The Washington Times

Devilish Deal's Kiss of Death

This chronic feature lets me review what recently has passed my bloodshot pupils. So pull up a chair, break out the sarcasm filter and welcome to: Mr. Zad's comic critique

March for Life Draws 100,000

I spent last Thursday evening interviewing people lying on the floor. They were participants in America's largest religious pilgrimage: the annual March for Life from the Mall to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, whose ruling on Jan. 22, 1973, legalized abortion. Thirty-seven years later, tens of thousands of Catholics come hundreds of miles in the dead of winter for this event, outstripping by four to one other religious denominations protesting America's 50- million-plus abortions. I was...

The Little School District That Could

When economist William A. Fischel moved to Berkeley, Calif., in the summer of 1991, he planned to enroll his son in a small, well- regarded private academy located just a few streets from his new home. The boy entered eighth grade that fall and did well in school, but as the months went by, Mr. Fischel and his wife grew concerned. Though their son was doing well, they were not getting to know his friends or their parents. The Fischels worried that they were not developing ties to their neighb...

Fishy Agreement Between Obama and Bush ; Seriously . . . Good for the Fish and the Fishermen

This nation's federal marine fisheries management policies were adrift at sea. Decades of ineffective management and overfishing resulted in a steady downward spiral of collapsed fisheries, lost commercial fishing jobs and declining recreational fishing opportunities. Finally, however, there is reason for optimism, based upon a new draft fisheries management policy on "catch shares," announced recently by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency responsible for A...

Bribery by Another Name ; Time to Eliminate Private Money From Political Campaigns

Between 1850 and 1900, nearly every large city - and some states - in the United States came under the absolute control of po- litical machines, in which "the boss" and his henchmen all but eliminated competition from elections for public office. In New York City, for example, newspapers estimated that the Tweed Ring, named for its boss, William M. Tweed, stole more than $500 million of the taxpayers' money. This same pattern was replicated nearly everywhere. The problem of machine politics a...

Stop the Taliban, Not Night Raids

If the article "U.S. to curb 'socially irritating' nighttime raids' " (Geopolitics, Friday) does not curdle the blood of every combat veteran, I do not know what will. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's new directive for the Obama war strategy is irrational, ill advised and downright ignorant. How can Gen. McChrystal, the hot-shot Special Forces warrior, even consider such a path? He already has been ordered to give up his air power and heavy weapons. Do we defend our troops in the field, or is thi...

Signs Point to End of Obama's Halcyon Days

The president's contention that Massachusetts voters elected Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate out of anger left over from the George W. Bush administration is ridiculous. One would think Mr. Obama's 20-plus-point margin in the 2008 election would be seen as the nexus of that reaction. But no, the anger lingers, the president contends, and the reaction to anger against a Republican president, one year later, is to elect a Republican senator diametrically opposed to the current president's agenda...

Safe at Any Speed in Virginia ; Mcdonnell's 70 Mph Proposal Is Backed by Scientific Data

The most concrete achievement in the early days of the Republican congressional takeover of 1995 was, arguably, the elimination of the hated 55 mph national speed limit. Millions across the country experienced firsthand the benefit of moving beyond the "Washington knows best" mentality that had gripped transportation policy since the 1970s. Last week, Robert F. McDonnell, Virginia's newly inaugurated Republican governor, lifted a page from the same playbook. In his State of the Commonwealth s...

Obama, Pelosi and Reid: Step Down

For the sake of the country and the very real problems we are facing on an overwhelming host of fronts, I would urge President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to resign immediately. America is simply not buying what this trio is trying to sell ("Obama, the god that failed: The decline and fall of a political savior," Opinion, Wednesday). America needs new leadership that can solve the economic and social problems facing all citizens, not three more year...

Legal Abortions End More Than Pregnancies

I commend the hundreds of thousands of people, including pro- life leaders from Canada, Africa, Europe, South America, Asia and Oceania, who attended the 37th annual March for Life in Washington on Friday. Legalized abortion is a disaster that has been unleashed throughout the world. Abortion affects not only the unborn child, but also the mother who has conceived and all the people involved (i.e., the baby's father, the grandparents, health care workers).

