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Do the Right Thing
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- Written by Linda Chavez
In my experience, many who plead most passionately for bipartisanship do so because they hope to persuade those on the other side of the aisle to cave in on their principles. But there are times when bipartisanship is not only desirable, but also absolutely necessary. Partisan bickering and finger pointing have no place when national security is at stake.
Unfortunately, both parties seem to ignore this rule when it suits them. Democrats did so routinely during the Bush years; now Republicans seem to be playing the same game over the Obama administration's investigation into national security leaks last May.
Recent News Supports Our Supreme Court Arguments
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- Written by Roger Clegg
Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act imposes burdens on some states and not others whenever they want to change practices or procedures related to voting. I explain why Section 5 is bad policy, outdated, unconstitutional, and ought to be struck down by the Supreme Court here and here.
Could We Have Caught the Boston Bombers Earlier?
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- Written by Linda Chavez
Twelve years after September 11, our intelligence and federal law enforcement agencies still haven't fixed the data-sharing problems that make us vulnerable to more attacks. It's difficult to reach any other conclusion after unnamed counterterrorism officials at the CIA this week revealed that Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev remained in their system as a person with possible ties to terrorism, while the FBI had closed its investigation into the man.
If this information had been shared between the agencies and the FBI had continued to monitor his activities, could the bombing have been prevented? That is a question no one can answer definitively. It may be that our laws still would not have given the FBI sufficient authority to track him. And the sheer number of individuals whose profiles suggest they pose similar risks may simply overwhelm our ability to keep a close eye on all of them.
“The Fox Is Guarding the Henhouse”
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- Written by Roger Clegg
Last week I sent to you a special email about President Obama’s disturbing nomination of Thomas Perez to head the Department of Labor. (The committee vote on that nomination will be this week, by the way.) I’d like to lead off this week’s email by flagging another bad nominee.
Let’s End the Government’s Racial Discrimination in Contracting
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- Written by Roger Clegg
In an recent op-ed, I posed this question: As the federal government struggles with sequestration and governments at all levels also face the need to economize, isn't it time to start awarding government contracts to the lowest bidder, rather than on the basis of skin color, national origin and sex?
Don't Capitulate to North Korea
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- Written by Linda Chavez
The sentencing of an American citizen to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea's infamous prison camps has escalated the cold war between the totalitarian regime and the United Status. Since assuming his role of head of state following his father's death, Kim Jong-un has repeatedly ratcheted up tensions between his nation and ours.
When Half a Loaf Is Enough
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- Written by Linda Chavez
The immigration reform bill introduced this week by a bipartisan group of senators will please few die-hards on either side of the immigration debate, but it's likely to please most Americans. Polls consistently show majority support for allowing the 11 million people who reside illegally in the U.S. to remain here, as long as they pay a penalty for violating immigration laws, have not committed serious crimes and, importantly, learn English. But many people remain skeptical that our borders are secure and want proof that we're making progress toward that end before Congress makes other changes to immigration law.
Ten Reasons Not To Confirm Thomas Perez As Next Labor Secretary
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- Written by Roger Clegg
Supporters of the Center for Equal Opportunity know that Thomas Perez, who has headed the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division during the Obama administration, has been a disaster. In spite—or maybe because—of this, President Obama has decided to promote him, nominating Mr. Perez to be the new Secretary of Labor. With some input from CEO, Heritage Action this week has posted the information below (the website is here). Worth reading!
It is not every week that the Senate confronts a cabinet nominee who does not believe in the equal application of the law and intends to micromanage your life, except for this week. On Thursday the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a vote on the nomination of Thomas Perez, the current Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, to be the next Secretary of Labor. That vote will likely send Perez’s nomination to the Senate floor. Before that occurs, here’s a list of 10 examples of why Thomas Perez should not be confirmed as the next Secretary of Labor.
A Speech President Obama Should Give (But Probably Won’t)
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- Written by Roger Clegg
Here’s a speech that I think President Obama should give if the Supreme Court rules the way the Center for Equal Opportunity has urged it to in the Fisher case:
My fellow Americans, I want to talk to you tonight about the decision that the Supreme Court handed down today in Abigail Fisher v. University of Texas, in which a narrow majority of the Court said that our colleges and universities can no longer consider race in making admissions decisions.
My first reaction was disappointment, because my Justice Department had urged to Court to continue to allow this practice. But on reflection I have decided that maybe this is a blessing in disguise, or a wake-up call, or at least that if this decision is a lemon then we can still make lemonade out of it.
