Looking at the New Deal with Amity Shlaes

One of the most fascinating books I have read over the last few months is The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression. Actually, in reading the book I was amazed at how much President Barack Obama's economic policies are like that of FDR. Needless to say, that was not comforting.

Recently I had the opportunity to talk with Amity Shlaes, author of the book. Click here to read more about our conversation and what she had to say about the current economic crisis.

The Palpable Anger of the Public

Don't think Americans are angry at their leaders in Washington? Just read this and decide for yourself.

How long before Americans decide enough is enough?

Obama's Mortgage Plan: More Harm Than Good?

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at President Obama's proposed mortgage rescue plan and finds that it could create far more problems than it solves:

President Obama yesterday announced his plan to prevent home foreclosures, saying he wanted to be "very clear about what this plan will not do: It will not rescue the unscrupulous or irresponsible by throwing good taxpayer money after bad loans . . . And it will not reward folks who bought homes they knew from the beginning they would never be able to afford."

We really do wish he were right. In fact, the details released yesterday suggest the President's plan will do all of the above. The plan will help some struggling homeowners. But by investing in failure, the Administration will also prolong the housing downturn and make financing a home purchase more difficult for future borrowers. Meanwhile, the plan isn't likely to slow the continuing decline in housing prices.

The President's plan is predicated on the false belief that everyone deserves to own a home. The fact is that not everyone can afford to own a home. The efforts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make it easier for people to buy homes they could not afford are at the heart of the current financial crisis. Unfortunately, the President's plan does nothing to address this fundamental issue and instead just prolongs the crisis and leaving taxpayers on the hook.

As CNBC's Rick Santelli correctly points out in this clip, this is an example of government rewarding bad behavior. Unfortunately it's the 92% of honest, hardworking Americans he refers to that will pay the price.

Geithner Must Go

National Review's Larry Kudlow says it's time for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to resign:

For all of Mr. Geithner’s apparent skills and knowledge and other professional qualifications, he still has a tremendous ethical problem. Pres. Obama has made much of the need for a new era of responsibility and ethics. Obama is right. But Mr. Geithner is wrong. He should follow Daschle and Killefer by submitting his resignation.

This is a matter of personal character and accountability. It is a matter of honesty. Too many of our leaders suffer big deficits in these areas.

As Kudlow points out, the fact that President Obama has made ethics a central part of his administration makes the Geithner problem more acute. In addition, with the focus of the administration's energies on the economy, it is going to be difficult for Geithner to be the face of economic policy for the administration. In a separate post, Kudlow made this point:

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner stood alongside President Obama in a White House press briefing yesterday. Obama talked about bank compensation limits and Geithner spoke about the need for trust, confidence, and faith in our leaders to get the job done. Only a day earlier, Pres. Obama said there should be no double standard when it comes to paying taxes.

However, Mr. Geithner is guilty of a double standard. He dodged his taxes. We know that. The only reason he eventually paid his taxes is because he was nominated to the Treasury. He has never gotten honest about his tax dodge. He never answered the key question of whether he would have paid his back-taxes had he not been nominated to the Treasury. And the result is that Mr. Geithner has lost the trust and confidence of the American people.

It's time for Mr. Geithner to go.

The New Deal Didn't Work (And Won't Work Again)

President Barack Obama has made no secret of the fact that he considers Franklin D. Roosevelt as one of his role models. President Obama's economic plans are very similar to those of FDR: increased government spending and intervention in markets to try to spur economic growth. Amity Shales, author of the excellent book The Forgotten Man, offers a terrific summary of why the New Deal didn't work.(hat tip: Nota Bennett)

The fundamental problem with President Obama's economic policies is the underlying assumption that government action can solve problems that can be more effectively and efficiently dealt with by market forces. The only guarantee with the President's proposals is that the economy will be no better off and in fact probably be in much worse shape no matter how much new spending is dressed up as "stimulus".

If the President's program actually helps the economy recover it will be the first time that increased government spending has spurred economic growth. History (and particularly the New Deal) suggest that the President's stimulus is doomed to fail.

Interview: Bruce Campbell

Recently I had the opportunity to sit in on a conference call with Bruce Campbell from Burn Notice. Here's the article about the interview that I wrote for Blogcritics. Enjoy.

Bush's Legacy and Obama's Burden

As we approach the end of George W. Bush's presidency, many postmortems will be written to explain how horrible or wonderful the President performed depending on point of view. No doubt many liberals will be quick to proclaim Bush as the worst president ever. But he did in fact have many achievements.

I believe that history is likely to judge him far more kindly as time passes. President Bush's lasting legacy will be the War on Terror. His response to the 9/11 attacks reset forever our approach to terrorism. Unless President-elect Barack Obama totally dismantles the anti-terrorism measures adopted under President Bush (and I don't think he will), President Bush will long be remembered as the President who forever changed America's approach to terrorism.

