OPINION: New Year's Resolutions

You know about New Year’s resolutions: Lose weight. Exercise. Get organized. Spend more time with family. Get out of debt.

If we actually kept these, then each year we could move on to something different, instead of repeating the same old pledges that we never seem to keep.

Our close relative Uncle Sam has the same problem. Over and over, we hear pledges to reduce spending, cut out waste and fraud, get rid of regulations that kill jobs, and to streamline government.

Psychologists say 90% of new year’s resolutions fail. In Washington, the rate is probably higher.

Things don’t change when our commitments are superficial. Unless we consider all the consequences of political promises, and unless we’re ready to accept those consequences—such as receiving less back from government—then we can’t expect politicians to have any stronger commitments than we have ourselves.

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

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OPINION: Vote Fraud Is Real

President Obama’s U.S. Justice Department wants to invalidate South Carolina’s new voter ID law, but is ignoring Supreme Court decisions that support such laws.

Liberals often claim that voter ID is unfair to minorities and that voting fraud isn’t a real problem anyway.
Sadly, they use phony math when they claim that it’s discriminatory to expect minorities to have an ID.

Would they undo the security checkpoints at airports because of that? They also should know that for people who don’t drive, states commonly issue other ID cards, often for free.

Voter fraud is real. The infamous ACORN group in 2008 turned in over 400,000 phony or invalid voter registrations. And 55 ACORN workers in eleven states have been convicted of voter registration fraud.

We need common-sense security at the polls with voter ID.

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

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OPINION: Primary Rules

Why is it that only two of seven major contenders will be on the ballot in Virginia’s Republican presidential primary?

It’s because our federal system allows each state and each political party to design their own method on picking a nominee for President.

The qualifications are set by the Constitution — You must be 35 years old and a natural born American citizen. But each national party tells each state how many delegates they can send to their national conventions that actually make the nomination.

Then, to pick those delegates, each state party creates its own system. If that involves an official election, then state campaign laws also come into play.

That’s how Virginia can require 10,000 signatures, divided among 11 congressional districts, as a pre-condition to get on the ballot. Doing well in the polls doesn’t count; you’ve got to be well-organized and plan ahead to qualify.

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

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OPINION: The Day After Christmas

Twas the day after Christmas,
And all ‘cross the land
All the people were saying,
“Wasn’t Christmas just grand?”

The children were joyful,
The parents were tired,
And grandfolks, aunts and uncles
Had been really inspired.

The stockings still hung by the chimneys with care
But the toes were now empty; there was nothing left there.

All the presents were opened
The carols all had been sung
We’d enjoyed our big gathering
Where we’d seen everyone.

But beneath all the clutter, the leftovers and toys
Was the meaning eternal, and the source of our joys.
For we’d focused our time not on gifts, not on food
But on the true source of our holiday mood.
We read verses, we sang songs, we remembered and smiled
For the cause of it all was the holy Christ Child.

So may we proclaim ‘ere the year starts again:
Let’s promote peace on earth, and good will to men.

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

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OPINION: Flash Mobs At Christmas

I really enjoy the flash mobs at Christmastime.

No, I don’t mean the Occupy protestors; I mean people who surprise people at a mall, a restaurant, an airport, or anyplace else with an outburst of unexpected music, singing and maybe dancing.  It’s a modern variation on Christmas caroling, but it surprises large gatherings rather than households.

Handel’s “Messiah” is one of the most popular themes, but others are light-hearted Christmas songs or classic carols.  Thanks to social media, organizers can bring together large groups that sometimes didn’t even know each other until they pull off their surprise.

Of course they record it on cell phones or pocket cams, and share it on the Internet.  If you haven’t seen a group of senior citizens singing and dancing slowly in store aisles with canes and walkers, then you better look online.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

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