27 Club, in chronological order.

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Jesse Belvin

Jesse Belvin

Jesse Belvin
car accident – suspected murder. He was 27. Belvin was a soulful crooner, marketed as “the black Elvis” to a still-segregated South. While leaving his first integrated concert (1960), in Little Rock, Belvin’s car was involved in a head-on collision. One of the first state troopers on the scene stated that both of the rear tires on the black cadillac had been “obviously tampered with.” Belvin and his driver died at the scene (Hope, AR); his wife Jo Ann succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. Belvin was co-author of The Penguins’ hit, “Earth Angel,” and his recording of “Goodnight My Love” was the closing theme for Alan Freed’s rock & roll radio show for several years. Visit Jesse Belvin’s Tribute, which expands on his his career and offers other suspicious details surrounding his death.
Malcolm Hale
carbon-monoxide poisoning in 1968. (Some sources site bronchopneumonia as the cause of death.) He was 27. Hale was the lead guitarist for Spanky and Our Gang. He had gone to bed drunk at a girlfriend’s, and even though the band called her to wake him, she refused. Twenty-eight hours later, she discovered that he was dead. Hale died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the result of a faulty space heater. He was 27. “Sunday Will Never Be the Same,” “Like to Get to Know You,” “Lazy Day”

Brian Jones

Brian Jones

Brian Jones
(Lewis Brian Hopkins-Jones), drowned in 1969. He was 27. Jones was a co-founder of the Rolling Stones, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Speculation remains that Jones may have been murdered. For the whole story, and to read about the renewed investigation into his death in August of 2009, follow this link. “Satisfaction,” “Red Door,” “Sympathy for the Devil”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Mitch Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and Noel Redding

Jimi Hendrix
(born Johnny Allen Hendrix, his father changed his name to James Marshall Hendrix when he was 4 years old), aspiration of vomit while sleeping after ingesting alcohol and sleeping pills (1970). Sources are saying Hendrix’s death was actually a homicide; read about Hendrix’s murder by his manager. Hendrix was 27 and an established guitar legend. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named Hendrix the greatest guitarist of all time. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, with Noel Redding (see 2003) and Mitch Mitchell (2008; natural causes at age 61), were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. “Purple Haze,” “Foxy Lady,” “Manic Depression”

Janis Joplin

“Pearl”

Janis Joplin
heroin overdose in 1970; “Pearl” was 27. Blues legend Bessie Smith (see 1937) lay in an unmarked grave for 33 years, until Joplin and Juanita Green, Smith’s former maid and later a chapter-head of the NAACP, donated money for a headstone. “Pearl” was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Summertime,” “Mercedes Benz”

Canned Heat

Canned Heat, front to back:

Fito de la Parra, Larry Taylor, Bob Hite (standing, d. 1981),

Henry Vestine (d. 1997), Alan Wilson (standing, d. 1970).

Al “Blind Owl” Wilson
suicide. Wilson was the vocalist, harmonica player, and one of thr original members of Canned Heat, along with Bob “The Bear” Hite (see 1981) and Henry “Sunflower” Vestine (see 1997).” In 197O, Wilson overdosed on tranquilizers (reportedly in the back yard of Hite) when he found out he couldn’t save a redwood forest from being leveled by a timber company. He was 27. “Going Up Country,” “Let’s Work Together,” “Time Was,” “Boogie Music,” “On the Road Again”
Arlester “Dyke” Christian
shot in 1971. Christian sang back up for The O’Jays and later formed Dyke and the Blazers. Dyke is said to have influenced many, inclduing James Brown and Wilson Pickett. He was shot to death while sitting in his car in downtown Phoenix. He was 27. Dyke and the Blazers were inducted to the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame. “Funky Broadway – Part 1” (later covered by Pickett as a #1 R&B single)

Jim Morrison space saver Jim Morrison

“The Lizard King.”

Jim Morrison
(James Douglas Morrison), unknown. In 1971, Morrison was found dead in his bathtub while living in Paris. The official cause of death was myocardial infarction (heart attack). Some speculate that he actually succumbed to some type of drug (heroin or cocaine) and/or alcohol overdose. Others believe “The Lizard King” still lives. Morrison was lead singer of The Doors and a published poet; he was 27 at the time of his death. The Doors were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. “Riders on the Storm,” “Hello, I Love You,” “The End,” “Light My Fire”Interesting aside: In 1967, The Doors were booked to play three shows in San Francisco, headlined by soul singer Otis Redding. Redding was killed two weeks before the scheduled performances. (Visit Redding’s Tribute.) Morrison paid tribute to the fallen singer during the first performance and again in The Doors’ song “Runnin’ Blue”: “Poor Otis, dead and gone, left me here to sing his song…”

2007 – Update: Sources are surfacing (including close personal friend, Sam Sernett), stating that Morrison actually overdosed on heroin in a Paris nightclub bathroom and was quietly moved to his apartment where the bathtub death scene was staged.

Roger Lee Durham
fall from a horse in 1973; he was 27. Durham was a member of Bloodstone, with Willis Draffen (see 2002). Durham was an airman in Vietnam; he is buried in Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery (Kansas). “Natural High,” “Never Let You Go,” “Outside Woman,” “My Little Lady”

Ron

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan

*Ron “Pigpen” McKernan
liver failure due to alcohol abuse (1973); he was 27. Keyboardist for the Grateful Dead, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. McKernan was the first of four Grateful Dead keyboardists to die prematurely. He was succeeded by Keith Godchaux (see 1980), Brent Mydland (see 1990), and Vince Welnick (see 2006). “Truckin,'” “St. Stephen,” “Casey Jones,” “Friend of the Devil”

Chase

The band, Chase.