But there are those critics of President Bush who will bring up the economy as evidence of malfeasance on the part of the outgoing President. A couple of factors to consider: (1) the foundation for the economic collapse was laid back during President Clinton's time in office when regulations restricting lending practices at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and (2) the financial crisis occurred so late in President Bush's term that there was not time for him to see the crisis to a conclusion.

Come January 20th, the economy will be Obama's problem. It will be the issue most likely to dominate his presidency much as the Great Depression did for most of Franklin D. Roosevelt's time in office. The best way that President-elect Obama can succeed is to realize first that blaming President Bush will get him nowhere.

Mr. Obama has stated on several occassions that FDR has been a role model for him as he prepares for the presidency. He would do well to remember that Roosevelt's economic policies did more to prolong the Great Depression that to relieve it. Unfortunately for him, Democrats have never met a government program that they didn't like. Unless Mr. Obama can demonstrate a willingness to stand up to his party and try to relieve the economy through other means besides more spending we may be in for tough economic times for many years to come. That will be the legacy that will dog President Obama, not President Bush.

Quick Takes 1-9-09

A new year and time for another new roundup of interesting links.....

Pride and Prejudice as a Facebook page. Very cool indeed. (Hat tip: nosh)

Not just pro-life but pro-woman.

Need a cool nickname? Try this.

I don't think that President-elect Obama will be able to blame Bush much longer for the bad economy. (Thanks to Lorie Byrd)

Name that party. Hint: it's not in the first eleven paragraphs. No news bias here, right? (Hat tip: Hot Air)

America as a celebritocracy. (Hat tip: Jonathan) However, I'm more in agreement with Bill Bennett that the nomination of Dr. Gupta as Surgeon General is a smart move.

Bailout for porn kings? Let's hope not. (Warning: adult content)

Rejoicing in Red Sox Nation: John Smoltz signs with Boston. Assuming he's healthy, that could be a big pickup for the Sox.

John Zeigler meets Sarah Palin and finds her to be a real person.

This story brings a whole new meaning to the term "ugly divorce". (Hat tip: Dave Barry)

January 10th at 9pm Eastern Fox News will feature a special presentation of Gary Sinise's tour of Iraq. You won't want to miss this. Here's a special message from Gary that's worth reading.

With the inauguration almost upon us, it's interesting to look back at the history of prior inaugurations with Jane Hampton Cook:



Have a great weekend.

Psych Returns To USA Tonight

Another of my favorite shows is back tonight with all new episodes. You can find out all about it my sneak preview.

Monk Returns Tonight

And you can read all about it including a guest appearance by Steve Zahn in my special preview here.

Kids With Intact Families Who Go To Church Most Likely To Do Best

In a case where social science once again affirms common sense, a new study shows that kids who grow up in two parent homes and also go to church have the fewest behavioral problems (Hat tip: Gene Veith):

Children living with both biological parents or adoptive parents who attend religious services regularly are less likely to exhibit problems at school or at home, a new analysis of national data shows.

The study by psychologist Nicholas Zill, the founder of Child Trends, and statistician Philip Fletcher found that children in such a situation -- when compared to children not living with both parents and not attending religious services regularly -- are 5.5 times less likely to have repeated a grade and 2.5 less likely to have had their parents contacted by the school because of a conduct or achievement problem.

Additionally, intact families who have regular religious participation (defined as at least weekly or monthly) are less likely to report parental stress and more likely to report a "better parent-child relationship," the analysis, which focused on families with children ages 6-17, says.

The study, co-released by the Family Research Council and more than 30 state family councils as part of FRC's Mapping America project, was based on interviews in 2003 with parents of more than 100,000 children and teens by the National Center for Health Statistics for the National Survey of Children's Health.

The data "hold[s] up after controlling for family income and poverty, low parent education levels, and race and ethnicity."

"An intact two-parent family and regular church attendance are each associated with fewer problem behaviors, more positive social development, and fewer parental concerns about the child's learning and achievement," Zill and Fletcher wrote. "Taken together, the two home-environment factors have an additive relationship with child well-being. That is, children who live in an intact family and attend religious services regularly generally come out best on child development measures, while children who do neither come out worst. Children with one factor in their favor, but not the other, fall in between ...."

The authors said that children in an intact religious family "are more likely to exhibit positive social behavior, including showing respect for teachers and neighbors, getting along with other children, understanding other people's feelings, and trying to resolve conflicts with classmates, family, or friends."

Pat Fagan, the director of FRC's Center for Family and Religion, said the study should impact social policy.

"Social science data continue to demonstrate overwhelmingly that the intact married family that worships weekly is the greatest generator of human goods and social benefits and is the core strength of the United States," he said in a statement. "Policy makers should strongly consider whether their policy proposals give support to such a family structure. Children are not the only beneficiaries but also their parents, families, communities, and all of society."

A Look Back at 2008

2008 is drawing to an end and was a long, strange year. Dave Barry takes a humorous look back on the year that was. Read and enjoy.

