CONCLUSION
I
n 2012, as the GOP presidential primary contests were unfolding and many Republicans voiced dissatisfaction with the field of candidates, a surprising number of conservatives began to rationalize that our most important goal in November was to win both houses of Congress. If we were to succeed in doing that, they argued, we could stop Obama’s agenda and prevent further damage until the 2016 election, when we would no longer have to contend with the bizarre phenomenon of a president whose personal approval ratings remain much higher than those of his policies.
I am skeptical of the conventional wisdom that Obama is still personally popular. Even if some Americans remain duped by his faux charisma, they have seen how he has behaved in office: the bullying, the class warfare, the demonization of opponents, the narcissism, the rigid dogmatism. I was and remain confident that Obama is eminently beatable as long as Republicans don’t repeat their mistake of soft-peddling Obama’s disastrous record and the danger he represents to the republic, and as long as they aren’t cowered into diluting their agenda and abandoning their platform—a decidedly conservative platform—on the mistaken assumption that the only way to defeat him is to cater to so-called centrists.
If there were ever a time in our history that conservatism should be a winning message, it is now, after the nation has suffered from nearly four years of unbridled liberalism. Unlike today’s mainstream liberalism, mainstream conservatism is not extremism, and Republicans must quit apologizing for it and running from it. If Republicans soften their message too much, they will demoralize their base and reduce voter intensity, which will be devastating if we are to overcome the inevitable electoral chicanery that we’ll see in 2012 from Team Obama’s nationwide, coordinated community organizing effort.
The way to win this election is to accentuate and emphasize the stark contrasts between the conservative agenda—a true blueprint for hope, optimism, and national resurrection—and Obama’s actual, abysmal record. We’ve not had a president since Jimmy Carter who has performed so poorly on the economy, foreign policy, and social issues. More important is our runaway national debt; no U.S. president has ever been so willing to push America over the financial cliff as Obama’s doing now.
No matter what went on before, no matter how much each party may have contributed to the accumulation of our national debt, Obama has shifted our deficit spending and debt trajectory into hyper-speed, and he and his entire party defiantly refuse to reverse this horrifying trend. They offer no constructive solutions and no semblance of a plan even to stop the fiscal bleeding, much less restructure entitlements to avert the impending disaster. Instead, they demagogue and stir up angst and distrust between people on the basis of race, gender, and, most notably, economic “class.” Obama and his Democrats attack the productive and successful, the corporations and the banks, though nothing constructive can come from his broadsides except, from his perspective, a sufficient diversion from his egregious record, without which he can’t possibly win reelection.
Whatever we do, we cannot buy into the false notion that a GOP House and Senate will be sufficient to hold us over until 2016. The country, as scrupulously documented in these pages, is on autopilot to bankruptcy. We have only a short window to restructure our entitlements—according to Paul Ryan, between two and three years. So Obama’s reelection would ensure that we remain on that course. Not only would a Republican Congress be virtually powerless to reverse Obama’s bankrupting policies, but he would see his reelection as a green light to do further end-runs around Congress by ramping up his mischief through renegade administrative agencies that would doubtless be even more defiant and unaccountable in his second term.
Moreover, if you think Obama was radical during his first four years, then wait until he is reelected and has four whole years when he doesn’t have to worry about the voters. Just contemplate his agenda to date: his assault on the Constitution, the rule of law, the American idea, and his numerous apologies for America; his attack on the free market and American businesses, corporations, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; his appointment of radical czars and liberal activist judges; his $868 billion corrupt and wasteful stimulus bill; his annual deficits consistently in excess of $1 trillion; his reckless path toward doubling the national debt in two terms and his obstruction of entitlement reform; his miserable economy and sky-high unemployment record; his S&P credit downgrade; his mistreatment of our allies and pandering to our enemies; his reprehensible treatment of Israel; his high-handed, unconstitutional invocations of military action without congressional consultation, much less approval; his conversion of the War on Terror into a law enforcement matter; his insulting and semantic redefinition of war to “overseas contingency operations” and “kinetic military actions”; his unconscionable assistance to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt; his government’s takeover of GM and Chrysler and his restructuring of its loans by lawlessly subordinating the rights of secured creditors to his unsecured union allies; his war against the states on immigration enforcement, abortion funding, and traditional marriage; his EPA’s end-runs around Congress and its imposition of draconian rules on American citizens; his unilateral forgiveness and restructuring of mortgage indebtedness; his federal takeover of student loans; his gutting of the military and our national defenses; his support of Big Labor; his NLRB’s attack on businesses; his public efforts to intimidate the Supreme Court; his empowering of ACORN and all its corruption; his commandeering of one-seventh of the nation’s economy and thwarting the people’s will in cramming ObamaCare down our throats; his atrocious Dodd-Frank financial bill; his war on oil drilling, the Keystone XL pipeline, and the rest of the conventional domestic energy pantheon; his corrupt federal funding of Solyndra and other green energy debacles; his grossly politicized Department of Justice with its abominable Fast and Furious operation and subsequent cover-up and its racialist application of voter intimidation laws; his war on religious liberty and the right to life; his slander of insurance companies, banks, oil companies, private jet owners, and America itself; his arrogant lack of transparency; his endless rote speeches; his bullying, divisiveness, race-, gender-, and class-warfare; and the myriad other items documented in this book and in
Crimes Against Liberty
.
