Tag Archive

The Death Of Compassionate Conservatism

By Mike Burns

Some of the most memorable and troubling moments of the recent Republican Debates have been the conservative audience’s spontaneous and emotional outbursts. They loudly voiced their belief that those without insurance and without the funds to afford care should just simply die. They literally booed an American soldier, actively serving in Iraq, just because... »

Where The Regulations Meet The Road

By Mike Burns

As I am writing this, thousands of gallons of oil are gushing out of the bottom of the ocean and threatening to destroy the wetlands and beaches of several southern states. We all know that this disaster could have been prevented with just a little bit more regulation and oversight. Why didn’t it happen?... »

Obama’s Afghanistan Gamble

By Mike Burns

Obama, after months of deliberation, has finally announced his new Afghanistan policy. He will send 30,000 more troops to the region and impose a timeline of around 18 months to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Watching him on that stage at West Point, you could feel the strain of having to make this very difficult... »

Nobel Peace Prize: Something For Nothing?

By Mike Burns

When I first saw the news about Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize I was stunned. I immediately felt it was a terribly inappropriate and untimely choice. I am a big supporter of this President but I had to question the rational of giving this award to him before he has actually accomplished any... »

Afghanistan: The Question Is Strategy, Not Troops

By Mike Burns

For the last few years of the Bush administration, Afghanistan suffered from both the neglect and ineptitude of a President more interested in Saddam Hussein then Osama Bin Laden. While distracted in Iraq, we lost territory to a resurgent Taliban and watched our handpicked government devolve into corruption. Most importantly, we failed to eliminate... »

Voodoo Economics: The Bush Tax Policies Rise From The Grave

By Mike Burns

As we debate the  efficacy and wisdom of extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, it would be beneficial to review what that policy has actually accomplished  in the past. The annual Census Bureau report on income, poverty and access to health care serves up the bad news for the Bush legacy project.... »

The Anniversary Of George W. Bush’s Failure

By Mike Burns

On September 11, 2001, I was woken up with a phone call from a friend who told me to turn on my TV because something terrible was happening in New York. For the next few days I was glued to my couch as I devoured every piece of detailed information that was available and... »

Deciphering Tom Ridge

By Mike Burns

It has been a pretty strange couple of days trying to figure out exactly what Tom Ridge believes happened during his tenure as head of the Department of Homeland Security. In his book he states pretty clearly that he felt that there were political motivations behind some of the arguments to raise the security... »

What Did George W. Bush Do All Day?

By Mike Burns

Here is an article I had written a couple of months ago for another website but I liked it so well I thought I would reprint it for you here. The recent article in GQ magazine detailing Donald Rumsfeld’s incompetence while Secretary of Defense reads like a chapter from a bizaro version of the idiots... »

Another Bush Failure For Obama To Fix

By Mike Burns

Bush’s Legacy project just got a little bit more difficult this week with the announcement that the Justice Department will be investigating the use of torture by the CIA during the Bush administration. The investigation will be narrowly focused on those specific acts of torture and abuse that went beyond the legal directives put... »