Chase (Wally Yohn)
Chase was a promising jazz-rock ensemble, founded by trumpeter Bill Chase. In 1974, while leaving Texas for an appearance in Minnesota, Chase (age 39), his drummer Walter Clark (age 25), guitarist John Emma (age 22), and keyboardist Wally Yohn (age 27) were killed when their plane crashed. The cause was sited as pilot error and poor radio communication. View the National Transportation and Safety Board Report. “Get It On”
*David Michael Alexander
pulmonary edema in 1975. He was 27. “Zander” was the original bassist for The Stooges (featuring punk icon, Iggy Pop). Zander died of pulmonary edema in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after being admitted to a hospital for pancreatitis, probably caused by his excessive drinking. (Stooges guitarist, Ron Asheton, died of a heart attack in 2009.) The Stooges were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “Fun House,” “Dirt”

Badfinger

Badfinger: Mike Gibbins (d. 2005),

Pete Ham (d. 1975), Tom Evans (d. 1983), & Joey Molland

Pete Ham
hanging (suicide); 1975. Member of Badfinger, he was 27. Ham’s bandmate, Tom Evans, would follow in his steps 8 years later. Drummer Mike Gibbins would succumb to natural causes in 2005. Harry Nilsson’s (see 1994) cover of Badfinger’s “Without You” reached #1. (Read about Badfinger’s connection to the Curse of Harry Nilsson.) “Day After Day,” “If You Want It (Come and Get It)”
Gary Thain
heroin overdose in 1975; he was 27. Thain was the bassist for Uriah Heep. During his final tour, Thain was electrocuted, blacked out, and suffered serious burns. He also (supposedly) contracted an untreatable STD. He was found dead in the bath by his girlfriend. (Heep vocalist, David Byron, would succumb to excessive alcohol consumption in 1985.) “Easy Livin’,” “Sweet Lorraine,” “Stealin'”
Chris Bell
automobile crash in 1978; it is speculated that he may have been high when he drove straight into a telephone pole. Singer and guitarist for Big Star. He was 27. “Thirteen,” “September Gurls,” “I Am the Cosmos” (as a solo artist)
D. Boon
(Dennes Dale Boon), van accident in 1985. Boon was the guitarist for the Minutemen. On a trip to Arizona, Boon’s girlfriend fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed their van. Boon was ejected form the vehicle and broke his neck, killing him instantly. He was 27. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the greatest guitarists of all time (ranking #89). Album: Double Nickels on the Dime
The Reba McEntire Band (Chris Autin and Joey Cigainero)
On 15 March 1991, country crooner Reba McEntire finished a show in California. While she decided to stay the night in San Diego, her band piled into two Hawker-Siddeley planes destined for Indiana. Unfortunatley, one of the aircraft slammed into a mountain moments after take-off. On board were Chris Autin (vocals, guitar, mandolin), age 27; Kirk Capello (keyboards), age 28; Joey Cigainero (synthesizer), age 27; Paula Kaye Evans (vocals), age 33; Terry Jackson (bass), age 28; Tony Saputo (drums), age 34; Michael Thomas (guitar), age 34; Jim Hammond (road manager), age 40; and two others, including the pilot. View the National Transportation and Safety Board report which includes photos of the musicians. McEntire dedicated her 1991 album, From My Broken Heart, to the fallen musicians.

Mia Zapata

Mia Zapata

Mia Zapata
strangled and raped (1993). Singer for The Gits, a seminal Seattle band, she was 27. According to the medical examiner, if she had not been strangled she would have died from the internal injuries suffered from the beating. After her murder, friends formed Home Alive, a self-defense group. Zapata’s case was aired on the nationally broadcast television program, “Unsolved Mysteries.” It wasn’t until 2004 that Jesus C. Mezquia was identified as her killer and sentenced to 36 years in prison. Albums: Frenching the Bullyand Enter: The Conquering Chicken.

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain
self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Lead singer/guitarist for rock music iconoclasts and grunge pioneers, Nirvana. Cobain’s body was discovered by an electrician 3 days after his death (estimated to have been on 5 April 1994). Cobain suffered from stomach problems, possible depression/bipolar disorder, and drug addiction. He was 27 when he took his life. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the greatest guitarists of all time (ranking #12). Visit the Kurt Cobain Tribute for artist information, photos, his suicide note, and a detailed account of the events leading up to his death. Learn about Cobain’s connection to the Curse of Buddy Holly. “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” “All Apologies”
Kristin Pfaff
heroin overdose in 1994. Bassist for Hole, she was 27. “Miss World,” “Doll Parts”
Passion Fruit
crash of Crossair Flight 3597 in 2001. Passion Fruit, a Euro-dance trio, scored several international hits, the biggest being 1999’s “The Rigga-Ding-Dong-Song.” After a performance in Berlin, the group was flying to Zurich, when the pilot descended below the minimum descent altitude and crashed into a hill in Bassersdorf, Switzerland, killing 24 of the 33 people on board. Debby St. Marteen survived; Nathalie van het Ende (age 25) and Maria Serrano-Serrano (age 27) were killed, along with Melanie Thornton of the group La Bouche. Proceeds from Passion Fruit’s posthumous single, “I’m Dreaming of a. . .Winter Wonderland” went to families of the crash victims.