Next, consider what else Obama might have accomplished had the GOP Congress not stood in his way: cap-and-trade; another $50 billion stimulus bill for high-speed rail; his $447 billion American Jobs Act; capital gains tax hikes; other income tax hikes during his perpetually sluggish economy; and many other spending schemes stopped dead in their tracks—for starters.
Finally, try to imagine what types of overreaches he would attempt if he were reelected. I have no doubt that if he wins in November, America will be destined to pass the point of no return in its headlong rush to Grecian-style bankruptcy, European socialism on steroids, national weakness, and the end of American freedom as we know it. It will be little comfort to be vindicated in these predictions, because that would mean that our generation had squandered the glorious legacy of freedom bequeathed to us by our parents and grandparents, and that we would have stolen from our children and grandchildren this same wondrous legacy.
It is still not too late to save America and restore her to a path of greatness, of robust liberty, and of economic prosperity. But I fear it is not hyperbole to suggest that it very well may be too late if we don’t end this madness in November 2012 by voting Barack Obama out of office. God bless all you patriots fighting for the survival and continued greatness of this nation. God bless the most wonderful Constitution “ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man,” and God bless this American Republic.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A
gain, I must first thank everyone at Regnery Publishing, with whom I continue to enjoy a tremendous working relationship and whose professionalism and competence make the entire book-writing experience enjoyable instead of drudgery. I especially want to thank Marji Ross and Jeff Carneal for their ongoing support and confidence and for their wisdom in all aspects of the publishing business. I am also indebted to Harry Crocker for his friendship, mentorship, counsel, and enthusiasm for every project in which I’ve been involved. A sincere thank you goes out to Mary Beth Baker for her proofreading prowess and to the entire Regnery design team, notably Henry Pereira.
For this book as well as its forerunner,
Crimes Against Liberty
, I owe particular gratitude to my primary editor, Jack Langer, for his insight and invaluable ideas, his total accessibility, his work ethic and punctuality, and his unique editing skills which seem to be particularly suited to my writing strengths, and, more importantly, weaknesses. Many thanks as always to my buddy Greg Mueller and his team at Creative Response Concepts for quarterbacking the promotion and marketing of this book along with the excellent marketing staff at Regnery.
I also wish to thank the Heritage Foundation team for their scholarship and writings, and extend a special thanks to Mike Brownfield for clarification on certain articles. Thanks also to John Fleming for providing high resolution charts for this book.
Thanks also to my friend Connie Hair, who works with my friend Congressman Louie Gohmert. Congressman Gohmert graciously arranged for my phone conversations with Congressmen Trey Gowdy and Darrell Issa, who each talked with me in separate, long phone conversations fielding every question I had about Operation Fast and Furious. Thank you also to Katie Pavlich for discussing certain issues about the operation; Katie has just published a fabulous and comprehensive book on this scandal,
Fast and Furious
, to which I devote a mere chapter in this book, that is must reading for those who want to learn the full story of this sordid series of events.
I also thank Conor Sweeney, chief of staff for Congressman Paul Ryan, who patiently walked me through the key differences between Congressman Ryan’s original Path to Prosperity and his revised version, as well as other related subjects. His explanations were invaluable. I must also thank my friend Ben Domenech, whose friendship with Conor got me in that door. If you get a chance, check out Ben’s “The Transom,” an excellent morning daily summary of the relevant news items including his trenchant analysis.