Kill Big Bird ; C-U-T Spells Cut, As in 'Pbs Should Be Cut'

Congress can save a quick $420 million a year by zeroing out the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It's a needless drain on the public coffers that has outlived its usefulness. President Johnson saw the Public Broadcasting Act as a means of lending government support to arts and education programming, an element of his vision of the Great Society. That was in the days when the big three networks dominated television and AM radio was in its heyday. At the November 1967 bill s...

Justice Foils Foia ; Obama Administration Impedes Open Government and Media Freedom

The Justice Department is withholding documents demanded by this newspaper under terms of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In so doing, the department is asserting privileges that do not exist or do not apply. Ironic as it may sound, Justice seems to be breaking the law. The Washington Times' FOIA request asked for documents pertaining to the department's controversial decision to dismiss a civil complaint accusing the New Black Panther Party of intimidating Philadelphia voters on Elect...

No Confidence in Obama ; America's New Normal: Quick Changes in Washington Power

When President Obama stood before Congress Wednesday night, he was less the president and more a European-style prime minister who has just lost a no-confidence vote. American politics and governance have entered a new paradigm, essentially evolving into a European-style parliamentary system.

Bernanke Agonistes ; Fed Chairman's Job Is to Manage Money Supply, Period

President Obama pulled out all the stops to clinch Senate approval of his nomination of Ben S. Bernanke to a second four-year term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Now that the president seems to have enough votes for his nominee in hand, news of yet another "Louisiana Purchase" may be grabbing headlines soon. Mr. Bernanke has become something of a lightning rod for critics on the left, who think his response to the financial crisis that triggered the recession has been too timid, and for ...

London Conferees Pledge Long-Term Help for Yemen

Western and Arab countries on Wednesday made an unprecedented long-term commitment to Yemen's security and development, aimed not only at fighting al Qaeda, but also at battling Yemen's poverty. Although a London meeting of foreign ministers from about 20 countries was not a pledging forum, they agreed to gather again for a donors conference in Saudi Arabia next month.

Siemens Decides to End Deals with Iran

Europe's largest engineering conglomerate announced this week that it would be forgoing new business with Iran. "Some time ago, we reduced our business activities with customers in Iran," Peter Loescher, chief executive of Siemens, said in response to questions at the company's annual shareholder meeting in Munich on Tuesday.

Obama Calls for Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

President Obama called to end the policy of prohibiting gays from openly serving in the military Wednesday in his first State of the Union speech before Congress. "This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are," he said.

Christian Star Out at Salem, Moves On ; Parshall Set to Join Moody

Janet Parshall, a syndicated talk-show host and the nation's pre- eminent female Christian broadcaster, is leaving the Salem Radio Network this weekend to start up a new show with the Chicago-based Moody Broadcasting Network. The last day on the air for "Janet Parshall's America" will be Friday, a rebroadcast. Mrs. Parshall, who lives near Front Royal, Va., recorded her last live show Monday, when she announced she was leaving.

Cbo Chief Warns of Long, Slow Recovery ; Huge Deficits, Joblessness Seen Persisting

The director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office had little but bad news on the economy for Congress. The pace of the U.S. economic recovery will be "slow in the next few years," and the unemployment rate will average 10 percent through the end of fiscal 2011, while the annual budget deficit will likely remain above $1 trillion, CBO chief Douglas Elmendorf told the House Budget Committee on Wednesday.

Virgin Islands Park Bill Advances ; Wins House Authorization

Hours before President Obama urged members of Congress to show spending restraint Wednesday, the House voted to authorize spending as much as $50 million to create a national historic site in the U.S. Virgin Islands on beachfront land the National Park Service isn't yet sure it wants. Republicans had blocked the bill last week, saying it was a bad use of money for a government bleeding cash, but Democrats pushed it through this week, saying they didn't want to lose the chance to acquire the l...