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse
found dead in her apartment from drug-related causes (2011). She was 27. Winehouse, a Grammy-winning soul singer with a retro sound, very publicly battled with drug addiction. She often made headlines for her erratic behavior and shockingly thin and dissheveled appearance. At the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, Winehouse’s second (and final) album, Back to Black, won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album (and was nominated for Album of the Year). The single, “Rehab,” won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year; Winehouse won Best New Artist. (In “Rehab,” she refers to fellow soul singer, Donny Hathaway, who committed suicide in 1979.) “Tears Dry on Their Own,” “You Know I’m No Good,” “Back to Black”

Pete de Freitas of Echo and the Bunnymen is a member of the “27 club” (Part 9)

Amy Winehouse died last week and she joined the “27 club.” Pete de Freitas of Echo and the Bunnymen is also a member of the “27 Club.” This is group of rockers that have died at age 27. A tribute to the amazing drummer of one of our biggest influences, Echo & The Bunnymen. We […]

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan of the Grateful Dead is a member of “27 Club” because of alcohol (Part 8)

cc ‘Janis Joplin’ 2/5 from True Hollywood Story (Janis was having affair with Pigpen) Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (vocals, harmonica), Bob Weir (guitar, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass), Mickey Hart (drums), Bill Kreutzman (drums). Grateful Dead “Don’t Ease Me In” Live @ Canadian National Exhibition Hall Toronto, CA June 27th, 1970 Grateful Dead […]

Gary Thain of Uriah Heep is a member of the “27 Club” (Part 7)

Amy Winehouse died last week and joined the “27 club” which is a group of rockers that died at age 27. Gary Thain also joined that same group long ago and I wanted to look at his life today. Uriah Heep – Wizard bb By Sean Nelson, Special to MSN Music , July 23, 2011 […]

Janis Joplin joins “27 Club” three weeks after Jimi Hendrix (Part 6)

Recently Amy Winehouse joined the “27 Club” when she died of a drug overdose. The “27 Club” is a group of rockers that died at age 27. Unfortunately Jimi Hendrix died at age 27 in 1970 and Janis Joplin did the same three weeks later. Today we are going to look at her life and […]

Jimi Hendrix one of first members of the “27 club” (Part 5)

JIMI HENDRIX : FINAL INTERVIEW . The other day when Amy Winehouse died she joined the “27 Club” which includes other famous rockers who died at age 27. Most of them died because of drugs. Unfortunately Jimi Hendrix joined the club for the same reason. Something special for all music and Beat Club-Lovers on YouTube: […]

Pete Ham of Bad Finger (Part 4 of series on “27 Club”)

Amy Winehouse died at age 27 and unfornately joined the “27 club” which is made of famous rockers that died at age 27. Pete Ham was a member of Bad Finger which was one of my favorite groups that I followed. “Come and get it” was my favorite song of theirs. ___________________________________ Badfinger perform a […]

Brian Jones’ futile search for satisfaction (Part 3 of series on 27 Club)

Brian’s Blues, Brian Jones on guitar in the early stones years. unreleased track Brian Jones died at age 27 just like Amy Winehouse did. I remember like yesterday when I first heard the song “I can’t get no satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. I immediately thought about Solomon’s search for satisfaction in the Book of […]

Kurt Cobain’s spiritual search started in a Christian home but ended in Buddhism (Club 27 series part 2)jh41

The Rise And Rise Of Kurt Cobain part 1/3 Amy Winehouse joined the “Club 27 the other day with her early death. I am going through the others one by one. Today is Kurt Cobain.   7. Kurt Cobain very rarely does an artist come along and not just upset the “apple cart” but drops […]

Jim Morrison spiritual search comes up empty (Part 1 of series on “27 Club”)

Jim Morrison – Feast Of Friends – (The Doors Documentary) (1969) (Paul Ferrara) 1/4 I was saddened by the recent death of Amy Winehouse and her inclusion into the “27 Club.” This series I am starting today looks at the search that each one of these entertainers were on during their lives. Today I look […]

“Tennis Tuesday” John McEnroe part 3

Above is a video I used to like a lot which features MacEnroe’s wife.

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The tennis players Björn Borg and John McEnroe met 14 times at the regular tour during their careers with their on-court rivalry highlighted by their contrasting temperaments and styles.[1] Borg was known for his cool and emotionless demeanor on court, while McEnroe was famed for his court-side tantrums. Their rivalry extended between 1978 and 1981, with each player winning seven times against the other.[2] Because of their contrasting personalities, their rivalry was described as “Fire and Ice”.[3]

In 1980 McEnroe reached the men’s singles final at Wimbledon for the first time, where he faced Borg, who was aiming for an Open Era record fifth consecutive Wimbledon title. At the start of the final McEnroe was booed by the crowd as he entered Centre Court following his heated exchanges with officials during his semi-final clash with Jimmy Connors. In a fourth set tie-breaker that lasted 20 minutes, McEnroe saved five match points (seven altogether in that set) and eventually won 18-16. However, he was unable to break Borg’s serve in the fifth set and the Swede went on to win 8-6. This match is widely considered one of the greatest tennis matches ever played. McEnroe exacted his revenge by defeating Borg at the US Open final the same year in five sets.