Thanks also to my very good friend Andy McCarthy for his friendship, support, and input on certain national security and terrorism issues on which I required edification for chapter ten.
I’d also like to thank Steven Ertelt for his fine reporting on life issues and his willingness to answer certain questions I had about some of these issues.
As in my previous books I must repeat that I am honored by my friendship with two indispensable forces of nature and incredible talents for the conservative movement and for America: Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. I am forever appreciative of their loyalty and reliability, and their support on my books and countless other things.
Once again I must thank my brother Rush for personally inspiring me, for opening up doors for me directly and indirectly, for leading the charge for American conservatives, and for truly making an immeasurable and positive impact on this nation and the preservation of its Constitution and freedom tradition. It’s amazing how often and unfairly he is maligned by people who have never heard his show and instead rely on the vicious slander of others whose antipathy is based on his unparalleled effectiveness as a communicator of the conservative message. On the other hand, no one has a more loyal fan base of people who recognize and appreciate his unique talent, political insight, and his broadcasting and comedic genius.
NOTES
INTRODUCTION
1
Peter Baker, “Obama Making Plans to Use Executive Power,”
New York Times
, February 12, 2010.
2
“Obama: Next Two Years Will Be About Implementation Rather than Constant Legislation,” Freedom’s Lighthouse, August 30, 2010.
3
“How Is President Obama Abusing Presidential Power?”
AskHeritage.org
, January 6, 2012.
4
“Obama: ‘I Have an Obligation As President To Do What I Can Without’ Congress,”
RealClearPolitics
, January 5, 2012.
5
Lurita Doan, “Obama Proposes New Czar,”
Townhall.com
, September 19, 2011.
6
Joe Schoffstall, “Obama Never Had Contact With Half Dozen Cabinet Officials in First Two Years,”
MRCTV.org
, January 25, 2011.
7
Lurita Doan, “Expansive Role of White House Staffers Undermines Good Government,”
Townhall.com
, October 17, 2011.
8
Amanda Carey, “Authority given to head of new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may be unconstitutional,”
The Daily Caller
, August 6, 2010.
9
Rick Moran, “Obama Will Avoid Senate Confirmation Process for Warren Posting,”
American Thinker
, September 16, 2010.
10
Bruce Ackerman, “Obama, Warren and the Imperial Presidency,”
Wall Street Journal
, September 22, 2010.
11
Deborah Solomon and Maya Jackson Randall, “Bank Challenger Picked to Run Consumer Agency,”
Wall Street Journal
, July 18, 2011.
12
Constantine von Hoffman, “Is Obama’s appointment of Cordray Illegal?” CBS News, January 5, 2012.
13
“Senators Demand Accountability For CFPB,” The Republic Senate Leader Board, December 6, 2011.
14
C. Boyden Gray, “Dodd-Frank, the real threat to the Constitution,”
Washington Post
, December 31, 2010.
17
Peter J. Wallison, “Obamacare for the Financial Industry,”
Weekly Standard
, April 9, 2012.
18
Peter Schroeder, “Obama Says He Can Stop Bank of America from Making ‘a Certain Amount of Profit,’” Fox News, October 4, 2011.
19
Steven Ertelt, “NIH Tells Some Embryonic Stem Cell Researchers to Ignore Judge’s Ruling,”
LifeNews.com
, September 1, 2010.
20
Bonner Cohen, Ph.D., “Salazar’s Wild Lands Policy Sends Shockwaves Across the West,” Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, January 18, 2011.
21
Michelle Malkin, “Another Obama Stealth Land Grab: Salazar and the NLCS,”
MichelleMalkin.com
, November 22, 2010.
22
Rovin, “Obama administration passes Dream Act by executive memo,”
HotAir.com
, June 26, 2011.
23
Lynn sweet, “Obama’s La Raza Speech. Plugs Dream Act. Transcript,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, July 25, 2011.
24
Brian Bennett, “Obama Proposes New Rule for Immigrant Families,”
Los Angeles Times
, March 30, 2012.
25
Erik Wasson, “Obama to Launch Summer-Jobs Initiative,”
The Hill
, January 5, 2012.
26
Debra J. Saunders, “Obama Tries to Obstruct Executions,”
San Francisco Chronicle
, April 17, 2011.
27
Erica Werner, “Obama Expected to Boost ‘Gun Safety’ by Executive Order,” CNS News, July 8, 2011.
