Morning Briefing
For January 15, 2013


1. BRAC the Budget
I am in favor of not raising the debt ceiling unless the President and Democrats come up with meaningful spending cuts and reforms.

Contrary to a lot of the Democrats’ spin, the federal government will not default if the debt ceiling is not raised. Only if Little Timmy Geithner decides to not pay certain debts will the government default. It is his choice.

But I do think Republicans should be proactive in their approach to the debt ceiling. I think they should have a plan.

Specifically, I think the Republicans should propose a BRAC Commission for spending. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →

2. The Union Agenda Part One: So, you think your Right-To-Work state is safe from unions?
There is, and has been since 2010, a concerted effort by union bosses to get their union-bought cronies in the U.S. Senate to end the filibuster. Why?

The obvious answer is: So, unions can enact legislation that they want. However, let’s break that down to more specifics, shall we?

Teamsters union boss James P. Hoffa is the most blunt in decrying the use of the filibuster being used by unions to effectively end secret-ballot elections. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →

3. Gun Control: WWJD?
As the gun control debate rages in America following the abominable events in Newtown, eventually, perhaps inevitably, the media will ask itself, “What would Jesus do?”

They’ve done it for years as it relates to wealth redistribution and Obamacare. Obama gave an entire speech about taxes in which he used Jesus for his justification. I’d wager that the tactic is designed to hit God fearing southerners where, in keeping with the caricature that the media has created of them, they are most likely to submit without question and accept the answer given to them by their betters.

Of course this vastly underestimates the target, but putting that aside, is there any truth to the idea that Jesus would deplore a concealed carry license or a mom defending her children from an intruder? After all, Jesus has some pretty radically pacifist quotes that need only be lifted from the Bible without context to sound convincing. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →

4. Sandy Pork And The Lesson Of Katrina
Although Hurricane Sandy ravaged the Atlantic Coast more than 2 months ago, the debate over disaster relief is still raging. While more than $2 billion in aid has been spent by FEMA on the recovery from Sandy, the controversy began after the House failed to vote on a $60 billion Sandy aid bill in the last session of Congress.

The bill was denied passage due to billions included for projects that had nothing to do with Hurricane Sandy relief. For instance, $150 million was included for fisheries in the Gulf Coast, New England and Alaska that were affected by the Japan earthquake of March 2011. Also found among the billions in pork, was $2 million intended for Smithsonian museum roofs in Washington. Yet those unrelated projects pale in comparison to the $28 billion that was earmarked for future disaster-mitigation projects. According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, only three states (Arizona, Michigan and South Carolina) were excluded from receiving Sandy relief money despite the fact that most of the US was not affected. In response to the justified criticism, Congress quickly approved a $9.7 billion aid package in the first session of the 113th Congress that excluded the large amount of unnecessary spending. Now the House is set to vote on an additional $50.7 billion Sandy aid package that hopes to fund the pork projects that were removed. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →

5. More Cigarette Taxes Equals More Cigarette Smuggling
A recent study from the Tax Foundation and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy looking at cigarette taxes and cigarette smuggling reminds us, yet again, of how big government always ends up legislating the Law of Unintended Consequences. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →

Sincerely yours,

Erick Erickson
Editor-in-Chief, RedState


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