In 1981 McEnroe returned to Wimbledon and again faced Borg in the men’s singles final. This time it was the American who prevailed and defeated Borg to end the Swede’s run of 41 consecutive match victories at the All England Club. At the US Open in the same season, McEnroe was again victorious, winning in four sets. Borg retired shortly afterwards, having never won the US Open, despite reaching four finals. Their final confrontation came in 1983 in Tokyo at the Suntory Cup (exhibition tournament), with Borg prevailing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

Timeline of Newt’s affairs

Here is the timeline of Newt’s affairs from the Huffington Post article dated 7-11-11:

On Wednesday, Newt Gingrich is expected to formally announce he’ll be running for President in the 2012 election. The former Speaker of the House, whose past infidelities and messy divorces have long been fixtures in the press, is hardly the only politician with a complicated marital history (there’s also potential running-mates Buddy Roemer, Donald Trump, and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels). Still, framing his past to appeal to conservative voters will be a challenge. Here, a primer on Gingrich’s relationship history.

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Newt Gingrich met his first wife, Jackie Battley, while he was still in high school. Battley was his geometry teacher, and seven years his senior. (According to Gingrich’s second wife Marianne Ginther, the age difference was actually nine years–Gingrich was 16 when the student-teacher courtship began). Their secret relationship included nighttime dalliances in the back of a car. The pair married in 1962, and had two children before splitting in February 1980. According to Esquire, Gingrich served Battley with divorce papers while she was in the hospital recovering from uterine cancer.During Gingrich’s unsuccessful congressional campaigns in 1974 and 1976, “it was common knowledge that Newt was involved with other women during his marriage to Jackie. Maybe not on the level of John Kennedy. But he had girlfriends — some serious, some trivial,” his former campaign scheduler told Vanity Fair in 1995. A woman named Anne Manning admitted to having a relationship with Gingrich during his 1976 campaign. “We had oral sex,” she said. “He prefers that modus operandi because then he can say, ‘I never slept with her.'”

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
During Gingrich and Ginther’s divorce proceedings, congressional aide Calista Bisek (above)–23 years Gingrich’s junior–admitted to having a six-year affair with the former congressman. Bisek and Gingrich were regularly seen having breakfast together at the Supreme Court cafeteria throughout the 1990s, though their affair wasn’t outed until 1999. At the time, Gingrich had publicly condemned former President Clinton’s infidelities with Monica Lewinsky, while discreetly carrying on an affair of his own. According to Ginther, “He’d already asked [Bisek] to marry him before he asked me for a divorce.” Gingrich and Bisek married in August 2000.

 
 
 
 
 
Newt Gingrich met his first wife, Jackie Battley, while he was still in high school. Battley was his geometry teacher, and seven years his senior. (According to Gingrich’s second wife Marianne Ginther, the age difference was actually nine years–Gingrich was 16 when the student-teacher courtship began). Their secret relationship included nighttime dalliances in the back of a car. The pair married in 1962, and had two children before splitting in February 1980. According to Esquire, Gingrich served Battley with divorce papers while she was in the hospital recovering from uterine cancer.
 
When questioned about his multiple marriages in March 2011, Gingrich admitted to Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody that he had done “things that were wrong” during his married life. “There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate,” Gingrich said. “And what I can tell you is that when I did things that were wrong, I wasn’t trapped in situation ethics, I was doing things that were wrong, and yet, I was doing them…I found that I felt compelled to seek God’s forgiveness. Not God’s understanding, but God’s forgiveness.” Gingrich converted to Catholicism in March 2009, in part due to his third wife’s faith and Mass attendance. Along with his conversion, he formally requested that the Catholic Church nullify his marriage to Ginther.
Related posts:

Timeline of Newt’s affairs

Here is the timeline of Newt’s affairs from the Huffington Post article dated 7-11-11: On Wednesday, Newt Gingrich is expected to formally announce he’ll be running for President in the 2012 election. The former Speaker of the House, whose past infidelities and messy divorces have long been fixtures in the press, is hardly the only […]

White House interns again?

Bill Clinton said he always wanted to be like JFK. Earlier I posted about the recent claim of a White House intern who claimed to have a 18 month affair with JFK. Now I wanted to take a look back at the scandal in 1998 and I have included some info on Newt’s misdeeds and […]

Picture of Mimi Alford who claims to have had 18 month affair with JFK

The issue of White House interns has come up before. One of the late night shows commented that Newt knew exacting what he was going to do on the first day as president: “Rehire Monica Lewinsky!!!” I have talked about this issue before and have linked several related articles below. There are several articles about […]

 

Newt goes to church

  Newt makes his way to church on Sunday. By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune Published: January 29, 2012 Updated: January 29, 2012 – 3:03 PM » 97 Comments | Post a Comment TAMPA –Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gringrich sat in an aisle seat near the front of Idlewild Baptist Church Sunday morning, listening […]

Why conservatives back Gingrich I will never know.

Newt is a poor excuse for a candidate and I have written those words before. Why so many Christians are supporting him is shocking to me. Tim LaHaye and Don Wildmon were best friends with the late Adrian Rogers of Memphis. In a very well known sermon Rogers noted these verses concerning our national leaders: “It […]

Newt is a poor excuse for a candidate

I used to like Newt back in the 1990′s but a lot has changed since then. Take a look at this fine article from the Cato Institute: Gingrich Rise Is Triumph of Style over Substance by Gene Healy   Gene Healy is a vice president at the Cato Institute and the author of The Cult […]

 

Adrian Rogers’ sermon on Clinton in 98 applies to Newt in 2012

It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]

 

Newt and Clinton:Both were Southern Baptists living hypocritcal lives

EXCLUSIVE: Ron Paul Has A Secret Plan To Win America   I used to go to the Immanuel Baptist Church (Clinton was member there) Luncheon every week in Little Rock and in 1995 I visited the large Southern Baptist Church in the Atlanta where Newt was a member. Both men evidently shared some hypocritical habits […]

 

 

 

White House interns again?