28
Mark Duell, “Did White House Pressure Air Force General to Help Democrat Donor’s Firm Over GPS Worries?”
Daily Mail
, September 16, 2011.
29
Peter Flaherty, “LightSquared Scandal Explodes,” National Legal and Policy Center, September 16, 2011.
30
Chester E. Finn, Jr., “The Unilateral Repeal of NCLB and the 2012 Election,” National Review Online
The Corner
, September 23, 2011.
31
Ramsey Cox, “Obama Announces Waiver Plan for States on No Child Left Behind Requirements,”
The Hill
, September 23, 2011.
32
Mike Brownfield, “Morning Bell: White House Rules by Fiat Once Again,” the Heritage Foundation
The Foundry
, August 9, 2011.
33
“Obama Tells Advisers to Find How To Approve Stimulus Projects ‘Without Additional Congressional Authorization,’”
RealClearPolitics
, October 11, 2011.
34
Susan Jones, “The Heck with the Senate: Obama Skips ‘Advise and Consent’ in Naming 3 New Members of National Labor Relations Board,” CNS News, January 5, 2012.
35
Jessica Yellin, “Help for ‘Responsible’ Underwater Homeowners,” CNN, October 24, 2011.
36
Charlie Martin, “College Loan Deal: Worse Than You Think,”
PJ Media
, October 26, 2011; Mike Shedlock, “Obama Student Loan Bubble About to Blow,” Townhall Finance, February 12, 2012; and Chris Stirewalt, “Obama Taps Taxpayers for Student Stimulus,” Fox News, October 26, 2011.
37
Mark Tapscott, “Obama’s OMB Ignores Document Subpoena; Upton/ Stearns House Panel Says Monday Morning or Else,”
Washington Examiner
, July 2011.
38
Philip Klein, “White House Rejects Subpoena Request for Solyndra Docs,”
Washington Examiner
, November 4, 2011.
39
Jonathan Strong, “President Obama Snubs Issa on First Major Document Deadline,”
The Daily Caller
, February 1, 2011.
40
Jeannie DeAngelis, “Laws Are for the Little People,”
American Thinker
, July 3, 2011.
41
Neil Munro, “Fed Instructs Teachers to Facebook Creep Students,”
The Daily Caller
, March 16, 2011.
42
“Z Street’s Legal Battle Continues Against the IRS,”
Weekly Standard
, November 22, 2010.
43
“U.S. Agency Breaks Promise, Opts for No-Bid Contract,”
USA Today
, January 22, 2011.
44
Justin Sink, “Obama Adviser Jarrett Defends Church Pulpit Criticism of GOP,”
The Hill
, January 17, 2012.
45
PLF Press Release, “Historic Supreme Court Ruling Allows the Sacketts to Fight EPA Takeover of Their Land,” Pacific Legal Foundation, March 21, 2012, and “Obama’s Tyrannical EPA Goons Get Shot Down By Supreme Court In Idaho Couple’s ‘Wetlands’ Case,”
The Freedom Post
March 21, 2012.
46
“Attorneys General Join Forces to Call Into Account Illegal Obama Administration Violations,”
Tea Party Tribune
, March 5, 2012.
CHAPTER ONE
1
Mike Brownfield, “Morning Bell: What is the American Idea?” the Heritage Foundation
The Foundry
, October 27, 2011.
2
Mary Bruce, “White House Defends Apology To Afghanistan; Criticism from Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin,” ABC News, February 23, 2012.
3
“Obama Says His Apology Over Koran Burnings Calmed Anti-US Violence in Afghanistan,” Fox News, March 1, 2012.
4
Kyodo, “Obama Hiroshima trip discouraged in ‘09: Wikileaks cable,”
Japan Times
, September 28, 2011.
5
Justin McCurry, “John Roos is first U.S. representative to attend Hiroshima memorial ceremony in Japan,”
The Guardian
, August 6, 2010.
6
Kyodo, “Obama Hiroshima trip discouraged in ‘09: Wikileaks cable,”
Japan Times
.
7
Charles Hurt, “Bam AWOL on Vets Day,”
New York Post
, November 11, 2010.
8
Eve Zibel, “President Obama Discusses Immigration and Reform Plans in El Salvador,” Fox News, March 22, 2011.
9
“Obama’s Spiritual Advisor Trashes US in UK,” Breitbart TV, December 11, 2010.