Prayer, Politics, and Rick Warren

Much has been written about Pastor Rick Warren's invitation to give the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration in just a few weeks. Many on the left have been upset about the selection of Pastor Warren because of his stance against homosexual marriage. Some on the right are suggesting that he may be compromising the gospel for the sake of political influence.

Pastor Warren is symbolic of what's happened to evangelicals over the past 30 or so years. The church has forsaken the gospel in favor of gaining political and cultural influence. As a result, principles have been compromised.

If Pastor Warren truly wants to be effective, then he should take Cal Thomas' advice and be more like the prophet Nathan:

If Obama plans on having Warren as a presence in his presidency, Warren should seek to model himself more after Nathan the prophet. Nathan confronted King David over his affair with Bathsheba, whose husband, Uriah the Hittite, David sent to the front lines to ensure he would be killed so that David could have his wife. God sent Nathan to David. Nathan told David a story about a rich man who stole a poor man's lamb rather than take one from his own flock to feed a visitor. Nathan asked David what should happen to such a man. David replied, "that man should surely die." To which Nathan replied, "You are the man." (2 Samuel 12)

Nathan's confrontation led to David's repentance and one of the most beautiful Psalms ever written (Psalm 51). The point is that Nathan did not compromise Truth, but confronted David with what he had done wrong. How many modern preachers would confront a president like that? Probably not many if they wanted to maintain access.

Former Governor Mike Huckabee wrote this in his book Do The Right Thing quoting his mentor James Robison:

The prophets of old were rarely invited back for a return engagement. In fact, most of them were never invited the first time. They came to speak truth to power regardless of the consequences.

Governor Huckabee goes on to note that one can be a politician or a prophet but never both. My hope is that Pastor Warren will take this opportunity to be a prophet and not worry about being invited by President Obama for another speaking engagement.

The True Meaning of Christmas

Before any gifts are opened this morning, we'll pause and read together this passage from the Bible on the ultimate gift that God has given each one of us:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:1-20)

Christ Is Our Guiding Light

Mark Alexander has some timely reflections on the Christmas season that are worth reading. Take time to read his entire column.

Merry Christmas to all!

My Christmas Playlist

Many years ago I worked as a disc jockey for several different radio stations. One holiday season I worked both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day playing nothing but Christmas songs.

It was during those two shifts that I realized a couple of truths. First, there are only a limited number of Christmas songs but dozens of versions of each song. If you don't believe me, just put the name of a popular Christmas song in the search box on ITunes and see how many different versions pop up. It's staggering. My guess is that you really haven't made it as a musician until you've had a chance to record a few Christmas songs.

Second, I realized there is a lot of really bad Christmas music floating around out there. I don't mean that the songs themselves are bad but that some renditions really shouldn't have been recorded. I don't understand why artists have a need to record songs that have been done over and over again by other performers. You certainly wouldn't see that with other types of popular songs, would you?

Those two shifts at the radio station instilled in me a strong dislike for Christmas music. Because so much of it can be really cheesy it's difficult sometimes for me to bear it. But there are some things I do enjoy listening to during the holiday season.

First, I can listen to just about anything recorded by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. When you think of holiday music those are the first two folks to come to mind.

Next, I will listen to the soundtrack from A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio over and over again. I never get tired of this holiday classic. It's also my favorite holiday TV special.

Apart from that, here is a list of my other favorite Christmas songs in no particular order.

Please Come Home For Christmas - The Eagles
I'll Be Home For Christmas - The Beach Boys
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
White Christmas - The Drifters
Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
Run, Run Rudolph - Chuck Berry
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Diana Krall
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Those Who Serve

It's easy sometimes to forget that there are men and women who are laying down their lives so that those of us who are comfortable at home here in America can enjoy freedom. Kevin McCullough shares about one friend of his and the hardships that his friend will willingly endure for the sake of our freedom. It's very humbling to read.

"This Generation's Bob Hope"

That's Andrew Breitbart's description of actor Gary Sinise and the comparison is very appropriate. While the media doesn't pay a whole lot of attention to Sinise's work for the USO, President George W. Bush awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal. Be sure to read Breitbart's entire column about this true American patriot.

Reclaiming Hymns

One of the constant challenges I face as a worship leader is figuring out how to incorporate hymns into our regular worship times. I'm at a disadvantage since I came to faith about the time that contemporary worship music started to take off. So I'm more at home singing more modern worship songs than old hymns. But there's a lot to be treasured in old songs. That's why I'm really excited to stumble across a hymn memorization project from Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD. Not only are they making an effort to memorize a new hymn every month but a group of folks from the church recorded the hymns. Click on the widget below to find out how you can get a download of the songs.

Revamping History

After being closed to the public for more than two years, The National Museum of American History has reopened after an extensive renovation. The Weekly Standard's Andrew Ferguson has a detailed account of how the renovation came about and how the curators view history. It sounds like from his account that the new version of the museum is a vast improvement over the old with a lot of work still to be done. If you're ever in Washington, a few hours at the museum would be a worthwhile endeavor.