Bill Clinton said he always wanted to be like JFK.

Earlier I posted about the recent claim of a White House intern who claimed to have a 18 month affair with JFK. Now I wanted to take a look back at the scandal in 1998 and I have included some info on Newt’s misdeeds and some links. Taken from Wikipedia:

The Lewinsky scandal was a political sex scandal emerging in 1998 from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a 25-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment of President Clinton in 1998 by the U.S. House of Representatives and his subsequent acquittal on all impeachment charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in a 21-day Senate trial.[1]

In 1995, Monica Lewinsky, a graduate of Lewis & Clark College, was hired to work as an intern at the White House during Clinton’s first term, and began a personal relationship with him, the details of which she later confided to her friend and Defense department co-worker Linda Tripp, who secretly recorded their telephone conversations.[2] When Tripp discovered in January 1998 that Lewinsky had signed an affidavit in the Paula Jones case denying a relationship with Clinton, she delivered the tapes to Kenneth Starr, the Independent Counsel who was investigating Clinton on other matters, including the Whitewater scandal, the White House FBI files controversy, and the White House travel office controversy. During the grand jury testimony Clinton’s responses were guarded, and he argued, “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is”.[3]

The wide reporting of the scandal led to criticism of the press for over-coverage.[4][5][6] The scandal is sometimes referred to as “Monicagate“,[7]Lewinskygate“,[8]Tailgate“,[9]Sexgate“,[10] and “Zippergate“,[10] following the “gate” nickname construction that has been popular since the Watergate scandal.

Allegations of sexual contact

Lewinsky alleged to have had nine sexual encounters with Bill Clinton:

  1. November 15, 1995
  2. November 17, 1995
  3. December 31, 1995
  4. January 7, 1996
  5. January 21, 1996
  6. February 4, 1996
  7. March 31, 1996
  8. February 28, 1997
  9. March 29, 1997

According to her published schedule, First Lady Hillary Clinton was at the White House for at least some portion of seven of these stated days.[11]

In April 1996, Lewinsky’s superiors relocated her job to the Pentagon because they felt that she was spending too much time around Clinton.[12] According to his autobiography, then-United Nations Ambassador Bill Richardson was asked by the White House in 1997 to interview Lewinsky for a job on his staff at the UN. Richardson did so, and offered her a position, which she declined.[13] The American Spectator alleged that Richardson knew more about the Lewinsky affair than he declared to the grand jury.[14]

Lewinsky confided in a coworker named Linda Tripp about her relationship with Clinton. Tripp convinced Lewinsky to save the gifts that Clinton had given her, and not to dry clean what would later be known as the “infamous blue dress”. Tripp reported these conversations to literary agent Lucianne Goldberg, who advised her to secretly record them,[15] which Tripp began doing in September 1997. Goldberg also urged Tripp to take the tapes to Kenneth Starr and bring them to the attention of people working on the Paula Jones case.[16] In the fall of 1997, Goldberg began speaking to reporters (notably Michael Isikoff of Newsweek) about the tapes.[17]

In January 1998, after Lewinsky had submitted an affidavit in the Paula Jones case denying any physical relationship with Clinton, she attempted to persuade Tripp to lie under oath in the Jones case. Instead, Tripp gave the tapes to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr who was investigating the Whitewater controversy and other matters. Now armed with evidence of Lewinsky’s admission of a physical relationship with Clinton, he broadened the investigation to include Lewinsky and her possible perjury in the Jones case.

[edit] Denial and subsequent admission

News of the scandal first broke on January 17, 1998, on the Drudge Report website,[18] which reported that Newsweek editors were sitting on a story by investigative reporter Michael Isikoff exposing the affair. The story broke in the mainstream press on January 21 in The Washington Post.[19] The story swirled for several days and, despite swift denials from Clinton, the clamor for answers from the White House grew louder. On January 26, President Clinton, standing with his wife, spoke at a White House press conference, and issued a forceful denial, which contained what would later become one of the best-known sound bites of his presidency:[20]

Now, I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. And I worked on it until pretty late last night. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I’m going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you.[21]

Pundits debated whether or not Clinton would address the allegations in his State of the Union Address. Ultimately, he chose not to mention them. Hillary Clinton stood by her husband throughout the scandal. On January 27, in an appearance on NBC‘s Today she famously said, “The great story here for anybody willing to find it and write about it and explain it is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president.”

For the next several months and through the summer, the media debated whether or not an affair had occurred and whether or not Clinton had lied or obstructed justice, but nothing could be definitively established beyond the taped recordings because Lewinsky was unwilling to discuss the affair or testify about it. On July 28, 1998, a substantial delay after the public break of the scandal, Lewinsky received transactional immunity in exchange for grand jury testimony concerning her relationship with Clinton. She also turned over a semen-stained blue dress (which Linda Tripp had encouraged her to save without dry cleaning) to the Starr investigators, thereby providing unambiguous DNA evidence that could prove the relationship despite Clinton’s official denials.[22]

Clinton admitted in taped grand jury testimony on August 17, 1998, that he had had an “improper physical relationship” with Lewinsky. That evening he gave a nationally televised statement admitting his relationship with Lewinsky which was “not appropriate”.[23]

[edit] Perjury charges

In his deposition for the Jones lawsuit, Clinton denied having “sexual relations” with Lewinsky. Based on the evidence provided by Tripp, a blue dress with Clinton’s semen, Starr concluded that this sworn testimony was false and perjurious.