10
Jeannie DeAngelis, “He can’t resist: Obama bashes Founders on the 4
th
of July,”
American Thinker
, July 6, 2010.
11
Hazel Trice Edney, “First Lady Obama Tells NAACP not to rest,”
Madison Times
, July 15, 2010.
12
“Obama: ‘Mexicans’ Were Here ‘Long Before American Was Even An Idea,’”
RealClearPolitics
video, September 21, 2010.
13
“Obama Praises Indian Chief Who Defeated U.S. General,” Fox News, November 15, 2010.
14
Erica Werner, “Back in Iowa, Obama Says USA Must up Its Game,” Associated Press, June 28, 2011.
15
Gary Bauer, “Obama’s Malaise Speech?”
We Are Politics
, October 28, 2011.
16
Corbett B. Daly, “Obama Says U.S. ‘had gotten a little soft’ before he took office,” CBS News
Political Hotsheet
, September 30, 2011.
17
Jeff Poor, “Krauthammer rips Obama’s ‘ill-concealed contempt’ for Americans: ‘It’s unseemly,’”
The Daily Caller
, November 14, 2011.
18
Joel Gehrke, “Obama: My kids will succeed, even if USA doesn’t,”
Washington Examiner
, December 1, 2011.
19
Juliette Kayyem, “Let US see Al Jazeera,”
Boston Globe
, February 14, 2011.
21
Ed Lasky, “Obama administration official urges cable companies to carry Al-Jazeera,”
American Thinker
, February 14, 2011.
22
“Report of the United States of America Submitted to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights,” State.gov, undated.
23
Editorial, “Letting crooks and illegals vote,”
Washington Times
, January 7, 2010.
24
Wendy Wright, “What Obama Thinks of America,”
American Thinker
, January 6, 2011.
26
“US Cites AZ Immigration Law During Human Rights Talks with China, Conservatives Call It An Apology,” ABC News, May 17, 2010.
27
Governor Janice K. Brewer, “Letter to the Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Re: Protest of State Department Report to the United Nations Human Rights Council,”
Janbrewer.com
, August 27, 2010; Governor Jan Brewer, “Governor Brewer Condemns U.S. State Department Report to UN Human Rights Council,”
Janbrewer.com
, August 27, 2010.
28
Jonathan S. Tobin, “U.S. Pays Salaries to Palestinian Terrorists,”
Commentary
Contentions, July 26, 2011.
29
Michael Rubin, “State Department Funds Anti-American Propaganda,”
Commentary
Contentions, August 16, 2011.
30
Mel Frykberg, “Palestinians Prepare for Massive Uprising,”
IPS News
, July 29, 2011.
31
Neil MacFarquhar, “Peacekeepers’ Sex Scandals Linger, On Screen and Off,”
New York Times
, September 7, 2011.
32
Penny Starr, “Hillary Clinton: United Nations Is ‘Single Most Important Global Institution,’” CNS News, September 8, 2010.
33
Patrick Goodenhough, “Ban Ki-Moon and U.N. Human Rights Council Face Critical Scrutiny,” CNS News, January 26, 2011.
34
Patrick Goodenhough, “House Foreign Affairs Chairman: U.S. Must Withdraw from U.N. Human Rights Council,” CNS News, March 22, 2011.
35
George Russell, “Budget-Cutting Process Reveals U.S. Overpaid UN by Millions for Its Share of Peacekeeping Expenses,” Fox News, April 15, 2011.
36
Patrick Goodenough, “We Must Pay Our U.N. Bills, Obama Administration Insists,” CNS News, June 16, 2011.
37
Office of the Spokesman, “The United States Joins the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA),” U.S. Department of State, March 4, 2011.
38
Marjorie Ann Browne,
United Nations System Funding: Congressional Issues
, Congressional Research Service, January 14, 2011.
39
Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
, Conference on the Establishment of the International Renewable Energy Agency, January 26, 2009.
40
Greg Pollowitz, “Sec. Chu Uses Taxpayer Dollars For Multi-Billion-Dollar Spanish Company,” National Review Online, August 23, 2011.
41
Matthew Boyle, “Obama to speak at NC company shipping jobs to Costa Rica,”
The Daily Caller
, September 13, 2011.
43
Amanda Carey, “Obama discusses jobs at company shifting focus to China,”
The Daily Caller
, June 12, 2011.