The Ripon Forum
Volume 44, No. 1
Winter 2010 Issue
Editor’s Note: In This Edition
For a generation of Americans, the phrase Morning in America and the presidency of Ronald Reagan will forever be linked.
The phrase represented not just the dawning of a new day for our Nation, but the dawning of a new era for the GOP. Today, Republicans are looking for a similar phrase that captures the mood of the country at this time and sets the tone for the mid-term elections this fall.
Health Care Reform Reality Check
“In a desperate attempt by Senate Democrats to “make history” a health care bill was crafted behind closed doors.”
Status Report
“The failed Christmas Day terrorist attack underscores the importance of the current efforts by the United States to work with foreign governments to train, equip, and professionalize their security forces — both military and police.”
Dangerous Decision
Peter King, representative of New York, criticizes how the Obama administration tries to deal with terrorists in civilian courts, “If we are going to protect Americans in our international war on terror, Abdulmutallab and his fellow terrorists should face trial in military commissions, not in civilian courts.”
Understanding the Enemy
Congressman Dan Lungren of California spells out how we must understand the enemy in order to adapt our defenses and protect our nation, “We must understand that we face an enemy who is as elusive as they are deadly and sinister. They have made adaptations in response to the measures we have taken to protect the flying public.”
Financial Reform: Getting it Right
Phillip Swagel, previous Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the Treasury Department, writes a piece on how financial reform begins with good policy, not populism
The New Horizon
“After two dismal showings in the elections of 2006 and 2008, Republicans in the great political state of Ohio are ready for a comeback.”
The Winter of Ohio’s Discontent
William Binning, Ph.D. says, “The political environment in the battleground state of Ohio is shaping up to be a toxic one for incumbents in 2010. The economic challenges facing the state are chronic and severe. “
2010 Elections: Replay of 1994?
Joseph R. Gaylord outlines three important similarities between the GOP’s status in 2010 and in 1994 when Republicans won control of Congress, and three differences.
The Real State Of the Union
John Feehery writes a letter to the president addressing key issues, “Our budget is not just a little out of balance. It is out of balance in historically high terms. We are deeper in debt than we have ever been in our nation’s history.”