During the deposition, Clinton was asked “Have you ever had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky, as that term is defined in Deposition Exhibit 1.” The judge ordered that Clinton be given an opportunity to review the agreed definition. Afterwards, based on the definition created by the Independent Counsel’s Office, Clinton answered “I have never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky.” Clinton later stated, “I thought the definition included any activity by [me], where [I] was the actor and came in contact with those parts of the bodies” which had been explicitly listed (and “with an intent to gratify or arouse the sexual desire of any person”). In other words, Clinton denied that he had ever contacted Lewinsky’s “genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks”, and effectively claimed that the agreed-upon definition of “sexual relations” included giving oral sex but excluded receiving oral sex.[24]

Two months after the Senate failed to convict him, President Clinton was held in civil contempt of court by Judge Susan D. Webber Wright.[25] His license to practice law was suspended in Arkansas for five years and later by the United States Supreme Court.[26] He was also fined $90,000 for giving false testimony.[27]

Newt Gingrich, Representative (R-GA) and leader of the Republican Revolution of 1994,[42] resigned from the House after admitting in 1998 to having had an affair with his intern while he was married to his second wife, and at the same time he was leading the impeachment of Bill Clinton for perjury regarding an affair with his intern Monica Lewinsky.[43][44]

Related posts:

:

Timeline of Newt’s affairs

Here is the timeline of Newt’s affairs from the Huffington Post article dated 7-11-11: On Wednesday, Newt Gingrich is expected to formally announce he’ll be running for President in the 2012 election. The former Speaker of the House, whose past infidelities and messy divorces have long been fixtures in the press, is hardly the only […]

White House interns again?

Bill Clinton said he always wanted to be like JFK. Earlier I posted about the recent claim of a White House intern who claimed to have a 18 month affair with JFK. Now I wanted to take a look back at the scandal in 1998 and I have included some info on Newt’s misdeeds and […]

Picture of Mimi Alford who claims to have had 18 month affair with JFK

The issue of White House interns has come up before. One of the late night shows commented that Newt knew exacting what he was going to do on the first day as president: “Rehire Monica Lewinsky!!!” I have talked about this issue before and have linked several related articles below. There are several articles about […]

 

Newt goes to church

  Newt makes his way to church on Sunday. By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune Published: January 29, 2012 Updated: January 29, 2012 – 3:03 PM » 97 Comments | Post a Comment TAMPA –Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gringrich sat in an aisle seat near the front of Idlewild Baptist Church Sunday morning, listening […]

Why conservatives back Gingrich I will never know.

Newt is a poor excuse for a candidate and I have written those words before. Why so many Christians are supporting him is shocking to me. Tim LaHaye and Don Wildmon were best friends with the late Adrian Rogers of Memphis. In a very well known sermon Rogers noted these verses concerning our national leaders: “It […]

Newt is a poor excuse for a candidate

I used to like Newt back in the 1990′s but a lot has changed since then. Take a look at this fine article from the Cato Institute: Gingrich Rise Is Triumph of Style over Substance by Gene Healy   Gene Healy is a vice president at the Cato Institute and the author of The Cult […]

Adrian Rogers’ sermon on Clinton in 98 applies to Newt in 2012

It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]

Newt and Clinton:Both were Southern Baptists living hypocritcal lives

EXCLUSIVE: Ron Paul Has A Secret Plan To Win America   I used to go to the Immanuel Baptist Church (Clinton was member there) Luncheon every week in Little Rock and in 1995 I visited the large Southern Baptist Church in the Atlanta where Newt was a member. Both men evidently shared some hypocritical habits […]

 

 

Picture of Mimi Alford who claims to have had 18 month affair with JFK

The issue of White House interns has come up before. One of the late night shows commented that Newt knew exacting what he was going to do on the first day as president: “Rehire Monica Lewinsky!!!” I have talked about this issue before and have linked several related articles below.

There are several articles about Mimi Alford but the best one I have found is linked here. Below is a picture of her from the early 60’s and another article below. 

Mimi Beardsley Alford PHOTO

mimi alford 1 Mimi Alford photos

PHOTO! Here is a picture of a young Mimi Beardsley who is now writing about her alleged affair with John F Kennedy Jr. Mimi Beardsley Alford is authoring a book about her alleged affair with the then president, says her publisher Saturday.

The then White House intern had an affair while serving her internship at the White House, claims the book. Alford will reveal details four decades in her new memoir to hit shelves from Random House, either this year or in 2010.

Details of her secrets came out from the Daily News six years ago, reportedly finding her identity then as Marion Fahnestock. She was since divorced and remarried.

She alleges the affair that “involved … a sexual relationship” with Kennedy was between June 1962 to November 1963. She was 19 at the time.

No date for release is reportedly set .

Related posts:

Timeline of Newt’s affairs

Here is the timeline of Newt’s affairs from the Huffington Post article dated 7-11-11: On Wednesday, Newt Gingrich is expected to formally announce he’ll be running for President in the 2012 election. The former Speaker of the House, whose past infidelities and messy divorces have long been fixtures in the press, is hardly the only […]

White House interns again?

Bill Clinton said he always wanted to be like JFK. Earlier I posted about the recent claim of a White House intern who claimed to have a 18 month affair with JFK. Now I wanted to take a look back at the scandal in 1998 and I have included some info on Newt’s misdeeds and […]

Picture of Mimi Alford who claims to have had 18 month affair with JFK

The issue of White House interns has come up before. One of the late night shows commented that Newt knew exacting what he was going to do on the first day as president: “Rehire Monica Lewinsky!!!” I have talked about this issue before and have linked several related articles below. There are several articles about […]

 

Newt goes to church

  Newt makes his way to church on Sunday. By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune Published: January 29, 2012 Updated: January 29, 2012 – 3:03 PM » 97 Comments | Post a Comment TAMPA –Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gringrich sat in an aisle seat near the front of Idlewild Baptist Church Sunday morning, listening […]

Why conservatives back Gingrich I will never know.

Newt is a poor excuse for a candidate and I have written those words before. Why so many Christians are supporting him is shocking to me. Tim LaHaye and Don Wildmon were best friends with the late Adrian Rogers of Memphis. In a very well known sermon Rogers noted these verses concerning our national leaders: “It […]

Newt is a poor excuse for a candidate

I used to like Newt back in the 1990′s but a lot has changed since then. Take a look at this fine article from the Cato Institute: Gingrich Rise Is Triumph of Style over Substance by Gene Healy   Gene Healy is a vice president at the Cato Institute and the author of The Cult […]

Adrian Rogers’ sermon on Clinton in 98 applies to Newt in 2012

It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]

Newt and Clinton:Both were Southern Baptists living hypocritcal lives

EXCLUSIVE: Ron Paul Has A Secret Plan To Win America   I used to go to the Immanuel Baptist Church (Clinton was member there) Luncheon every week in Little Rock and in 1995 I visited the large Southern Baptist Church in the Atlanta where Newt was a member. Both men evidently shared some hypocritical habits […]

 

 

Federal Revenues by Source

Federal Revenues by Source

Most federal revenues come from individuals. Personal income taxes provide the largest portion of total tax revenues, though some of this is small-business income. Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes are the second-largest source.

PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL FEDERAL REVENUE (2010)

 
 
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Federal Revenues by Source

Source: Congressional Budget Office.

Chart 15 of 42

In Depth

  • Policy Papers for Researchers

  • Technical Notes

    The charts in this book are based primarily on data available as of March 2011 from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The charts using OMB data display the historical growth of the federal government to 2010 while the charts using CBO data display both historical and projected growth from as early as 1940 to 2084. Projections based on OMB data are taken from the White House Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The charts provide data on an annual basis except… Read More

  • Authors

    Emily GoffResearch Assistant
    Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy StudiesKathryn NixPolicy Analyst
    Center for Health Policy StudiesJohn FlemingSenior Data Graphics Editor

 
 

An open letter to President Obama (Part 1 of State of Union Speech 1-24-12)

President Obama’s state of the union speech Jan 24, 2012

Barack Obama  (Photo by Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images)

Feb 6, 2012

President Obama c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is going on out here.

Obama’s Unwelcome Mat

by Mark A. Calabria

This article appeared in The New York Daily News on January 26, 2012.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama let us know that he will be “sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low interest rates.”

What he failed to tell us is that such a push would do nothing to turn around either the housing market or the broader economy. In fact, by continuing his trend of confusing redistribution of wealth with its creation, the effort will likely hurt both the economy and the housing market.

Let’s start with the impact on the economy at large. The logic is that when you lower mortgage rates for thousands of families, reducing their monthly payments, you thereby increase disposable income and spending. That spending then increases demand and helps turn around the economy.

In other words, it’s a no-cost stimulus.

Continued efforts to delay foreclosures only prolong the inevitable adjustment of the housing market.

The error in this logic is that it looks only at one side of the balance sheet. A mortgage is one person’s liability, but it is also another’s asset. Lowering rates may cut monthly payments, but it also drives down payments on mortgages and mortgage-backed securities. Since you will have made mortgage investors poorer, they will, by the same logic, reduce their spending, lowering demand.

At best, the impact on spending will be zero. But then, that’s what you get when you redistribute income.

The President wants you to believe that even if he is taking from citizen A and giving to citizen B, the latter is more deserving. But for government-owned or guaranteed mortgages, about half of those outstanding, the taxpayer is the one taking the hit. Because homeowners are wealthier than taxpayers in general, the President’s proposed redistribution is regressive.

For the remainder, the investor is often a pension or mutual fund. Why retirees should pay to benefit younger homeowners is far from clear.

The President implies his plan is free because it will be paid for by a tax on the largest banks. But again, nothing is free; for every economic action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. The tax would reduce bank equity, thereby reducing new lending. In effect, it would punish potential borrowers by reducing the availability of credit while also increasing its costs, simply to benefit existing borrowers.

Not to mention: The rewriting of existing contracts will reduce the willingness of lenders to provide new mortgages, exactly at a time when we desperately need private capital flowing into the mortgage market.

A mass refinancing is also sold as a cure for the weak housing market. Those looking to refinance, however, are not in the market to either buy or sell a home. In fact, by lowering their mortgage rates, you will reduce their offering price next time they look to trade up, because if the buyer faces higher rates in the future, prices will be depressed to compensate for giving up their current low-rate mortgage.

In other words, this could reduce future home prices.

The fundamental problem facing our housing market is a glut of homes, coupled with weak demand. The President’s plan does not change these facts. In fact, by reducing the supply of new capital for mortgages, we run the risk of reducing the demand for housing, leading to further price declines.

Mark A. Calabria is director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute.

 

More by Mark A. Calabria

It is time for Washington to understand: Underwater borrowers are not victims. They borrowed money at a particular rate and are paying back at that rate. They knew going in that to refinance, they’d need equity. If said borrowers wanted to take advantage of interest rate declines, they could have gotten an adjustable-rate mortgage. Instead, those borrowers chose the certainty of a fixed rate.

They have what they selected. That’s something that cannot be said for the taxpayers who continue to pay for Washington’s meddling in the mortgage market.

Finally, the President also promises a new financial fraud unit to investigate lenders. Appointing New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to head it may be enough to earn his support for a settlement with the banks, but it will do little to help the housing market. In fact, by increasing litigation risk for lenders, the move is likely to further reduce the supply of mortgage credit.

Continued efforts to delay foreclosures only prolong the inevitable adjustment of the housing market. If lenders have committed crimes, then they should be prosecuted in open court, not subject to back-room shakedowns.

If we wish to turn around our housing market and broader economy, we must stop taking from Peter to pay Paul and disguising it as public policy.

___________

The main points of the article above from the Cato Institute is nothing is free and you always have to look at both sides of the balance sheet.

Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your committment as a father and a husband.

Sincerely,

Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com

Protectionism does not work

Do you think protectionism would help, in the long run, if we don’t implement pro-growth reforms?

Sometimes I wonder what are the motives of those who oppose free trade.

Eight Questions for Protectionists

Posted by Daniel J. Mitchell

When asked to pick my most frustrating issue, I could list things from my policy field such as class warfare or income redistribution.

But based on all the speeches and media interviews I do, which periodically venture into other areas, I suspect protectionism vs. free trade is the biggest challenge.

So I want to ask the protectionists (though anybody is free to provide feedback) how they would answer these simple questions.

1. Do you think politicians and bureaucrats should be able to tell you what you’re allowed to buy?

As Walter Williams has explained, this is a simple matter of freedom and liberty. If you want to give the political elite the authority to tell you whether you can buy foreign-produced goods, you have opened the door to endless mischief.

2. If trade barriers between nations are good, then shouldn’t we have trade barriers between states? Or cities?

This is a very straightforward challenge. If protectionism is good, then it shouldn’t be limited to national borders.

3. Why is it bad that foreigners use the dollars they obtain to invest in the American economy instead of buying products?

Little green pieces of paper have little value to foreign companies. They only accept those dollars in exchange for products because they intend to use them, either to buy American products or to invest in the U.S. economy. Indeed, a “capital surplus” is the flip side of a “trade deficit.” This generally is a positive sign for the American economy (though I freely admit this argument is weakened if foreigners use dollars to “invest” in federal government debt).

4. Do you think protectionism would be necessary if America did pro-growth reforms such as a lower corporate tax rate, less wasteful spending, and reduced red tape?

There are thousands of hard-working Americans that have lost jobs because of foreign competition. At some level, this is natural in a dynamic economy, much as candle makers lost jobs when the light bulb was invented. But oftentimes American producers can’t meet the challenge of foreign competition because of bad policy from Washington. When I think of ordinary Americans that have lost jobs, I direct my anger at the politicians in DC, not a foreign company or foreign workers.

5. Do you think protectionism would help, in the long run, if we don’t implement pro-growth reforms?

If we travel down the path of protectionism, politicians will use that as an excuse not to implement pro-growth reforms. This condemns America to a toxic combination of two bad policies – big government and trade distortions. This will destroy far more jobs and opportunity that foreign competition.

6. Do you recognize that, by creating the ability to offer special favors to selected industries, protectionism creates enormous opportunities for corruption?

Most protectionism in America is the result of organized interest groups and powerful unions trying to prop up inefficient practices. And they only achieve their goals by getting in bed with the Washington crowd in a process that is good for the corrupt nexus of interest groups-lobbyists-politicians-bureaucrats.

7. If you don’t like taxes, why would you like taxes on imports?

A tariff is nothing but a tax that politicians impose on selected products. This presumably makes protectionism inconsistent with the principles of low taxes and limited government.

8. Can you point to nations that have prospered with protectionism, particularly when compared to similar nations with free trade?

Some people will be tempted to say that the United States was a successful economy in the 1800s when tariffs financed a significant share of the federal government. That’s largely true, but the nation’s rising prosperity surely was due to the fact that we had no income tax, a tiny federal government, and very little regulation. And I can’t resist pointing out that the 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariff didn’t exactly lead to good results.

We also had internal free trade, as explained in this excellent short video on the benefits of free trade, narrated by Don Boudreaux of George Mason University and produced by theInstitute for Humane Studies.

Uploaded by  on Aug 31, 2011

According to Prof. Don Boudreaux, free trade is nothing more than a system of trade that treats foreign goods and services no differently than domestic goods and services. Protectionism, on the other hand, is a system of trade that discriminates against foreign goods and services in an attempt to favor domestic goods and services. In theory, free trade outperforms protectionism by bringing lower cost goods and services to consumers. In practice, the benefits of free trade can be seen in countries like America and Hong Kong. Both countries have a relatively high degree of free trade, and, as a consequence, have experienced an explosion of wealth.

________

Free Trade v. Protectionism

My closing argument is that people who generally favor economic freedom should ask themselves whether it’s legitimate or logical to make an exception in the case of foreign trade.